No matter how hard you try to force inspiration, like a poorly trained dog, it just doesn't always obey. 

I find that creating ideas is like making a stew.  You throw in a whole bunch of new experiences, sprinkle in a few carrots and let it sit long enough and eventually you'll end up with something palatable.  I read 4 or 5 books at a time - not literally at the same time, I just read parts of different books at different times of the day. I rarely read all the way through a single book, unless it's really good fiction. 

It is amazing how the books all begin to overlap at some point. I am reading a book about Improvisation, just finished one about the brain, and two or three books on customer loyalty.  Believe it or not there are common threads.  I like to mix up the perspectives too to make it interesting. 

And it is also amazing how something you read in a book will suddenly work it's way out of your mind in the middle of some critical project.  I am bad at remembering the authors and titles, so I can't always get back to the source, but the impact of the words lingers. 

I think the secret is to get exposed to everything imaginable and the further removed the information is from your normal every day view of the world, the better.  Hence the book on Comic Books that I just finished.  It was an amazingly intellectual look at the process of communicating through pictures, which is a struggle for me. 

People have been saying that the Internet and electronic media will eliminate books but if that is the case, why is everyone I know currently in the process of writing a book?  Is anyone going to read what we write? 

Think about all of the ways that you receive new information in the course of a single day.  You read books.  You watch television.  You stumble-upon new internet insights.  You get IMs from your friends and associates.  You attend conferences.  You listen to radio.  You play audio tapes.  (Maybe I’m the only one who still has a tape player in my car. But at least it’s not an 8-track.)  You have a steady stream of e-mails.  The e-mails send you to links.  You receive bills and letters in the mail.  You join conference calls.  You watch YouTube videos.   You might even meditate. ( That means you have to add the voice of your inner being to all the others. )

What is your favorite source? 

I really like to learn from books.  I enjoy their concrete nature and their portability.  I like the artwork that is on the cover.  I am captivated by the perfect font with or without serifs depending on the subject.   And I like a book’s predictable system of organization.  Add to that the fact that they are always available; I can always return to the right spot and resume learning.   I can go as fast or as slow as I want and I can move forward or backwards at will.   Books never interrupt me when I am pursuing other activities.  I like the feel of the pages, their clear indication of progress made and how far I have left to go. When I am stuck, there is always a book available with a quote or idea that gets me going.   I even have a book called The Book of Answers which at times has been amazingly helpful. 

Think about capturing the magic of your favorite form in your next presentation.   

I might think about how best to incorporate the elements of a good book into my next presentation before the sales team. Maybe I could hand out booklets that support my message.  Maybe I can improve the organization of my material.  Maybe I should change the fonts and cover for maximum effect.  

What will you do differently?