Book Buying Decisions

How do people make decisions about buying books? I'm always looking for this type of information. In 2006, Global Market Insight, Inc. conducted a survey among African-American readers. The results appeared in the February 11,2008 issue of Publishers Weekly in an article called Word-of-Mouth Top Book-Buying Decisions.

While this result isn't unexpected, it continues to show the power of getting other people talking about your book. What can you do to stir this word-of-mouth for your particular book--whether it is old or new?