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Where Good Ideas Come From

where good ideas come from, steven johnson, creativity

I linked to this Wall Street Journal essay called the “The Genius of the Tinkerer” by Steven Johnson in my last post. It is an interesting piece which I will recommend that you read if you have not. He just released his new book last week called “Where Good Ideas Come from: A Natural History of Innovationwhich l can’t wait to get my hands on. The Amazon reviews so far have been positive.

Here are two great video resources by Johnson in which he discusses some of the key ideas in his new book.  I will recommend that you check them out.

This is a short (4:07 min) and cool visual representation of the book’s key ideas as narrated by Johnson and created by Cognitive Media – a UK based visual design agency.

This is a longer video (17:46 min) which Johnson did at the TED Global 2010 conference.

One reply on “Where Good Ideas Come From”

I knew I’d be drawn in once I started watching the first clip… this is good stuff!

Here’s what I’m hearing: Good ideas don’t have to be complete to be implemented, they can be a work in progress. The important thing is to create the right environment for the ideas to mature by continuously connecting with people of all kinds, and drawing something from every interaction.

I was surprised to hear that good ideas are hardly ever fresh ideas. So how exactly do we classify originality? Why make such a big deal about who thought ‘it’ up first?

I was honestly intrigued by the way Johnson delivered this message. It actually makes sense and pretty much encouraged continous collaborations. Advancements in technology require more collaborations. The betterment of life requires continuous collaborations.

See you at the next ‘coffee shop’… I’ll be the one drinking iced tea!

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