If you like lists of interesting people and ideas, you’ll dig Breakthrough Ideas for 2007 from Harvard Business Review — lots of juicy stuff here. 

Number 9 on the list specifically caught my attention because I am a strong believer in allowing the unconscious mind to work it’s magic through mental vacation.  Breakthrough #9, titled When to Sleep on It, explains the results of a psychological study of those making difficult decisions.  The study shows that collecting information then not dwelling on it — simply putting your focus elsewhere or "sleeping on it" — resulted in better decision making than either immediate choices or long, careful deliberation.  The subconscious mind has much more processing ability than the conscious mind.  This seems against conventional approaches: we have to analyze, quantify and justify to make a good decision, right?  But think of the times you’ve experienced "analysis paralysis" because you’re considering so many factors.  And now think of those times you’ve had creative a-has in the shower, driving a car, running, those times you’ve disconnected from the problem.  That’s what the study is about.

Enjoy this concept?  You’ll probably also like Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.  This book explores that instantaneous decision making that occurs in the first 2 seconds, not the subconscious fermentation described in HBR’s Breakthrough #9.  Nonetheless, these ideas share a focus on our unconscious, intuitive capacity for decision making.  Fascinating book.  I highly recommend it.