There are a multitude of innovation books that are either published or are going to be published with something along the lines of  “innovation lessons from ___fill in the blank with a famous person’s name___”.

These are typical books that provide tips and principles to follow. Nothing wrong with that, except that there are too many that come to the same conclusions. There are others though, that do present a different concept.

Gijs Van Wulfen sent me his newest book last month, I think it is very cool. Called “The Innovation Expedition: A Visual Toolkit to Start Innovation“, consist of a visual journey through Gijs FORTH Innovation method. Which is all about “How to get started with innovation effectively“.

It is very visual and inviting to read, thought the content is aimed at those beginning with innovation. That is fine. But, if you are a fairly in the know and are expecting some rigor, you won’t find it here.

What you will find is a conceptualization of innovation as an adventure. At the beginning of the book you’ll find stories of explorers such as Christopher Columbus, Roald Amundsen and Sir Edmund Hilary, about how they overcame unforeseen obstacles to reach their destination. The reason, they all went through a challenging journey full of uncertainty.

Gijs reminds you of the basics of innovation, providing you with a plan and questions to ask yourself. As well as a 66 point checklist which I really liked. He then guides you through the step-by-step FORTH Innovation Method.

Though there are other “How to” books about innovation that I would put on my list first, this book provides a little bit of everything laid out in a simple to follow framework, and the process is explained in the most simple language possible.

That is why I certainly recommend this book to anyone looking to start their innovation journey.