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The Myths of Innovation 1st Edition
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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 Scott Berkun pulls the best lessons from the history of innovation, including the recent software and web age, to reveal powerful and suprising truths about how ideas become successful innovations -- truths people can easily apply to the challenges of today. Through his entertaining and insightful explanations of the inherent patterns in how Einstein’s discovered E=mc2 or Tim Berner Lee’s developed the idea of the world wide web, you will see how to develop existing knowledge into new innovations.
Each entertaining chapter centers on breaking apart a powerful myth, popular in the business world despite it's lack of substance. Through Berkun's extensive research into the truth about innovations in technology, business and science, you’ll learn lessons from the expensive failures and dramatic successes of innovations past, and understand how innovators achieved what they did -- and what you need to do to be an innovator yourself. You'll discover:
- Why problems are more important than solutions
- How the good innovation is the enemy of the great
- Why children are more creative than your co-workers
- Why epiphanies and breakthroughs always take time
- How all stories of innovations are distorted by the history effect
- How to overcome people’s resistance to new ideas
- Why the best idea doesn’t often win
The paperback edition includes four new chapters, focused on appling the lessons from the original book, and helping you develop your skills in creative thinking, pitching ideas, and staying motivated.
"For centuries before Google, MIT, and IDEO, modern hotbeds of innovation, we struggled to explain any kind of creation, from the universe itself to the multitudes of ideas around us. While we can make atomic bombs, and dry-clean silk ties, we still don’t have satisfying answers for simple questions like: Where do songs come from? Are there an infinite variety of possible kinds of cheese? How did Shakespeare and Stephen King invent so much, while we’re satisfied watching sitcom reruns? Our popular answers have been unconvincing, enabling misleading, fantasy-laden myths to grow strong."
-- Scott Berkun, from the text
"Berkun sets us free to change the world."
-- Guy Kawasaki, author of Art of the Start
Scott was a manager at Microsoft from 1994-2003, on projects including v1-5 (not 6) of Internet Explorer. He is the author of three bestselling books, Making Things Happen, The Myths of Innovation and Confessions of a Public Speaker. He works full time as a writer and speaker, and his work has appeared in The New York Times, Forbes magazine, The Economist, The Washington Post, Wired magazine, National Public Radio and other media. He regularly contributes to Harvard Business Review and Bloomberg Businessweek, has taught creative thinking at the University of Washington, and has appeared as an innovation and management expert on MSNBC and on CNBC. He writes frequently on innovation and creative thinking at his blog: scottberkun.com and tweets at @berkun.
- ISBN-100596527055
- ISBN-13978-0596527051
- Edition1st
- PublisherO'Reilly Media
- Publication dateMay 14, 2007
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.84 x 8.5 inches
- Print length192 pages
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable, with well-written examples that help visualize its ideas. They find the concepts sound and the theories logical, with good references that support the arguments. The writing style is simple, witty, and informative, with a lovely language.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They say it's well-written, with examples that help visualize the ideas. Readers appreciate the accurate and timely information in the first half of the book. Overall, they find the book insightful and helpful for resetting their perspective on frequently used concepts.
"...This would have to be the best book I have read in recent times. Seriously good! I started this book on Monday and finished it today (Thursday)...." Read more
"...Finally, Berkun does an excellent job of not only listing sources in each chapter..." Read more
"...pilot objectives - Fits in shirt pocket, syncs seamlessly with PC, fast and easy to use, and no more than $299...." Read more
"...I highly recommend this book. It's a short easy to read book; one that will keep you entertained during a cross-country flight." Read more
Customers find the book thought-provoking and easy to read. They say it sparks their thinking about ideas and creativity. The book contains interesting insights, examples, and lessons to learn. Readers appreciate the humor and footnotes that whet their appetite for learning more. They also mention that the book demystifies the aura of fate, luck, and karma.
"...Scott Berkun does a brilliant job of revealing just how many of the world's greatest innovations (Internet & others) and most successful companies..." Read more
"...A definite must read for anyone interested in innovation, ideas, creativity and not only what not to do, but what to do on their innovation journey." Read more
"...A though provoking book, but just as it gains momentum I though it left one handing...." Read more
"...While each chapter presents good insights, I especially liked chapter 9 "Problems and Solutions."..." Read more
Customers find the book's concepts and theories sound. They appreciate the examples used to illustrate the points and the references that support the arguments. The book covers the basics of innovation, how it happens, and the ideology for effective project management of innovation. It is a must-read for technical fields as well as basement inventors, with outstanding ideas.
"...Secondly, the book is about believing in yourself and how to stimulate your thinking to come up with ideas, which may one day provide a solution to..." Read more
"..." appendix, specifically the ranked bibliography, were outstanding ideas and deserve special mention...." Read more
"...picks them apart, piece by piece....this is an absolute must read for people in technical fields as well as basement inventors...." Read more
"...Page 132 - Pick the right problem to solve and defining them correctly - remember the palm pilot objectives - Fits in shirt pocket, syncs..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find the writing style simple, witty, and engaging. The language is lovely and the author has a good sense of humor.
"...I found the book to be humorous and refreshing...." Read more
"...It's a quick, witty and accurate read and will most likely change your perceptions about innovation going forward. I highly recommend it." Read more
"...Scott has a great style of writing: simple, with humor, and understandable to the non-scientific folks...." Read more
"...Plenty of humor, interesting footnotes and whets your appetite to learn more. An excellent book, makes a great gift." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2010Where do I start?
This would have to be the best book I have read in recent times. Seriously good! I started this book on Monday and finished it today (Thursday). For me that's seriously quick, I couldn't put the thing down. I was hooked, engaged and excited by what I read, but what's it all about you ask?
Obviously innovation, but Scott Berkun delves much deeper, discussing what innovation really is - this was seriously interesting. Without giving to much away, he suggests it's a term we probably use too much (you know one of those buzzwords we throw around - sounds good but do we really innovate).
Secondly, the book is about believing in yourself and how to stimulate your thinking to come up with ideas, which may one day provide a solution to a problem that makes you money. Scott Berkun covers everything from idea generation, including environments which are likely to foster such ideas, to pitching ideas to your boss and venture capitalists, to maintaining your motivation, to understanding how culture and mindsets can thwart even the very best ideas and everything else in between. He provides tools, examples and much more to help you do/overcome all of this.
I found this book easy to read and well referenced, which gave it credibility. Scott Berkun does a brilliant job of revealing just how many of the world's greatest innovations (Internet & others) and most successful companies (Google, Apple & others) made it where they have. He cites hard work and determination amongst other things as being responsible for helping them to where they are. He believes though we are all capable of such great feats and provides a great deal of insight, giving I'm sure any reader a boost in confidence.
Of most interest was the real stories behind how it all started for these individuals and companies. Scott suggests it all starts with an IDEA. That's it, a simple idea but for it to be realised and potentially one day be successful, you must do something about it and make that idea happen. He suggests no idea happens if all you do is think about it. You must do something about it.
I found knowing the real stories behind these companies very refreshing, rather than the version often cited in mainstream media.
Whether you're in business, want to be in business, have an idea or have a dream you wish to realise, then this book might just be for you. I know Scott has certainly re-ignited my desire to stop talking and start doing.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2011I 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 approach to innovation allows him to target 10 myths of innovation and analyze them so we can understand where they came from and how to avoid them. Each myth is allotted its own chapter and they are as follows (along with my quick thoughts on each chapter):
1. The myth of epiphany (epiphany looks like hard work and wears overalls)
2. We understand the history of innovation (the victors write the history)
3. There is a method for innovation (great chapter, worth the price of whole book)
4. People love new ideas (great ideas usually don't look great, ask Google)
5. The lone inventor (one of my favorite chapters - nobody goes it alone)
6. Good ideas are hard to find (have more ideas, have crazy ideas, have no fear with your ideas)
7. Your boss knows more about innovation than you (don't confuse power with creativity)
8. The best ideas win (winning isn't based on how good the idea is)
9. Problems and solutions (problems matter and how you define them matters more)
10. Innovation is always good (unintended consequences matter)
Berkun closes the book with chapters on hype and history, creative thinking hacks, how to pitch an idea and how to stay motivated. His aside in the hype and history chapter that "if you want to be creative, you must create things" is at first glance simple advice, but for me it speaks to the core message of this book: if you want to get anything out of this book you have to do something. He has provided the roadmap, we have to begin the journey.
Finally, Berkun does an excellent job of not only listing sources in each chapter (which is nirvana for those willing to further explore original source material), but his "Research and recommendations" appendix, specifically the ranked bibliography, were outstanding ideas and deserve special mention.
