Experts' Expert: Secrets of creativity

The Economist's March 17 1.5-column-long review of Jonah Lehrer's new book, "Imagine: How Creativity Works," was chock full of bite sized chunks of insight, summarized below.

• "Many breakthroughs come when people venture beyond their area of expertise. Often it takes an outsider to ask the kind of dumb questions that may yield an unconventional solution."

• "Young people tend to be the most innovative thinkers in any field, from physics to music. The ignorance of youth 'comes with creative advantages' as the young are less jaded by custom and experience."

• "Anyone can stay creative as long as he works 'to maintain the perpective of the outsider.' This can be done by considering new problems at work, traveling to new countries, or simply spending more time staring 'at things we don't fully understand.'"