Inspiration

Where the Best Ideas Come From

By: Ap Dijksterhuis, Liz Waters (Translator)

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Hardcover | 12 December 2025

At a Glance

Hardcover
272 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.5 x 16.0 x 2.7

Hardcover

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Inspiration propels us. It’s the basis of every accomplishment. But the idea that it simply falls into your lap is a myth. Inspiration doesn’t come to us in a gust of wind, only to disappear into the mist again. You make it happen; it’s a reward for work that you’ve already done. The combination of perspiration and inspiration takes you to where you want to go.

In this ode to what is perhaps the brain’s greatest achievement, Ap Dijksterhuis explains, with a storyteller’s verve, what inspiration is, why we have it, how it works and how to get it. Drawing upon on the most up-to-date research in neuroscience and psychology, he shows how inspiration stands in relation to creativity, motivation, curiosity and the overall functioning of the brain.

Ultimately, inspiration is not a privilege granted to a talented few: everyone who chooses inspiration will benefit from it. Including you.

About the Author

Ap Dijksterhuis is the bestselling author of numerous books and Professor of Psychology at Radboud University in Nijmegen

Translated by Liz Waters

Industry Reviews

"A great gobsmacking gallop through the galleries of human greatness! Throughout history and amazing story after amazing story, Dijksterhuis explains in clear terms where the sparks of great ideas and great achievements come from, and why. Spoiler alert: they do not come for free, but they do come for everyone."
John Bargh, Susan Nolen-Hoeksema Professor of Psychology, Yale University

"Drawing on engaging anecdotes and insights from psychology and neuroscience, Dijksterhuis investigates what inspiration is, what it’s for and where it comes from."
Psychology Magazine

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