Blue Ocean Strategy should change the way you thing about innovation. It's not about R&D. It's about thinking.

The short story, for Jorge Luis Borges, is a contradiction in form. These may be short in length, but rarely does he bother with anything less than universal concepts. Don't be surprised if it takes more than one reading to fully understand the breadth of his imagination or vision of the world.

Anyone who can make sense of the organization of the universe with nothing by symbols must have an incredible ability to visualize. Material that forces your imagination to see things differently is essential to generating innovative ideas.

When James Burke claims that things are connected, hang on. The video series is horribly expensive. The book isn't as exciting, but infinitely easier to track his path through the history of invention.

Accurately titled piece with techniques for visualizing the reality you want to live. More than three million copies sold in twenty-five foreign languages. Even Oprah recommends this one.

Wu Li masters of China are similar to western physicists. Both study patterns of organic energy. Both know that one does not master, but on a good day, can hope to dance with the universe. Mysticism and math combined. Great brain food. In print since 1979 and still enlightening.

Innovation is not all about more and better. At some point, the two pillars of progress are in conflict. McKebben's hopeful manifesto should change your perspective on innovation's role and responsibility.

Users know best about how to improve or create new products from need and spare parts. Manufacturers know best how to make and market the products. Collaboration and raw inventiveness prevail.

Two of the greatest minds of the 20th century had only a limited awareness of each other's advances. The parallels are far more apparent in this book than previously acknowledged. Picasso was influenced by 4-dimensional geometry. Einstein was influenced by the intuition from his dreams.

Richard Florida explains why some cities are rising in their creative capital, and why others...like Pittsburgh...are missing the ramp.

Evan Schwartz tells the stories behind the innovations. Mythic storytelling structure applies to the way innovators think and act.

This book was first published in 1973. Don't be put off by the cover graphics. It is the simplist explanation of how to shift your thinking from an A to B pattern to something totally different. Better yet, you can do it on demand. And, you can learn the basics in a few hours.

Frans is an insightful author whose incredible contribution to the analysis of breakthrough ideas is essential reading.

Richard Florida has made it acceptable to be creative and work in a corporate environment. And he does it with class.

"The Innovator's Dilemma" and "The Innovator's Solution," two previous books by Harvard's Clayton Christensen, are summarized efficiently in the first chapters of this book. Christensen, Anthony and Roth focus on the bigger issues of innovation: How disruptive innovation can be repulsed or integrated into an organization, or industry strategy.

Edward de Bono focuses his formidable knowledge on collaborative techniques to replace adversarial interactions with collaborative, parallel thinking. The result unleashes creativity. Productivity on steroids. Also see Lateral Thinking.

Few writers can connect such an expansive string of concepts and keep it all in focus. Abram is a master a explaining the truth beneath the surface that we accept as reality. What we see, is in fact, a construction of language, science, and a dozen other obfuscations we mistake for real. When you understand his links back to the essential experience, you'll see everything differently.

One of the few great minds of the 20th century. Mr. Feynman was a true whole brain thinker who was also able to explain the most complex thoughts in their most elemental and understandable form. His lectures are available on tape if you're willing to pay the price.

Tom Kelly and Jonathan Littman define who you need in your organization to foster innovation: anthropologists, experimenters, hurdlers, collaborators, and caregivers. Creativity may be the most powerful foundation for anyone in business today.

Dan Pink is a frequent contributor to Wired Magazine. This is a fun book about why creativity is important, and how to cultivate it.

Maybe the most intelligent but still playful book on creativity. How to invite it. How to integrate it. How to nurture it. How to protect ideas from killers. How to make it part of your organization's culture. Relies heavily on DeBono's theories at first. Essential reading for anyone who works with me.