Strategies for Creative Problem Solving

A Tested, Proven Approach to Problem Solving—Updated with New Material and Current, Real-Life Examples

Strategies for Creative Problem Solving, Third Edition, will help you hone your creative skills and apply those skills to solve nearly any problem. Drawing on National Science Foundation-funded, advanced research that studied problem-solving techniques in all areas of modern industry, this book presents a comprehensive, systematic problem-solving framework. Through hands-on techniques and exercises drawing on realistic examples, you will learn how to approach an ill-defined problem, identify the real problem, generate and implement the best solution, evaluate what you’ve learned, and build on that knowledge.

This third edition has been updated and revised, further enhancing its value for engineers, technical practitioners, students, and anyone who wants to improve their problem-solving skills. Updates include 

• More than twenty-five new examples—based on recent, real-world events and topics—that illustrate the various problem-solving techniques
• Expanded coverage of critical thinking and reasoning
• An introduction to structured critical reasoning
• New discussion of managing complex change
• Expanded and improved explanations of the components of problem-solving strategies 

The first edition of this book earned ASEE’s 1996 Meriam-Wiley Distinguished Author Award, and now it’s more focused and useful than ever.

Companion Web Site 

The book’s companion Web site (www.engin.umich.edu/scps) is a valuable resource for students and instructors. The site contains

• Interactive Computer Modules: Seven simulations linked to the book’s content and designed to deepen your expertise with every stage of the problem-solving process
• Summary Notes: Chapter-specific material that highlights important points in each chapter—excellent for classroom presentations and concept review
• Professional Reference Shelf: Additional examples and problem-solving materials
• Additional Study Materials: Course syllabi and Web links to related material

H. Scott Fogler is the Vennema Professor of Chemical Engineering and Thurnau Professor at the University of Michigan, and a past president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He has chaired ASEE's Chemical Engineering Division and earned the Warren K. Lewis Award from AIChE for contributions to chemical engineering education and the 2010 Malcom E. Pruitt Award from the Council for Chemical Research. He is the author of the classic Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering, Fourth Edition (Prentice Hall, 2006), and Essentials of Chemical Reaction Engineering (Prentice Hall, 2011).

Steven E. LeBlanc is executive associate dean for academic affairs and professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Toledo. He has served as the chairman of the ASEE Chemical Engineering Division and as a co-chair of the 2007 ASEE Chemical Engineering Summer School for Faculty.

Benjamin R. Rizzo is a chemical engineering graduate of the University of Michigan and currently is a production engineer for Shell Oil, working on Unconventional Reservoir Optimization.