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4th out of 16 books
—
6 voters
The Myths of Innovation
by
Scott Berkun
How do we know if a hot new technology will succeed or fail? Most of us, even experts, get it wrong all the time. We depend more than we realize on wishful thinking and romanticized ideas of history. In the new paperback edition of this fascinating book, a book that has appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, Slashdot.org, Lifehacker.com and in The New York Times, bestselling author Scot...more
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published
May 11th 2007
by O'Reilly Media
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I immediately liked this book after reading the "Commitment to research accuracy" page near the front. Any author who goes above and beyond in their effort to provide the most accurate information they can and even provides a link to report inaccuracies cares about his readers and this resonates throughout the rest of the book.
Mr. Berkun has clearly been on a quest to discover not only the basics of creative thinking, but how it relates to entrepreneurs and invention. Using this bottom up approa...more
Mr. Berkun has clearly been on a quest to discover not only the basics of creative thinking, but how it relates to entrepreneurs and invention. Using this bottom up approa...more
The science of creation is known as imagineering. I think these concepts should be taught at least at the high school level. The grand scheme of evolution is to be "equal" co-creators with ALL-THAT-IS. As we accelerate our movement towards that state, the necessary tools will come into place, and this book is one such tool. The writing was lucid and contemporary. I enjoyed how the author used real life examples of some of the great minds of our known history. Einstein, Newton, Galileo, Jobs, Mot...more
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Simply one of the best - especially if you are looking for one.
There are good authors who can keep a reader truly engaged to a book. And there are authors who would keep a reader engaged to the book and inspire none the less.
Breaking down any complex process or thoughts into simple clean ideas without ever losing the essence of what is required to be conveyed requires great skill. Scott berkun possess the skill of advertently transferring the readers into the concept of the book through the us...more
There are good authors who can keep a reader truly engaged to a book. And there are authors who would keep a reader engaged to the book and inspire none the less.
Breaking down any complex process or thoughts into simple clean ideas without ever losing the essence of what is required to be conveyed requires great skill. Scott berkun possess the skill of advertently transferring the readers into the concept of the book through the us...more
I read Scott Berkun's The Myths of Innovation as part of my own studies of innovation, creativity, and productivity in research (in other words, my own quest to improve my work-related abilities). It was a few hours' read.
What I liked about this book:
1. The easy-to-read feel.
2. The annotated and the ranked bibliographies, and in particular Scott Berkun's ranking system; books are sorted by the number of notes Scott took. Scott's ranked a solid 47 in my list.
3. The many points where I could say...more
What I liked about this book:
1. The easy-to-read feel.
2. The annotated and the ranked bibliographies, and in particular Scott Berkun's ranking system; books are sorted by the number of notes Scott took. Scott's ranked a solid 47 in my list.
3. The many points where I could say...more
What are your mental blocks and prejudices about Creativity and Innovation? You should check them out against this book. A fast-paced, funny and provocative book...that should make you THINK! It may not be the deepest tome on the subject, but it's the bare-minimum you should know... and it's brimful of exciting ideas, and ideas-about-ideas (meta-ideas?)! The greatest strength of this short book is its simplicity...it states facts, plain and simple...no hypes, no hiding away behind buzzwords and...more
I read this book hoping to gain some insight into the work I do with gifted middle school students. I found Berkun's take on creativity refreshing and a good reminder that creativity requires work, time and attention and that epiphanies are not singular magical insights for nowhere, but rather more like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle fitting into place to reveal the whole picture. The book is filled with panecdotes of people you have and have never heard of and puts creativity into a more rea...more
This is a relatively short book but it is packed with different insights. Scott Berkun refutes various myths related to new innovation. For example, he explains that great ideas are actually pretty cheap and what great inventors are able to do is persist and work harder than anyone else to make their invention a reality. In other words, they weren't just lucky. He also talks about how there really is not such thing as a new original idea, every idea builds off of other ideas and new ideas are re...more
goodreads has an incredible API and yet there is very little WordPress support for goodreads. Which is shocking since WP is the dominant platform where this integration would most likely thrive. There is one or two WP plugins that have ceased to be supported and both do not deal with public GROUPS only individual shelves...
