Imagine, by Jonah Lehrer

It seems impossible to quantify or qualify what creativity is exactly, but Lehrer has taken a stab at this elusive aspect of the mind in Imagine. There are seemingly infinite approaches to improving creativity, the sources of creativity and the personality type that lines up most exactly with an overabundant imagination.

Lehrer discusses why the shower is a popular place for epiphanies, the reason that Google's bathrooms are in the middle of the building and why naivety of a certain field of thought can actually lead to more breakthroughs. I was especially intrigued by the discussion of multiple creative companies always having inexperience individuals in the mix to amp up the creative flow and the fact that the more ideas are shared, no matter if it was during Shakespeare's time or Steve Jobs, is crucial to the blossom of breakthroughs.

So, if you have ever wondered why Pixar only has hits, why you should dive into areas you are completely unfamiliar with, and whether or not it is a coincidence that creative geniuses are often also manic depressives, eccentric, and recluses at times this is the book you have been looking for. While this could have been a bland discussion, Lehrer's conversational approach and logical flow from one point to the next in the complex area make this a must read.