The Mind Map Book

Tony Buzan may be a bit of a one trick pony, but what a trick! Admittedly his Mind Maps® aren't really original but Buzan's use (and marketing) of the mind map is masterful.

Tony Buzan didn't invent this style of diagram, but he did invent the term. The Mind Map Book is a beautiful illustration of this powerful technique for note taking, structuring information and enhancing memory.

Mind maps are a method of recording and structuring information that involves producing a tree structure on paper, growing out from a central theme. They are a great concept, they work superbly well for many people and Buzan explains them better than anyone else. This takes a more general approach than Mind Maps at Work, so is better for getting a broad background rather than looking at specific business applications.

There are mixed responses to the hand-drawn maps used to illustrate the book - there is now excellent software for drawing mind maps, and for some the hand-drawn versions are a bit too personal. You need your own hand-drawn maps, not someone else’s.