We have an education site and would like to be able to simply SHOW the books listed in the group bookshelf, very similar to your output here (in the group bookshelf page) on o...more
We have an education site and would like to be able to simply SHOW the books listed in the group bookshelf, very similar to your output here (in the group bookshelf page) on o...more
I usually reach for fiction, but still can't resist the idea of reading books that are good for me - specifically, for Work Me. As of late,those are books about design, innovation, and the like.
This one is a relatively quick read. - I skimmed it thoroughly in a couple of hours. Its style is a bit like a Fast Company or Wired article (if one could be nearly 200 pages).
I gave it one star because it was a bit academic for my taste. The anecdotes and tips were good, but all things I've heard or re...more
This one is a relatively quick read. - I skimmed it thoroughly in a couple of hours. Its style is a bit like a Fast Company or Wired article (if one could be nearly 200 pages).
I gave it one star because it was a bit academic for my taste. The anecdotes and tips were good, but all things I've heard or re...more
I liked the book but I probably would have liked it better if I hadn't just read "Where Good Ideas Come From" which struck me as a deeper more thought out book.
That said, I'd recommend this as a quick read for anyone who wants a quick read about how most modern, corporate notions of creativity are complete garbage and wants to know how the creative process actually works.
It's also a great place to start on the subject as Berkun gives copious notes (right on the page, thank you) as well as very...more
That said, I'd recommend this as a quick read for anyone who wants a quick read about how most modern, corporate notions of creativity are complete garbage and wants to know how the creative process actually works.
It's also a great place to start on the subject as Berkun gives copious notes (right on the page, thank you) as well as very...more
It was Scott Berkun's intention with this book "to provide a baseline of truth to free [the reader] from the misguided yet common notions around innovation that run rampant in business and popular culture today." He has done exactly that and has managed to do it in an entertaining way. He explain why the epiphany is myth, why people don't like new ideas, that the lone inventor doesn't really exist, that it is actually quite easy to find good ideas and more.
The book is a great kickstarter for any...more
The book is a great kickstarter for any...more
Notes from Myths of Innovation:
I wondered whether Beethoven or Hemingway, great minds noted for thriving on conflict, could survive in such a nurturing environment without going postal. How did Shakespeare and Stephen King create so much, while we're satisfied watching sitcom reruns?
Myths are often more satisfying to us than the truth, which explains their longevity and resistance to facts: we want to believe that they're true. This begs the question: is shaping the truth into the form of an epi...more
I wondered whether Beethoven or Hemingway, great minds noted for thriving on conflict, could survive in such a nurturing environment without going postal. How did Shakespeare and Stephen King create so much, while we're satisfied watching sitcom reruns?
Myths are often more satisfying to us than the truth, which explains their longevity and resistance to facts: we want to believe that they're true. This begs the question: is shaping the truth into the form of an epi...more
Jan 22, 2008
Steve
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
bright young people who are considering an 'innovation-centric' career
Shelves:
technical
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 team that needs...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 team that needs...more
Mar 30, 2008
Raghu
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
dorai thodla
Recommended to Raghu by:
reference from the web
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
I like how Scott Berkun deconstructs the myths about innovation. There aren't lone geniuses out there; there are hardworking tinkeres who go through a lot to see their ideas to fruition. And communication/vision is a big part of idea/product adoption too. The people who get you to buy their product aren't necessarily the first to do it - they are the first to make it fit into what the public wants and/or read.
This is a very entertaining book with lots of interesting anecdotes. I recommend it!
This is a very entertaining book with lots of interesting anecdotes. I recommend it!
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, particularly
Drucker's "Innova...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, particularly
Drucker's "Innova...more
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 approa...more
There were no surprises here. Sent a simple message:
- There are no eureka moments. Hard work leads to success and innovation.
