Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World

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Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 313 ratings · 67 reviews

From a prominent educator, author, and founder of Harvard’s Change Leadership Group comes a provocative look at why innovation is today’s most essential real-world skill and what young people need from parents, teachers, and employers to become the innovators of America’s future.In this groundbreaking book, education expert Tony Wagner provides a powerful rationale for dev...more

Audio, 270 pages

Published April 17th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Audio

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Oct 24, 2012 Jon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great book for any parent, teacher, employer or concerned citizen. There such a wide gap between the mindset of the academics in America and the mindset of the people leading successful businesses. A bleak future can be avoided if we can nurture a generation of innovative young people who are willing to take risks, learn from mistakes and collaborate with others. This book elaborates on the importance of Play, Passion and Purpose.
The author invested much effort to research the ideas put forth...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Andrew Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-non-fiction, purchased-in-2013, read-in-2013

Heard Tony Wagner on the Ed Next book club, and was impressed - a dose of economic realism + appreciation for mastery, craft, purpose + fairly clear thinking about what that means for classrooms. The biggest strength here, I think, is that Wagner does a nice job fleshing out a vision for the kind of school system the city-dwelling, latte-sipping, Richard Florida* wants, but has difficulty describing. In the middle of a passage on the MIT Media lab, he lays it out:

-collaboration (vs. individual a...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Jneverisky added it · review of another edition

In the first chapter Tony Wagner sets up his reason to explore the topic of how innovators are raised and educated, by beginning with a overview of the global market, changes in what is needed in a competitive market of jobs and ideas. Gone are the days when it was enough to be only an expert—at least in order to innovate. He makes the case, similar to Dan Pink in his books and Seth Godin too, from a variety of sources that the leaders will truly not be followers for the next and current generat...more In the first chapter Tony Wagner sets up his reason to explore the topic of how innovators are raised and educated, by beginning with a overview of the global market, changes in what is needed in a competitive market of jobs and ideas. Gone are the days when it was enough to be only an expert—at least in order to innovate. He makes the case, similar to Dan Pink in his books and Seth Godin too, from a variety of sources that the leaders will truly not be followers for the next and current generations.
Then he profiles a few young innovators and looks at their background in terms of education, and somewhat unusually, parenting. I think the blending of the two areas that are so often viewed exclusively, are what makes this theory/study “click”. As someone who has watched my own sons, friends’ grown children, and students that return to the high school where I work—and as someone who has personal experience with the changing job market and culture—this theory seems current and true.
I see applications here for parenting, public and charter education, college programs, and internship and mentoring programs. Comprehensive and inspiring!
I am still trying on how this approach works for students who would not relate to a view of self as innovator…but I think that the empowerment of such a view would help any teen, child or student to respond well in “owning” their education. For parents, the emphasis to support your child to follow and explore their interests—instead of pushing them to achievement in a round-peg-square-hole environment is almost groundbreaking. The idea that THIS could spell success (to the success-driven) is a breath of fresh air, as it is also good for the whole person in its support of the individual.

(Interesting to read here other takes on the book: I did not take away that liming TV viewing was the common denominator of the parenting styles of the innovators. There were a few, and more commonly it was that the parents supported their child’s interests whatever they were, from shoe-design to art and science, and treated them with respect in those pursuits. The home environment was often but not always rich with materials and some had limits on TV time—but the overarching common thread was affection, acceptance and support of the child’s interests). (less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: education

This book has an excellent premise, and the first few chapters of theory were useful. However, the title would better reflect the content if it were called, "Interviews with People Who Parented Innovators." I thought the content could have been better distilled and organized. While many of the people who were featured were interesting, I had to fight to finish this book.

The inclusion of QR codes seemed like an interesting idea, but it distracted highly from the reading. Perhaps for someone willi...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Caitlin Creevy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Can be a little redundant, but extremely interesting and informative. Highly recommend the enhanced ebook on iPad. The integration of videos is excellent. I wish, though, that the book examined students whose gifts were in the arts. The author addresses this omission in the introduction, claiming (I think) that the book simply had to be pared down. But there was redundancy in the book -- sections that served to drive home points that had already been well made. Without those redundancies, there...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Christina Gagliano rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The power of this book comes from the real-world experiences--written in a conversational and engaging way--of the young innovators and their parents, teachers, and mentors who have made/are making a difference, who are truly encouraging innovative thinking and inspiring students to follow their passions in a purposeful way. One of the most resounding quotes that in the book was from filmmaker Scott Rosenberg, on page 145: "I believe our job (as teachers/mentors/parents) is to look for the threa...more

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May 20, 2013 Megan Palasik rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-book, brain-thinking, read-again

I loved this book! I listened to this as an audio book, so my experience may be different than someone who read the physical book. I understand there are QR codes in the physical book. As I listened to the audio version, I cannot comment on the quality or content of the videos.

