by Jonah Lehrer Book list Creativity a flash in the pan or
99-percent perspiration? A-list journalist Lehrer (How We
Decide, 2009) tackles the question in broad strokes, covering
topics as diverse as office layouts, urban planning, drug use,
and brain chemistry. It turns out that the question isn't easy
to answer, for it seems that a method used by one creative
person doesn't translate for another. Lehrer describes the
creative activities of such luminaries as David Byrne and the
CEO of Pixar, then dissects why each approach works for that
individual or group. Some examples are a bit of a stretch. The
section on Shakespeare, for instance, is eye-rollingly
speculative. But, just as Lehrer points out that explicit
instruction is anathema to creative play and discovery, he seems
to say in each section, Isn't this neat? and leave the bulk of
the work to the reader's imagination. In that sense, Imagine is
a great introduction for anyone curious about the nature and
dynamics of creativity.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright