The Grace of Great Things: Creativity and Innovation (Paperback)

~ (Author) "STUDIES OF CREATIVITY usually recount the actions of genius..." (more)
Key Phrases: moral philology, nonconforming data, inventive people, The Ideology of Present Time, Duke Federico, Viktor Frankl

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Grace of Great Things is the second book in Robert Grudin's triptych of philosophical essays about the art of living. Here Grudin's focus is not so much on the mystery of where innovative genius comes from--though he has quite a bit to say about that knotty subject--as on the role that's played by large and small varieties of creativity in our everyday lives. Above all, he is determined to convince us that, even at the humblest level, creative labor is a key to happiness. --Richard Farr

From Publishers Weekly

Grudin stresses that creativity is heightened when tasks become emotional challenges. He views creativity as an offering to society--social in nature--rather than a solitary pursuit. The creative act demands openness, self-scrutiny and love of form and beauty, qualities that have ethical implications. Indeed, Grudin ( Time and the Art of Living ) asserts that creative people possess integrity, strength of character, a willingness to court insecurity and failure. While granting that democracy is probably friendlier to innovation than are other forms of society, he faults liberal intellectuals for their biases and blind-spots, e.g., an aversion to holistic thinking, pointing a finger also at the politics of scientific research, teachers who stifle creativity and, in contemporary poetry, "the puritanical prohibitions of modern free-verse style." Brimming with ideas, this exciting book forces us to consider the moral and psychological dimensions of creativity in a new light.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (April 17, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395588685
• ISBN-13: 978-0395588680
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #246,507 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Origins and Practice of Innovation Through Creativity", December 10, 2000

By	Shankar N. Swamy (Redmond, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a study of creativity in the social and ethical contexts, and of creativity as a result of innovation. It can also be used as a guide book for leading a life promoting innovation through creativity.

The book has three distinct but closely related parts: The Creative Mind, The Ethics of Creativity and The Politics of Innovation, explaining how the building blocks of creativity - inspiration, imagination, sense of beauty, integrity, persistence, vision and learning - all lead to innovation. While one could use this as a resource for inspiration and as a guidebook for practicing and promoting creativity in everyday life, the author makes no efforts to sell the book as such. Instead, he has opted for a conversational style that aids critical reading, and inspires further thinking. This helps to frequently stop and think about the material, and to inquire the logic. The language is very crisp and to the point. The editing is very sharp. One could read the book just for the anecdotes, both historic and the contemporary ones, which are plentiful in the book. The notes at the end is really an annotated bibliography, which can also be very useful.

This is a great antidote for the current day world where success is often wrongly equated with "fast", "immediate", "creating powerpoint slides", ... and the likes; where, the examination of things is becoming increasingly superficial, and the critical evaluations are frequently regarded as a hindrance to "productivity", and where the incompetence is frequently promoted for the resulting political expediencies. Dr Grudin explains why some people despise the concept of "working the system" to your advantage, and why they often take routes that look more elaborate and longer. He explains what is it that some people who get paid for forty-hours but seem to be always at work, are seeking and what drives them to voluntarily opt for such practices of hardwork and dedication. He explains why some people seem to take so much interest in every project around them, and seem to bounce back to success and happiness, from every failure they encounter. And, finally, he convinces us how creative work, even at the modest levels, can be the key to happiness.

By not casting its title with something like "N-practices of super-creative people" or something akin to that, and instead giving it the current title, and thus choosing honesty and class over marketing, Dr Grudin has put to practice what he preaches in the book. But if that makes you not consider this book, it's your loss!

A great baedeker for people and organizations wanting to promote creativity, and through creativity, innovation.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the Creative Humanist, May 22, 2001

By	Eamon O. Dowling (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The topic sentence of this book is "We see human civilization as having risen to eminence among other species through political, scientific, and technological innnovation." This sets the tone for a humanistic course the the forms of creativity through history. For someone who comes from a technology background (read: geek), this book was an unexpected suprise. It gave a social context to the value system that the technologist depends on, and the legacy that supports the innovator of today.

I was inspired me over and over again. I kept on finding gems, and thinking "that's a creative way to get unstuck." For something that has so many references, it's balanced well with the discourse. I've got a reading list now, and a few biographies to read.

There was a spiritual quality to this book, grounded in history and human experience. In comes through in the sense of reflection, and the connection to great humanists through time.

A note of caution. The wordsmithing in this book is tight. While not a bad thing, that may lesson the appeal of this book for some. Also, the title doesn't exactly reasonate, since the theme of "grace" is never dealt with, and while Creativity is one of the great natures, it seems a stretch.

Had I not met the author in person, I would have never considered reading this book; Now, I wonder if it would be possible to take a class from him.

If you are looking for an exceptional find, this is one.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well of inspiration -- a resource for life!, August 22, 1998

By A Customer

My twin brother Peter and I read this book aloud to eachother on a car trip from Boston to CT. -- and back again. We couldn't stop til we were finished reading the entire book. It felt as though we were being charged with electricity with every turn of the page. Writers, artists and animators ourselves, we value this kind of recharge! Kudos to Robert Grudin for one of the world's most useful books!