The man who read the book did a wonderful job. He did a great job with voices and making them all sound different. He had a Casey Kasem quality to his voice quite a few times which was interesting to listen to. 5/5 stars f...more I loved this book! I listened to this as an audio book, so my experience may be different than someone who read the physical book. I understand there are QR codes in the physical book. As I listened to the audio version, I cannot comment on the quality or content of the videos.

The man who read the book did a wonderful job. He did a great job with voices and making them all sound different. He had a Casey Kasem quality to his voice quite a few times which was interesting to listen to. 5/5 stars for the reader.

I decided to read this because I work with children and I love learning/reading about children's development. I was very interested in the book from the beginning when Wagner talked about Kirk Phelps, the product manager for Apple's first iPhone. As the book went on, he interviewed not only other young adult innovators, but their parents and influential people in their lives. Wagner also, while talking to some of the teachers, performed his own analysis of US school systems based off of knowledge from his previous book and what the teachers were telling him. Play, passion, and purpose were recurring themes he found with teachers and parents alike of the innovators he interviewed.

I loved this book because these ideas are all things I want to do/consider when I have children of my own. His thoughts about child rearing and American schools mirrored my opinions after having not only survived public schools, but also working in public schools for the past five years as a speech-language pathologist.

This book is not a step-by-step manual for how to create/raise an innovator. However, it is a book of ideas to consider if you want to raise an innovator. It's also a book of ideas of how to become a better teacher whether you teach at the elementary, middle, high school or secondary level of education.

I really enjoyed this book, have already recommended it to a couple of people, and plan on reading/listening to it again some day. Well done, Mr. Wagner, I will have to check out your other book.

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Nov 11, 2012 William Hart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, media-tech, on-education

Wagner: "In everyday life, the contrasts that I have drawn between the conventional culture of schooling versus the culture in these [innovative] programs are less stark, of course. It is perhaps not so much a matter of "either/or" as it is "both/and" Both individual and team achievements should be valued in the classroom, as should specialization and multidisciplinary learning. Information must often be "consumed" before you can create, and risk-avoidance and risk-taking can both be prudent act...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Jeff Bush rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tony Wagner's new book is pretty good. It is worth reading and there is some good stuff in there, but I was a little disappointed after reading the "Global Achievement Gap," which was one of the best books I've ever read on education. I suppose disappointment was inevitable.

Wagner concludes that the creation of innovators demands passion, play, and purpose. Wagner also looks for examples in innovative schools and innovative teachers. The book is the next logical step after "The Global Achievemen...more Tony Wagner's new book is pretty good. It is worth reading and there is some good stuff in there, but I was a little disappointed after reading the "Global Achievement Gap," which was one of the best books I've ever read on education. I suppose disappointment was inevitable.

Wagner concludes that the creation of innovators demands passion, play, and purpose. Wagner also looks for examples in innovative schools and innovative teachers. The book is the next logical step after "The Global Achievement Gap." In his original work, Wagner took a jackhammer to the NCLB-mindset, which believes achieving good standardized test scores is the pinnacle of good education. In his current work, Wagner attempts to paint a more detailed picture - so standardized test scores aren't enough, then what should we be trying to do? Wagner's answer, as stated above, is passion, play, and purpose.

The book is mostly a series of anecdotes. Wagner interviews teachers, students, parents, professors, businessmen, etc. In each interview Wagner tries to uncover the reasons behind the creation of an innovator. There certainly is some merit to this process, and the multiple layers of interpretation bring a depth to Wagner's analysis that few education books have. There are many, many positive things to say about the depth of Wagner's analysis.

However, while the depth is impressive it should also be noted that the breadth is lacking. This book is a series of anecdotes. There are no scientific studies with large samples of students. There is no reference to the work of incredible cognitive psychologists who specialize in education (Daniel Willingham!!). The depth is so deep and the breadth is so narrow that I am left to wonder if the validity of Wagner's conclusions have any strength to them at all. Yes, they sound great. And I have a personal affinity to Wagner's vision of education. He describes the type of schools I've always wanted to see - schools driven by skills over content. But lots of things sound great. The real question is if it works. Can Wagner tell us if his approach works? Unfortunately not. The sample of Wagner's anecdotes is so small that he is thoroughly unprepared to answer this question.

