Get Better At Outsmarting the Unexpected

Sharpen Your Ability to Think on Your Feet

Outsmart the Unexpected is a collection of challenging and unusual dilemmas in story form that need resolving. It's up to you to write your own ending. It's up to you to decide how things will turn out. Use them to develop your creativity, sharpen your ability to think on your feet, and make decisions which will be successful.

In the course of life, problems may suddenly arise and they may sometimes be things you've never dealt with before. So your mental filing cabinet of experiences and skills can only partially assist you in thinking up a solution. The predicaments presented in this collection are situations that most people have probably never encountered before and never will (hopefully). The rationale for this is that you'll need to work the problem and tap into your creativity in order to find a solution. You won't just being able to draw upon your expertise and remembered experiences.

In some, you may need to suspend your disbelief to play along. Some will make your head spin. Others may make your heart pound. Still others will make you go hmmm. But, all will get your brain stretching and help you grow your creativity and problem solving prowess.

Dive into the unknown and bring your creative side along with you!

Have fun inventing different endings and discussing and debating the possible solutions or interesting outcomes that you came up with for these suspense-filled, no-time-to-lose predicaments. Do you think that the best solutions come from asking the right questions? Get your brain buzzing thinking up what those questions would be. Do you enjoy making up your own endings? Let your imagination run wild.

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Fluid intelligence is what allows a person to comprehend implications, reason quickly, and think abstractly. It springs into action when a person is faced with a problem or situation they have never come across before. But, if the mind is out of shape when the unexpected arrives at 200 miles per hour, it can sputter or even stall.

In today's rapidly changing world, those who can most easily adapt and find winning solutions to life's sudden, unexpected changes with sometimes only imperfect, sketchy information, will be the ones to not only just survive, but to thrive.

Some REVIEW SNIPPETS from Amazon and Goodreads

"... fun activity for an evening home with friends (game night for critical thinkers). You can read the book out loud and discuss the possible outcomes. It is interesting to see what conclusion other people draw and their reasoning. The discussions can lead to some very stimulating conversations and your friends may even surprise you with the conclusions they draw. You may even gain some new insights into your own creativity and critical thinking skills."

"... Yes, you have a chance to make your own happy ending, be your own hero and stretch your brain with the various scenarios in this quirky little book. Not a parlor game but then again it would really enliven any party as several short problematic scenarios are presented. You are asked to solve them. I took this to my office and we spent several lunch hours going over the possibilities. It is really fascinating to see others flex their comfort zones to come up with answers using creative problem solving skills. There are no right answers. You are on your own to work with the facts presented. Not just fun or thought provoking, it leaves you wanting to go through the entire book. Meanwhile you are using your creativity, decision making chops and critical thinking skills to solve problems you hope you never encounter."

"I did find myself stretched as I tried to figure out, not how to "fix" the person who got into the predicament, but rather how to resolve it with their limited personality and/or skills. It helped me to envision the kinds of situations certain behavior generates, and to understand what being in their skins involve. I also enjoyed it on the storytelling level, asking myself what the likely response could be to the scenario, and creating an ending that matched the beginning. This is an unusual and unexpected book, and I have spent close to three weeks working through the stories, sorting out what would be done... I have grown through perusing this book, and suggest it as an opportunity for you to grow as well. Well, not just grow - you can stop yelling at the characters and actually tell them what to do. : Four stars and recommended for a fun experience!"

"... part of the joy of Pacelli's book is that there often isn't enough information [as in life] to reach a solution. And, there are no "rules" - you're on your own ... pick up this challenging little book and try a few of the exercises yourself. You may get addicted too."

"It is almost impossible to rate this book because there is nothing to compare it with that I know of. It is sui generis ... It would make a good game at a party, where selected vignettes were read aloud and attendees would have to solve what to do. I could also see this as a good book for a writing class, asking students to complete the stories "

"...would make great material for a book club discussion or a terrific teaching aid for a writing class, similar to books like The Artists Way which asks the reader to build a story around an ordinary object randomly placed. It can make for some very active discussions without any repercussions for making the "wrong" decision. We've all heard that keeping the mind active and exercised will help keep it healthy so if you're looking for something besides crossword puzzles and Sudoku, Outsmart the Unexpected is a good tool to add to your repertoire."