Archimedes' bathtub : the art and logic of breakthrough thinking / David Perkins.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Perkins, David N.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Thought and thinking.

Inspiration.

Creative thinking.

Physical Description:

x, 292 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Art and logic of breakthrough thinking

Place of Publication:

New York : W.W. Norton, [2000]

Summary:

From Archimedes' discovery of the principle of water displacement while taking a bath to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, from Brunelleschi's development of perspective drawing to the Impressionist revolution, from the taming of fire to the creation of the laser, "breakthrough thinking"--a sudden, seemingly unaccountable moment of inspiration--has shaped and advanced civilization. Nature has invented too, through its amazing innovations that have given us sight, flight, and echolocation. What, if anything, does human invention have in common with biological evolution? What processes form innovation's mysterious core?

In this sly tour de force of deep analysis and practical exercises, David Perkins explores the common logic behind breakthroughs across many fields, historical periods, and evolutionary epochs. Drawing on a rich knowledge of artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology, Perkins offers a uniquely integrative theory of how and why breakthroughs occur. He has sprinkled the book with dozens of delightful mind puzzles and illustrations that will have you quizzing whomever happens to be nearest, and will allow you to build your own powers of breakthrough thinking. Uncommonly interesting and uniquely enjoyable, Archimedes' Bathtub is itself a breakthrough--a book likely to find its place among classic works of science marked by clarity, artfulness, and an abiding sense of fun.

Contents:

I. The Idea of Breakthrough Thinking 1

1. Thinking like Leonardo 3

2. From Sufi Tales to James Bond Thrillers 24

3. The Logic of Lucking Out 44

4. Is There a Science of Breakthrough Thinking? 67

II. The Art of Breakthrough Thinking 89

5. Thinking's Big Bang 91

6. Clues for the Clueless 110

7. Walking through Walls 128

8. Anything but That 145

III. Mind, Brain, and Breakthrough Thinking 165

9. Breakthroughs on Trial 167

10. Is There a Mental Overdrive? 179

11. Presence of Mind 197

12. Knowing Too Much and Forgetting Enough 213

IV. Does Nature Think? 229

13. Evolution Breaks Through 231

14. Blind Minds and Smart Evolution 252

15. Why We're Stuck with Breakthrough Thinking 265.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0393047954

OCLC:

44741235