The Myths of Innovation
by Scott Berkun
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 136)
Read in July, 2007
recommended to Raghu by:
reference from the webrecommends it for: dorai thodla
This book is an absorbing read about the idea of innovation, the associated myths of how innovation happens and succeeds eventually. The book is only about 150 pages and is an engaging read. It shows how we can all be innovators and examines the great innovations of history and shows how they are mostly the products of hard work on one's part, the knowledge of the domain from the past and how it is mostly the work of a team rather than a sudden epiphany of one individual who has spent just a few...more
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
bright young people who are considering an 'innovation-centric' career
I had a nice review all written up and saved on my Windows box, and then some combination of Windows and emacs decided to eat it. Grrr.
Like most of the reviewers of this book, I walked away feeling disappointed: there was not enough 'there' there for me to justify the purchase. It's a great book if you're pursuing an "innovation-centric" career and you're just starting out, or if you've managed to never do anything innovative in your life and you realize that you have to manage a t...more
Like most of the reviewers of this book, I walked away feeling disappointed: there was not enough 'there' there for me to justify the purchase. It's a great book if you're pursuing an "innovation-centric" career and you're just starting out, or if you've managed to never do anything innovative in your life and you realize that you have to manage a t...more
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If you're new to innovation studies and management theory, this is a great little airport book that serves as a solid introduction to many of the major thoughts/trends without requiring too much. Plus, it doesn't take up too much room in your briefcase!
To boil all that down, it's a really well-done second-source introduction to management and innovation, but pretty useless if you've read the source materials in his excellent "Research and Recommendations" section, particula...more
To boil all that down, it's a really well-done second-source introduction to management and innovation, but pretty useless if you've read the source materials in his excellent "Research and Recommendations" section, particula...more
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Read in January, 2008
Maybe I've read too many books that largely agree with this, but the conclusions and reasoning seemed too obvious. The basic thesis of this book is that innovation doesn't just happen as the result of flashes in the pan genius, but that hard work is required both to get the background knowledge necessary for that connection to occur, and to draw out the consequences and realize the application of a moment of innovation. Therefore, companies looking to innovate can't just rely on buzzwordy appr...more
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
people who want to change the world
Berkun has a clever approach to presenting the kernel of what it means to innovate, both in today's society and the past. The concept of innovation in society is seen today as a glorious, spontaneous, self-driven event, but Berkun looks to disprove these myths. Anyone who has ever wondered what it really takes to make an idea succeed, but has failed to make it happen, could probably gain a bit of knowledge from this read -- as well as getting a few laughs along the way. Good historical refere...more
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A quick, must-read for any of you engineers or techies out there!
He lists and then debunks many of the favorite innovation myths we technical folks live by, for example, "The Myth of Epiphany," "The Myth of the Lone Inventor" and "People Like New Ideas."
Much of it helps describe to us technical folks why the rest of the world does not accept our proposed solutions based on their sheer genius and obvious (to us) improvement!
(I am still in the middle of re...more
He lists and then debunks many of the favorite innovation myths we technical folks live by, for example, "The Myth of Epiphany," "The Myth of the Lone Inventor" and "People Like New Ideas."
Much of it helps describe to us technical folks why the rest of the world does not accept our proposed solutions based on their sheer genius and obvious (to us) improvement!
(I am still in the middle of re...more
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The eureka moment of innovation we are all hoping for is a fallacy. All of the fables of great inventions and ah-ha's (Newton's apple, Franklin's lightning strike) were not moments of inspiration but inflection points in a process of great effort.
The stages of innovation are:
1. Learning and submersion
2. Working the problem
3. Ah ha
4. The hard work that goes into realizing the ah ha.
Tons of us have epiphanies. Not very many of us use those insights to build an empire.
Berkun is ...more
The stages of innovation are:
1. Learning and submersion
2. Working the problem
3. Ah ha
4. The hard work that goes into realizing the ah ha.
Tons of us have epiphanies. Not very many of us use those insights to build an empire.
Berkun is ...more
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Read in February, 2008
Innovation is a gradual process, usually built on the labor of the many rather than the one. The new ideas we get are generally not well-loved on arrival, and the "best" ideas aren't always adopted. But this incremental introduction of new ideas into a culture resistant to change is neither romantic nor memorable, so we rewrite the stories to introduce the lone inventor who revolutionizes the world. These are the myths of innovation that Berkun describes and systematically disassemb...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
recommended to Michelle by:
work
"Highly derivative, this book was an assignment for a work "book club" but I was already familiar with much of the work in the field from graduate school including the (under-cited) Diffusions of Innovation by Everertt Rodgers. This book is training wheels for managers who don't want to think to hard and, frankly, leaves out the good stuff."
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Read in December, 2007
Great book, it basically blows away the myth that you have to be super smart and just sit around and wait for the muses to gift you an amazing innovation (the light bulb.
The truth of it is that innovation comes through hard work, dumb luck and recombining current technologies in novel ways.
The truth of it is that innovation comes through hard work, dumb luck and recombining current technologies in novel ways.
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A really good book which highlights some outed and some not-yet-outed myths about how innovation works. A must read for anyone who is interested in innovation or how/why innovations are adopted.
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Read in February, 2008
You can't manage for innovation... but you can remove the roadblocks to innovation and create an environment where innovation will not be stifled. And that's how magic happens.
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
cynics, optimists, dreamers, carpenters
A clever, easy read that dispels many myths behind the concept of being a genius. I'll be reading this one again at year's end, no doubt.
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Read in September, 2007
The truth about innovation - it's more hard work than you think.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.94 (50 ratings) number of reviews: 15
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