(Riverhead, $26.95)
In his latest book, Steven Johnson examines great discoveries in history to discern what factors spawn innovation, said Bruce Ramsey in The Seattle Times. Though many inventors can pinpoint an “aha” moment, most good ideas apparently “don’t hatch fully formed, like Athena out of the skull of Zeus.” Innovation usually blossoms instead from what Johnson calls “the slow hunch.” Drawing on various fascinating anecdotes, the author also argues that most big ideas aren’t generated by proprietary research. He says ideas more often spring up in open environments—such as those existing in universities—where “different people, and even different fields, are rapidly banging against one another.” But while Johnson is probably right that the corporate world is a less-than-ideal petri dish for incubating radically new ideas, he gives market forces too little credit for their ability to convert fresh innovations into “useful tools.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 biting editorial cartoons about 'Alligator Alcatraz'Cartoons Artists take on dangerous green things, historical precedent, and more
-
A journey into the deep past on beautiful ArranThe Week Recommends New Unesco Global Geopark played a 'key role' in the birth of modern geological science
-
China's London super-embassyThe Explainer The People's Republic wants to build a massive new embassy in central London, and a lot of people aren't happy about it
