Customer Reviews
No need to buy this booklet - By: Brendan O. Clarke, 31 Jul 2008 
Short is good, & this book is very short. In fact it would have been better as a leaflet/ booklet. But who would spend £8 on a leaflet? You could standin a bookstore & read the short simple chapter about "Mind Maps"in this book & save yourself the purchase price; honestly this book could well have been a small & effective booklet.
The subject of the book is worthy of learning & usage as i found the technique to be effective. Mind mapping offers a very easy technique that requires little more than color pens & paper. The method is simple: a central topicin the middle, followed by radiating branches denoting concepts, sub-concepts, & further conceptual breakdowns. Arranging information spatially rather than linearly asin to-do lists & written notes helps place each node of informationin context, & also helps the brain "remember" the entire picture all at once therefore making all the info retrieveable.
One thing I find surprising about Buzan's book is why did he not mind-map his book itself? It would have been much easier to understand the concepts that way.The examples given for persuading the virtues of mind mapping are quite laughable. However, at least they are examples. The maps themselves arein colour, & they do more or less comply with the rules.
However, its more of the same infomercial throughout. Having statements such as "THE MIND MAP WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE" written across the page is a little more than irritating & i never trust a writer who wrtiesin block capitals to get a point across; it smacks of childishness.
A great place to start - By: rjj, 04 May 2008 
If you can adopt mind mapping as your primary method of developing ideas & organising your notes & thoughts then it will not be long before you see some real benefits. In simple terms Buzan, quite convincingly, argues that mind worksin lateral & not linear lines of thought & that mind mapping will enable us to find more solutions & to explore issues more deeply. I have had many practical opportunities to explore this theory & find myself hooked for life as I have clear evidence of finding solutions & opportunities that would never have revealed themselves but for this method of exploring & organising thoughts & problems. The benefits for students organising notes & preparing for exams must be incredible. It is also a brilliant tool if you are preparing for an interview & provides a much better chance of being able to recall things at a later time & at times of stress. This is a great intro to mind mapping & a very easy read.
Good introduction - By: , 26 Feb 2006 
A good introduction & covers the basic concepts very well with good examples & enough to get you started. Did my first mind map the same day & I'm hooked.
4 stars as you will be asking questions this book won't answer.
QUICK AND EASY - By: , 20 Aug 2003 This is one of those books where you already know all the information, but it's useful to have it allin one place,in a coherent order (sorta!!).
The mind map technique is great for when you need a structure to help make a difficult decision, or prepare for something nerve racking, although the book advocates its use for virtually everything of course.
The unremitting very 'American' style ("this is the answer to all your problems etc.") has to be ignored, but it's well worth the purchase.
It's easy to read, plus you can probably read the thingin one or two hours. I regard both these things as a bonusin books of this type.
throw your notes away - By: , 31 Jul 2003 a brilliant skill to learn. This book is an easy to read introduction (though the longer book is more interesting)... much more fun than writing reams of notes.
I got it for my dyslexic son to use for school, a great help for him, & handy for me
