# Finding unique ideas in books Many books are recycling similar ideas. When you look through NYT best seller's lists you notice similar themes and when you read those books you notice there is a high overlap between anecdotes and key ideas. Even worse is when the book is full of filler to make it a 250-350 page book rather than 15 pages. Book popularity follows a power law with the most readership concentrated in a small number of books. Those ideas find their way into popular media through social osmosis. I could probably recite the key ideas of The black swan and skin in the game without ever reading them. To find unique ideas you have to look in the tail of books with very little popularity or readership. Those books can provide you with a competitive advantage or a new perspective that elevates your understanding of the world.