It’s uncommon for a book to use a Disneyland-style map as its summary. The Imagination Emporium is a truly creative book about creativity.

The Imagination Emporium introduces a well-organized approach to foster creativity at work. The first chapter presents the authors’ River of Thinking and Four Brain States. The goal is to step out of this river and open the door to our unconscious mind. The remaining chapters are a step-by-step guide with techniques, games, activities to try to make the creative process approachable.

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin — my favorite book on the subject — takes the opposite approach. In practice, both books are useful.

I don’t know if The Imagination Emporium is really a book. It feels more like a visual presentation, made up mostly of lists, quotes, and short paragraphs. This format prevents to go deep on any topic and often feels repetitive. (I’m probably just too used to more traditional books.) But my biggest regret about this book, for sure, is that it doesn’t offer an insider look at Disney. The cover and the marketing focuses on the author’s vast experience at Disney but the content reflect more his coaching experience for more mundane companies (which is sadly more useful for most of us). I would have appreciated more stories and anecdotes from Disney. Still, getting even a small glimpse into one of the most creative companies in the world is worthwhile.