How to Mind Map by Tony Buzan is an easy to read book describing a new (to some) method of organizing information to enhance recall, creativity and communication. Buzan describes what mind-mapping is and how you can use it to organize, remember and create things using associating and imagination.

Buzan calls mind maps “the ultimate organizational thinking tool”. Mind maps can help you remember grocery store lists, write a presentation, study for a midterm, plan a marketing campaign, and more. I have used similar techniques for planning and training and I noticed that many people “get” the visual representation of ideas much more readily than they can absorb things that are written or spoken. I have wished that I knew how to do this in college. Those endless pages of notes could have been considerably condensed if I had known how to create mind maps of lectures.

This technique can help you in your business life in several ways. Try mind-mapping your business plan, your job description, (or even better, mind map the job descriptions of people who report to you). Mind map your customer’s experiences with you, your ideal customer profile, top clients, new spring promotions, even your cash flow. Take one product or service and mind map its possibilities and potential. (Unlike brainstorming, you can be critical with mind-mapping. Try following a brainstorming session with mind mapping the best ideas you generated.)

Many critics of the book point to its “grandiose” comments as exaggerated, even outlandish and they can be annoying. Mind mapping does not come with a fairy godmother bearing glass slippers and alas, will not turn the rest of us into DaVincis. However, it is a good tool and for the visually-oriented, it is probably a far better way to represent mental tasks than straight note-taking and list-making.

I recommend this book for students of all ages, and for business people who need a little help in “getting it together.” It’s easy to learn, and it can be quite fun.

To see examples of mind maps, and for more information, here are some resources:

How to do a Mind Map

Images of Mind Maps


Click here to purchase How to Mind Map

Share your views or ask questions in the SOHO forum