Overall, a good book. Yes, there is one serious flaw, but that is the only one. "Creating Innovators" contributes positively to the educational dialogue. I recommend reading it, and you might as well just do it. Wagner has become such a force in educational circles that you're probably going to hear his ideas in your staff meetings. You might as well just read it and get the full picture.(less)

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Jul 18, 2012 Jillian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great read for educators and parents. The author's main premise of the book is that our education system is not set up to encourage innovation and creativity, which are key if we want our country to be competitive in the global economy. It was especially interesting because he advocated that the change shou,d come at the university level rather than at the k-12 level. He thinks that if changes in teaching started at the university level they would force the changes to trickle down through the ed...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The "Three Stages in the Evolution of Learning" are key:
1. Memorization-based multiple choice approach
2. Project-based learning where the problem is already determined
3. Design-based learning where the student has to define the problem

I think it's important to see this as a progression, and give students the opportunity to learn in all three stages.

"The essential point is that education for innovation must be consrtucted consciously and needs to cultivate the capabilities for colloboration, muli...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Anne Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A somewhat damning indictment of current education reform with its content based standardized testing and rigid core curriculum. Wagner does a great job early on in outlining the skills likely necessary today and in the upcoming years for our economy to grow. While content and expertise are clearly needed, they should not come at the price of dulling curiosity and creativity. Personally I would have liked a little more meat in the book and a little less human interest. His deductions on commonal...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Sara added it · review of another edition

How did I do as an innovation creator? Very limited or no tv: check; lots of unstructured play: check; limited activities outside of school: check; encouraging my kids to do what they love and are passionate about: check; spending lots of cash on hoity toity private schools and perhaps even moving the WHOLE family for one kid's education at said hoity toity school: darn. Despite the lack of cash, I have to say that my children are amazingly creative and making a big difference in their chosen fi...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Claire rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: education

This is a great book for thinking about how we stifle and how we can encourage innovation. As the parent of a Junior in High School (a time when you are constantly reminded that conformity in terms of top grades, volunteer and extra-curricular activities are rewarded) this flags that what our education system focuses on aren't by and large the skills that will let us bring about change. I am inspired to read a prior book "The Global Achievement Gap" and have wanted for a while to see the documen...more

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May 08, 2012 Karyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This book was really interesting to me. The author interviewed over 150 people who are deemed to be highly "innovative" by the things they have done in their lies- those who helped create 1st iPhone, Non-profit organizations, inventing new solutions for problems, creative professors, etc. He is talking about how we need to be educated differently to learn to become more innovative. That our society is losing much of that and cannot compete with other countries in many areas. He also talked to p...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Alice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teaching-related, contemporary-society-and-economics

Wagner argues that, as parents, educators and other concerned members of society, we should be 1) encouraging kids' imaginative and creative play; 2) fostering and supporting their passions; and 3) helping them develop a purpose for their work. I do not disagree with any of this - but did not need a book to convince me of it, either.

Though this book may help bolster the confidence of tentative 'free range' parents, it does little to provide any tangible examples of what innovation-supporting ed...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: education, nonfiction

If you are a teacher or a parent of a child younger than high school age - read the book. Although it is not as crucial and compelling to me as his previous work, Global Achievement Gap, (which all teachers should read), this is a really important topic that people in education should be thinking about and then acting on, instead of trying to figure out how many standardized tests to give.

I appreciate that Wagner wanted to integrate technology with the different video clips accessible by smartp...more

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May 11, 2013 Mike rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Discussion of parenting and educational techniques that have produced innovative people. Strongest sections of the book were education-related - design theory, Finland's educational system, and multi-disciplinary approaches all show very well. The relatively new Olin College of Engineering is held up as an example of a new style of education, emphasizing cross-disciplinary learning, group project work, and student-led learning. Very interesting that at traditional universities, the best professo...more

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Jul 12, 2012 John added it · review of another edition

My headmaster's suggestion for a "summer reading book for the faculty." Very worthwhile, if you're a teacher, parent, or student, as well as a citizen of the United States, interested in our future. A lot of the innovative students Wagner studies had supportive parents, not very exciting classrooms, but one or more dynamic mentors who largely helped them to succeed. Wagner also has a lot to say about collaboration, not being afraid to take risks, and how traditional schools need to change a grea...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Yinnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Yinnie by: Work

Highly recommended for those interested in education, parenting or circumstances that encourage innovative thinking. Olin College of Engineering is an institution to keep an eye on. Makes one ponder his suggestions.

