Blue Ocean Strategy for finding new ideas

I was looking at some of the books Seth Godin has recommended in his latest blog post earlier tonight. Down in the books that other people who had looked at the new Tom Peters book also bought were four books that figure pretty prominently in my online reading. Drive, Linchpin, and Switch. Seeing these books all together reminded me of a book chapter that I was reading before I left work on Friday. I got a book from the VCU library called the Nature of Insight. It's a book that summarizes fairly recent (late '90's) psychological research into how people come up with new ideas, solve difficult problems, and have a fresh take on a particular idea. (My route to the book is pretty convoluted, but, ironically enough, the journey started at Dan Pink's blog (he wrote Drive)).

The book is a wealth of interesting ideas, but the chapter that I was thinking about tonight mentions that insights are often the result of pursuing lines of thought that are not recognized as being the richest vein of new approaches to an existing problem. Looking at the list of books above in this light, why would I waste my time (and use up my limited books to buy) on material that everybody else is reading? My time could be better spent looking at more obscure (and likely less readable) books that deal with things a little differently.

Assuming I execute this strategy, what criteria will I use to find new things to read? While I was poking around Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago, I came across a book on complexity science. I was aware of the ideas discussed in the book, but I had never pursued more than a cursory look at them. I looked into things a little more deeply via a google search once I got back to work, and by the end of the day I had found a book that linked complexity science and business management. I checked out that book, with the very creative name of Complexity and Management, from VCU when I checked out the Nature of Insight. I will likely puruse this idea of complexity in more detail. (I like the ways that complexity thinkers handle the uncertainty inherent in any strategic decision.) What is my criteria? I find it intersting and I'm curious about it.

I'm also curious about the formal thinking around design. I may be moving from my current position in the analytical labs to a new group called product design. Nobody really knows what that means, but it would be nice to see what others have to say about design before I have to start finding my own way. I stumbled over a book about design at the 37signals blog. I'll probably buy that soon, but that means I'll probably have to find something else to buy to get my Amazon order over $25.

If I follow what piques my curiosity and pursue a deeper investigation into topics that I think could lead to something more fruitful down the line, I can't imagine I'll end up reading books that show up on many popularity lists. I have nothing against popular books or reading what is the it book of the moment, but the thought that fresh ideas come from pursuing unconventional lines of thought resonates with me.