Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation

by R. Keith Sawyer

This is the first edition; the second edition was published in December, 2011 and has seven new chapters and eight new appendices. I highly recommend you buy the second edition!

Explaining Creativity is an accessible introduction to the latest scientific research on creativity. In the last 50 yearss, psychologists, anthropologists, and sociologists have increasingly studied creativity, and we now know more about creativity that at any point in history. Explaining Creativity considers not only arts like painting and writing, but also science, stage performance, and business innovation. Until about a decade ago, creativity researchers tended to focus on highly valued activities like fine art painting and Nobel prize winning science. Sawyer brings this research up to date by including movies, music videos, cartoons, videogames, hypertext fiction, and computer technology. For example, this is the first book on creativity to include studies of performance and improvisation. Sawyer draws on the latest research findings to show the importance of collaboration and context in all of these creative activities.

Today's science of creativity is interdisciplinary; in addition to psychological studies of creativity, Explaining Creativity includes research by anthropologists on creativity in non-Western cultures, and research by sociologists about the situations, contexts, and networks of creative activity. Explaining Creativity brings these approaches together within the sociocultural approach to creativity pioneered by Howard Becker, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Howard Gardner. The sociocultural approach moves beyond the individual to consider the social and cultural contexts of creativity, emphasizing the role of collaboration and context in the creative process.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Science, Business, Design, Education, Art

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was on the list from the Arts in Research Universities group and I'm really glad I bought it. Sawyer draws on the latest research on creativity and provides a great introduction to the subject. Great bibliography and more references too. A must read for anyone interested in the most important 21st century skill - creativity.

[Maria Beatriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

tese :)

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extensive review of the history and contemporary state of research on creativity. Each chapter attacks creativity from a different perspective, including forays into neuroscience, behavioral psychology, computer science, sociocultural, or historical.

I don't have much to say - this is the most comprehensive read you could ask for to understand the conceptual landscape of creativity. If you're curious about what is known about creativity, read it. In its 600 pages there is plenty of insight and many lessons to be learned to optimise your own creativity.

[Michael L · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this lucid but lengthy textbook, the distinguished psychologist Keith Sawyer summarizes research on creativity. He covers definitions and assessments of creativity, individual studies of personality and brain imaging, sociocultural studies of groups and cultures, and creativity in the visual arts, music, theater, and science. He provides evidence that contradicts common beliefs, e.g., that creative contributions come from outsiders who defy convention, and that people are more creative when working alone. To the contrary, the most creative contributions come from collaborations of experts in a domain as a result of years of painstaking work. Sawyer has recently published a new edition of this book.

[Gabriel Deschamps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explaining Creativity is just what the title suggests and Sawyer explains creativity considering all of it's dimensions by debunking myths, discussing the concept of creativity through the history, presenting the scientific research and knowledge of the subject, but also considering the social dynamics of the creative circles. The book has lots of references to other books and research papers for those who want to delve deeper in the science of creativity.

[Eugenio Fouz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trying to understand the origins of creativity through individualism, psychology, personality, art and social context makes the reading of the handbook a great experience. Creative people tend to diverge from the marked route all the time

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very engaging!

[Jade Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a long journey

[Arianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

One of the most thoughtful, engaging and insightful textbooks I have ever had to read.

[Manal Elbanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

مما لا شك فيه ان الكتاب اكاديمي من الدرجة الاولى لمن يريدون دراسة الابداع كظاهرة فهو يحتوي على كافة النظريات القديمة و الحديثة التي تناولت كافة جوانب هذا الموضوع .. ففي الجزء الاول يتناول ظاهرة الابداع و هل بالامكان تفسيرها و الاساطير التي علقت بأذهاننا عن ماهية المبدعين و صفاتهم و كيف يأتي الابداع و .. الخ .. أما في الجزء الثاني يركز على النظريات و الدراسات التي تناولت الابداع كظاهرة عند الافراد نفسيا و بيولوجيا و اجتماعيا و صفات الشخصية المبدعة ثم الجزء الثالث الذي يؤكد على عامل البيئة و الثقافةالانسانية و الخبرات التراكمية في التأثير على عملية الابداع بناء الشخصية المبدعة و هناك جزء رابع لم يتثنى لي قراءته بعد و حقيقة لقد اجهدتني قرائته ربما لأنه ليس بلغتي الام و لكني استمتعت بالامثلة و البراهين في كل فصل و للأسف لم انتهي من قراءة الجزء الاخير بعد و لكن الكتاب في مجملة مرجع هام

[Elsie Kappler]

Some interesting facts and well supported, but it was very dry -- even textbook like -- and largely repetitive. Perhaps, given the subject, I was expecting something more ... um ... creative. Sawyer successfully conveyed that my expectation was predicated on a flawed romantic notion of creativity, however, so the read was far from a waste.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely comprehensive and well researched book on creativity, which examines both individual psychological underpinnings of creativity and sociological factors. It busted quite a few myths I held about creative endeavour.

[Chrissy Jensen]

First part of the book was just fine. Then it got far too detailed for the purposes of the topic and it became quite redundant :(

[Alex Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I am not going to write a review here as I actually have to cowrite a full review for this book elsewhere.