Throughout the book there are videos that one is suppose to use a smartphone to view. Note that this doesn't work on kindle, kindle on mac, blackberry and only on the iphone and ipad (that I know of). Ironic that the author deliberately used technology to be innovative about the book...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Meg Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction-non-fiction

Wagner is a Harvard professor whose passion is cultivating and seeking innovation in American schools, preschool through higher ed. Using examples of exemplary students, teachers, schools, countries (here's Finland again), and parents, Wagner's profiles augment his stance that our educational system needs to change in order to feed the minds and imaginations of the next generation of innovators. The book is an innovation in and of itself as well; over 60 unique videos are embedded within the (e)...more

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May 19, 2012 Rob Cantrall rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fantastic read...both enlightening and eye-opening, with many profiles of young innovators (including the Product Manager of the first iPhone), this book already has us re-thinking what we want to do with the kids this summer. Beyond that, it has us reconsidering what we need to do relative to school and academia itself for our kids. Provocative, and a must read for any parent or educator.

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Mar 25, 2013 Doug rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good ideas for strengthening those identified as innovators but not much about how to screen or more importantly how to give everybody the education that encourages innovation.

I read the Kindle enhanced version with built in video clips. The idea is good but most of the videos were short interviews in which the individuals said the same thing that Wagner quoted in the text.

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Aug 29, 2012 Kathryn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teaching

This book read like a magazine article inexplicably padded out to 250 pages. Although the basic premise of the book (that innovation is good and that school should encourage more project-based, hands-on, interdisciplinary learning experiences to help young innovators) is fine, the underlying assumptions that everyone has a certain level of privilege and that the main job of schools is to produce future business leaders were really tiresome.

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Jul 28, 2012 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great ideas about changing the way we teach kids how to be world changers. I always find it interesting that these books try to talk about ideas that are strongly moral without a basis for morality. However, even though the book is a little repetitive, it is a worthwhile read for parents and educators.

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Mar 01, 2013 Desiree rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: work-reading

Engaging read-- has something to say for parents, teachers, and teacher educators. I found the most points of connection with the recommendations for higher ed-- how do we create opportunities for contemplation, play, and innovation more regularly than the every-seven-years sabbatical affords?

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Jul 28, 2012 Tracey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is very inspiring! I am lucky to be able to teach in a school that isn't driven by test scores and gives kids a lot of freedom to pursue a passion for learning. I recommend this book for all parents and teachers who want to inspire their children to be a different kind of learner - one with passion, curiosity, insight, low fear of failure, drive, and the ability to think differently.

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Nov 24, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book far outperformed my expectations. Judging by the preface and the cover artwork, I was less than thrilled to get into this but I can honestly report that this is one of the most egregious analysis of what needs to be developed in our young people, that I have read to date. Wagner, although dry at times, synthesizes such a vast amount of pertinent information and adequately utilizes specific innovator's experiences in such a manner that he illustrates a web of patterns that should be emu...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Denise Krebs rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: professional-books

If I was going to read Creating Innovators again, I would have started with Chapter 1 and then possibly skipped or skimmed up to Chapter 5 on "Innovating Learning," which I think was most useful for teachers. Then go on to Chapter 6 and the Letter to a Young Innovator.

I think this book would be really helpful for parents. Chapters 2-4 seemed especially rich in narrative about families where parents took seriously their role of creating innovators. In the constraints of school we can't do as much...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: education

Definitely gets readers to see concrete examples of students who are innovators and what type of education supports and constrains them! Wagner is a voice that should be listened to regarding how education (particularly secondary and post-secondary) needs to change.

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About Tony Wagner

Tony Wagner recently accepted a position as the first Innovation Education Fellow at the Technology & Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard. Prior to this, he was the founder and co-director of the Change Leadership Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for more than a decade.

Tony consults widely to schools, districts, and foundations around the country and internationally. His previo...more

More about Tony Wagner...

Books by Tony Wagner

The Global Achievement Gap: Why Our Kids Don't Have the Skills They Need for College, Careers, and Citizenship--and What We Can Do About It

Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our Schools

Making the Grade: Reinventing America's Schools

How Schools Change: Lessons from Three Communities Revisited

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