- Innovation doesn't always happen where and in the way expected.
- Innovation requires support... Good environment, good management, etc.
- Be careful what you wish for. Your innovation may not lead to the desired outcome (Einstein and the A-bomb for example).
Still, despite the lower rating, it's a quick read and worth it for anyone in the engineering and creative fields.
- There are no eureka moments. Hard work leads to success and innovation.
- Innovation doesn't always happen where and in the way expected.
- Innovation requires support... Good environment, good management, etc.
- Be careful what you wish for. Your innovation may not lead to the desired outcome (Einstein and the A-bomb for example).
Still, despite the lower rating, it's a quick read and worth it for anyone in the engineering and creative fields.
An easy and interesting to read book on the clearly misused word, innovation. I found this book refreshing with the use of anecdotes and examples of various products, companies, processes and services that are clearly innovative. A must read for those that want to understand and practice how to innovate.
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 reference...more
I liked this book -- it was a quick read but probably one to read again to really understand some of his points. What I didn't get from it, as a scientist AND as a manager, is some effective methods for changing how we do business to truely "foster innovation". Or maybe that's the point?
Enjoyed reading the book. Initially was surprised to see an entire book only on myths. Typically most people ignore this part as too banal. But it makes sense to read this to ensure we don't fall prey to the very same myths that we agree as simple. Simple and easy to read.
A bit repetitive, but clear and enjoyable nonetheless. It can shed some light on the topic of who an innovator is, but also on how you should approach tasks at various levels of control and responsibility, even if you don't end up innovating.
The "myths" part is a myth itself, not that much is debunked - or time has caught up with the book, and many myths are debunked already.
A fun read, but I found Confessions of a Public Speaker to be more polished and revealing.
The "myths" part is a myth itself, not that much is debunked - or time has caught up with the book, and many myths are debunked already.
A fun read, but I found Confessions of a Public Speaker to be more polished and revealing.
The myths of innovation seeks to dispel common myths around how innovation occurs. It was a hard read end-to-end with little real insight and questionable humor sprinkled throughout. Final take away is that I really don't feel as if I'm any wiser or better off for having read this book.
Excellent book. Love the dispelling of some commonly held perceptions of invention. Innovation can be pragmatic. The eureka and 'a ha' moments are what get noticed. Make sure not to overlook the other moments. Good lessons.
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 reading this one, and would cite a few inter...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 reading this one, and would cite a few inter...more
Had the privilege of reading a pre-publication draft of this. It's short, and I recommend it. In particular I want to take the "Myth of the Lone Inventor" chapter and wave it at half the people in Silicon Valley.
Berkun again delivers a great book. His look at how we come to ideas and the amount of unseen work and development behind a Eureka moment is right on the money. This book is worth every penny.
Pretty good. Here's the jist of the book: Innovation requires hard work, epiphany seems to come in a stroke of genious but the stroke only comes after thinking, testing, wondering, working, etc.
It had some interesting ideas, but the writing style got on my nerves. I think I could have learned as much from a two-page summary of the book as I did from reading the entire book.
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Scott Berkun is the best selling author of The Myths of Innovation, and Making Things Happen. His work as a writer and public speaker have appeared in the The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wired Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes Magazine, and other media. He has taught creative thinking at the University of Washington and has been a regular commentator on CNBC, MSNBC and National Public Radio....more
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“The Greeks were so committed to ideas as supernatural forces that they created an entire group of goddesses (not one but nine) to represent creative power; the opening lines of both The Iliad and The Odyssey begin with calls to them. These nine goddesses, or muses, were the recipients of prayers from writers, engineers, and musicians. Even the great minds of the time, like Socrates and Plato, built shrines and visited temples dedicated to their particular muse (or muses, for those who hedged their bets). Right now, under our very secular noses, we honor these beliefs in our language, as the etymology of words like museum ("place of the muses") and music ("art of the muses") come from the Greek heritage of ideas as superhuman forces.”
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