Shortcut: How Analogies Reveal Connections, Spark Innovation, and Sell Our Greatest Ideas

Rich with engaging stories, surprising examples, and a practical method toevaluate the truth or effectiveness of any analogy,Shortcutwill improve criticalthinking, enhance creativity, and offer readers a fresh approach to resolving some oftoday’s most intractable challenges.

A former presidential speechwriter for Bill Clintonexplores the hidden power of analogy tofuel thought, connect ideas, sparkinnovation, and shape outcomes.

From the meatpacking plants that inspired Henry Ford’s first moving assemblyline to the domino theory that led America into Vietnam to the bicycle for themind that Steve Jobs envisioned as the Macintosh computer, analogies have playeda dynamic role in shaping the world around us-and still do today.

Analogies are far more complex than their SAT stereotype and lie at the verycore of human cognition and creativity. Once we become aware of this, we startseeing them everywhere-in ads, apps, political debates, legal arguments, logos, andeuphemisms, to name just a few. At their very best, analogies inspire new ways ofthinking, enable invention, and motivate people to action. Unfortunately, not everyanalogy that rings true is true. That’s why, at their worst, analogies can deceive,manipulate, or mislead us into disaster. The challenge? Spotting the differencebefore it’s too late.

Rich with engaging stories, surprising examples, and a practical method toevaluate the truth or effectiveness of any analogy, Shortcut will improve criticalthinking, enhance creativity, and offer readers a fresh approach to resolving some oftoday’s most intractable challenges.