How great ideas happen : the hidden steps behind breakthrough success / George Newman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Newman, George (Professor), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Creative ability.

Creative ability--Case studies.

Creation (Literary, artistic, etc.).

creativity.

Genre:

Instructional and educational works.

Case studies.

Physical Description:

292 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.

Other Title:

Hidden steps behind breakthrough success

Place of Publication:

New York : Simon & Schuster, 2026.

Summary:

"Great ideas are all around us, waiting to be discovered. Here's how to find them. We're used to imagining creativity as a lightbulb moment--sudden, mysterious, reserved for the gifted few. But what if ideas aren't conjured from thin air? What if they're discovered--more like precious artifacts that we unearth and refine? In How Great Ideas Happen, cognitive scientist George Newman draws on cutting-edge research to show that creativity isn't magic, it's method. The most successful innovators don't wait to be struck by brilliance; their creative process is more like archeology. As keen-eyed explorers, they scan the terrain, dig with intention, and, with a little luck, find gold. With vivid examples from the arts, science, and business, Newman shows how creativity often comes from discovering what was already there. For example, how Jackson Pollock tapped into deep patterns in nature to create his famous 'drip' paintings; how Korean filmmakers created an entirely new genre by closely studying foreign films; or, how Paul Simon made Graceland by carefully sifting through previously recorded material for what he could take away. By revealing the hidden steps behind breakthrough success, How Great Ideas Happen uncovers a repeatable method that anyone can follow, reframing creativity not as a rare gift, but as a universal capacity waiting to be unlocked through exploration. The creative process is an adventure of ideas--this book is your guide"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction: Dig for fire

Part I: Surveying: Where to search for ideas

Burn the cabin down

Originality ostriches

Bottoms up!

Part II: Gridding: Organizing your search

The guiding question

Think inside the box

Transplanting

Part III: Digging: Unearthing promising ideas

More is more

Search far and wide

The spark

Part IV: Sifting: Choosing which ideas to pursue

Create by subtracting

How ideas feel

The learning curve

Conclusion: Getting unstuck

Appendix: Deeper questions about creativity.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-277) and index.

ISBN:

9781668026007

1668026007

9781668227442

1668227444

OCLC:

1557397402

Publisher Number:

90103997642