A definite must read for anyone interested in innovation, ideas, creativity and not only what not to do, but what to do on their innovation journey.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2008At this point I can't say much that the other reviewers haven't already. Berkun makes a case study out of innovators and their innovations, exposing the real history behind the developments. There is no such thing as "Eureka!"...breakthroughs occur only after many long hours of development have been racked up (even in such "accidental" discoveries like the microwave oven), from you and all of your predecessors, all the way back to when we first crawled out of the ocean.
So much surrounding innovation is beyond the control of the innovator. Berkun takes 10 myths and picks them apart, piece by piece....this is an absolute must read for people in technical fields as well as basement inventors. It should set you straight before you go off and (foolishly) try to change the world with a (insert fancy new widget here). I found the book to be humorous and refreshing. I wish I would have come across this book before I started my graduate education, it would have changed my temperament to be more realistic when it comes to cutting-edge research at an earlier time (I got there anyway, but now I am old and cynical).
And for the record, this is not a cookbook for innovation. There is no such thing...and reading this book should explain to you why. Also, I second the comment about the colophon being worth the price of the book.
Top reviews from other countries
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efraín arévaloReviewed in Mexico on November 6, 20164.0 out of 5 stars The myths of innovation
Interesante punto de vista que cuestiona los clichés de la innovación. Cuenta con un buen desarrollo y con ejemplos interesantes.
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Cassio Jose Pereira da SilvaReviewed in Brazil on September 4, 20145.0 out of 5 stars Muito bom
Scott Berkun é uma referência em tecnologia e neste livro deixa mais uma vez a sua marca como um excelente autor. Claro, objetivo e fácil de ler. Não deixa seu texto rebuscado com a casca de um academicismo vazio, mas não fica superficial como muitos livros de auto-ajuda corporativo.
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Hermann SchmidtReviewed in Germany on March 8, 20145.0 out of 5 stars Erleuchtend und ernüchternd zugleich
Dieses Buch hat mein Leben verändert. Ich arbeite in einer Software-Firma, in der es heißt "jetzt seit mal innovativ, aber nur Freitags und ihr habt nur 25 Tage im Jahr dafür". Berkun hat mir durch seine glasklare Analyse wie Innovation funktioniert gezeigt, welcher Illusion ich nachgelaufen bin.
Zum Beispiel werden Innovationen erst im Rückblick als logische und zielgerichtete Folge von Ereignissen wahrgenommen. Sie sind in Wahrheit aber mühsame und beständige Arbeit und sehen, wenn sie das Licht der Welt erblicken, erst mal unscheinbar und unfertig aus. Sie werden außerdem nie von einer Person alleine bewerkstelligt. Den einsamen Erfinder gibt es nicht, auch wenn historisch immer wieder einzelne Personen hervorgehoben werden. Als technisch affiner und rationaler Mensch neigt man zu der Ansicht, dass nur die beste Lösung gewinnt. Das stimmt leider gar nicht. Es gibt jede Menge Faktoren, welche die Akzeptanz beeinflussen und diese haben wenig mit der eigentlichen Qualität einer Innovation zu tun. Nicht zuletzt gehört eine Riesenportion Glück dazu.
Sehr erfrischend ist die Auflistung der üblichen Abwehrargumente. Alle schon mal gehört. Überhaupt schreibt Berkun in einem lockeren und flüssigen Stil. Das Buch ließt sich ausgesprochen gut und macht viel Spaß.
Mir hat Berkun geholfen, meine eigene Situation klarer zu sehen. Das tat zwar weh, führte aber zu neuen Ideen, wie ich mehr aus dem machen kann was mir zur Verfügung steht.
Wer im Beruf das Wort "Innovation" öfters zu hören bekommt, sollte dieses Buch lesen!
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ignaciopgReviewed in Spain on August 6, 20135.0 out of 5 stars Una buena visión de la innovación, desmitificándola
El libro identifica las claves de la innovación, explicando como un gran porcentaje de su éxito es esfuerzo personal o colectivo y una pequeña parte de inventiva. Todo ello acompañado de ejemplos que lo ilustran. También incluye una metodología para poder aplicar innovación.
ValhalReviewed in France on April 9, 20135.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful travel in the real world
I have read the book and it is for me a must read for anyone that wants to innovate in anyfield. As a researcher, I think this book as a good introduction on "what's innovation", "who's for", and "how to deal with". Just read it.


