Griver, Jeanette A. Oh No! Not Another Problem: A Practical Approach to Solve Day-To-Day Problems. Compsych Systems, 2000. ISBN 978-0929948027 105 pp. $

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When I see that the publisher of this book is the company the author founded, my spidey senses tingle. I struggle with a bias against vanity press titles, but am pleased to report this self-published novel has merit: six concrete examples show the reader how to apply a complex, ten-step problem solving method, focusing on operational analysis and objective vision.

Overanalyzing and backtracking may frustrate readers looking for a quick fix. Step-by-step solutions are provided for the sample situations. No exercises or activities are included to put theory into practice. Cartoonish illustrations add levity to the the writing, which is sometimes dry or technical. Lack of white space on some pages and too much on others, combined with the overused Times New Roman font and uneven margins give the work a “composed on my computer” look. The positive blurbs on the back cover come from people with no discernible authority on the topic, but the author credentials include a M.A. in psychology and work as business consultants for many years.

For more comprehensive and clearly written books on problem solving, turn to 101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques by James M. Higgins (New Management Pub. Co., 1994) or The Thinker’s Toolkit by Morgan D. Jones (Three Rivers Press, 1998).