Recently, I purchased and read the book, Imagine, by Jonah Lehrer. It is fantastic! It is so good that my son, Brian, is now reading it. (If he takes a suggestion from his mother you know it's good.) Although I normally reserve my reviews to middle grade books, I felt it was important to pass this recommendation on to my writer friends since I found it that important to my own creativity.
Here is a brief review of the informative and inspiring book:
Imagine
by Jonah Lehrer
Flap copy excerpt:
Did you know that the most creative companies have centralized bathrooms? That brainstorming meetings are a terrible idea? That the color blue can help double your creative output?
From the best-selling author of How We Decide comes a sparkling and revelatory look at the new science of creativity. Shattering the myth of muses, higher powers, even creative "types," Jonah Lehrer demonstrates that creativity is not a single gift possessed by the lucky few. It's a variety of distinct thought processes that we can all learn to use more effectively.
Lehrer reveals the importance of embracing the rut, thinking like a child, daydreaming productively, and adopting an outsider's perspective (travel helps). He unveils the optimal mix of old and new partners in any creative collaboration and explains why criticism is essential to the process. Then he zooms out to show how we can make our neighborhoods more vibrant, our companies more productive, and our schools more effective...
My thoughts:
Beyond the wealth of wonderful information, Mr. Lehrer does a nice job of keeping the reader engaged in his text with great examples from well-known figures (Bob Dylan, Yo-Yo Ma, Shakespeare, and more). He is a gifted writer himself, weaving the data and the delightful together in an entertaining book. For anyone looking to optimize their creative capability... this is the book! I would also highly recommend Imagine to anyone who wants to be inspired - in whatever their chosen field of endeavor. It would make an awesome gift for the new graduate, or the perfect present for a man on Father's Day.
To learn more about the unique author, Jonah Lehrer, click here: http://www.jonahlehrer.com/about/
