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13 Best Creative Thinking Books

We analyzed 5+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 13 best creative thinking books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.

Goal: Find the best Creative Thinking books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).

Method:

  1. Search for "best creative thinking books" and study the top 5+ pages.
  2. Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
  3. Rank the results neatly here.

13 Best Creative Thinking Books

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1

The War of Art

Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

by Steven Pressfield
2

Flow

The Psychology of Optimal Experience

by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Also recommended by:

Kishore Biyani, Raoul Pal, Pavel Durov

3

Steal Like an Artist

10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

by Austin Kleon

Also recommended by:

Chase Jarvis

4

The Creative Habit

Learn It and Use It for Life

by Twyla Tharp

Also recommended by:

Jen Sincero

5

Creativity, Inc.

Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

by Ed Catmull
6

Show Your Work!

10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered

by Austin Kleon

Also recommended by:

Derek Sivers, Chase Jarvis, Ali Abdaal

7

The Artist's Way

Morning Pages Journal

by Julia Cameron
8

A Technique for Producing Ideas

A Simple Five Step Formula for Producing Ideas

by James Webb Young

Also recommended by:

Patrick O'Shaughnessy

9

It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be

by Paul Arden

Also recommended by:

Casey Neistat

10

Lateral Thinking

Creativity Step by Step

by Edward De Bono

Also recommended by:

Patrick O'Shaughnessy

11

Making Ideas Happen

Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality

by Scott Belsky

Also recommended by:

Simon Sinek

12

Big Magic

Creative Living Beyond Fear

by Elizabeth Gilbert
13

The Laws of Simplicity

by John Maeda

Sources

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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13 Best Creative Thinking Books (2026)