Michael J. Gelb has become one of my favorite non-fiction
authors . . . his bestseller, HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO
DA VINCI, impressed me so much that I now use it the Creativity
course that I teach . . . several other books followed, and
while they were all good, I do believe that he has topped himself
with his latest effort: INNOVATE LIKE EDISON, co-authored with Sarah Miller Caldicott--Edison's great-grandniece.
Subtitled THE SUCCESS SYSTEM OF AMERICA'S GREATEST
INVENTOR, it is a winner from the very first page . . . there's
a short but fascinating biography of Edison, followed by
an easy-to-apply system of five success secrets--known as
the Five Competencies of Innovation.
These are as follows:
1. Solution-Centered Mindset: how to keep unwavering focus
on finding solutions;
2. Kaleidoscopic Thinking: how to juggle multiple projects, generate
many ideas and the make creative connections or discern patterns;
3. Full-Spectrum Engagement: how to manage and balance a
massive workload with social life, family and other obligations;
4. Master Mind Collaboration: how to multiply individual brain power
by bringing the right people together; and
5. Super-Value Creation: how to target all creations to an existing
market and provide value to potential customers.
Gelb and Caldicott describe these secrets, then show how they
can be utilized in many different situations . . . I liked how
they gave real examples, using both large and small companies . . . in
addition, they effectively "updated" Edison's work by viewing it
through the eyes of such contemporary thinkers as Edward
de Bono, Martin Seligman, Daniel Goleman and others.
I also liked the pictures of Edison, as well as the use of drawings
he actually did for his many inventions.
There were many useful tidbits that I gained from reading
this book; among them:
* Edison's idea of aligning with those unchangeable "infinite laws" and
following "the teachings of his own conscience" meant living by a
moral code grounded in honesty, respect, fairness, and integrity. He
felt that the highest standards of personal and business ethics were
congruent with the precise design of the infinite intelligence. Moreover,
Edison hoped that his innovations would help humanity evolve to a
higher moral plane. He proclaimed, "The machine has been human
being's most effective escape from bondage." Like Gandhi, he believed
that "Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of
all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still
savages." When he was asked to serve on the Naval Consulting Board
during World War I, he made it clear that he would only work on
defensive weaponry. As he noted, "I am proud of the fact that I never
invented weapons to kill."
Edison's religious and ethical philosophy is probably best summarized
by his observation that, "If we all try to carry out the Golden Rule in
this life we have little to fear from the hereafter no matter what our
belief may be."
* Thomas Edison's love of nature and his passion for efficiency translated
into a practical concern for energy conservation and environmental
protection. By 1910, Edison had developed a storage battery that could
power automobiles, trucks, and machines. He hoped this development
would lead to the use of batteries as a self-sufficient source of energy
in homes and buildings. In 1912, he constructed and helped to create a
model home in West Orange, New Jersey, that was "off the grid," and
powered solely by his storage batteries. He also began thinking about
ways to harness the power of the wind and sun. Shortly before his
death in 1913, Edison told his friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
"I'd put money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I
hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that."
* In his teenage years as well as at Menlo Park and beyond, Edison
recorded his thoughts, observations, and visualizations in notebooks.
like other great minds, Edison jotted down his thoughts freely. His
notebooks contain fragments of ideas and plenty of pictures. This
daily practice helped him sharpen his observations, develop new
ideas and make creative connections between diverse aspects of
his research.
If you're looking for an ideal holiday gift for a student or anybody
interested in lifelong learning, you certainly won't go wrong
with getting them a copy of INNOVATE LIKE EDISON.
