• Where Good Ideas Come From

  • The Natural History of Innovation
  • By: Steven Johnson
  • Narrated by: Eric Singer
  • Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,348 ratings)

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Where Good Ideas Come From  By  cover art

Where Good Ideas Come From

By: Steven Johnson
Narrated by: Eric Singer
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Publisher's summary

One of our most innovative, popular thinkers takes on - in exhilarating style - one of our key questions: "Where do good ideas come from?"

With Where Good Ideas Come From, Steven Johnson pairs the insight of his best-selling Everything Bad Is Good for You and the dazzling erudition of The Ghost Map and The Invention of Air to address an urgent and universal question: What sparks the flash of brilliance? How does groundbreaking innovation happen?

Answering in his infectious, culturally omnivorous style, using his fluency in fields from neurobiology to popular culture, Johnson provides the complete, exciting, and encouraging story of how we generate the ideas that push our careers, our lives, our society, and our culture forward.

©2010 Steven Johnson (P)2010 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about Where Good Ideas Come From

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Networks = ideas

Really good hypothesis, supporting arguments and rationale. Finally, a damn good single reason why networking is important!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good nuggets on innovation, not ground breaking

This book reviews the role that collaboration and mistakes play in innovation. It tells some anecdotes from famous innovators to illustrate these points.

Overall, nothing extraordinary, but provides a good refresher and context around these core ideas.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Got lots of notes from this one

Especially the conclusion 😉 Great reading, may seek out others by this narrator, up there with Gladwell

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • PS
  • 08-13-20

Good framework, engaging content

Steven Johnson does what he does best. Master storyteller- and with a solid underlying message. I liked this book and it’s content. Highly recommended.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The collaborative nature of innovation

This book shows a good view on the collaborative nature of modern innovation. Though at times heavy handed in its metaphors the base ideas of the adjacent possible and the power of networks are explored quite well.

However, if you are looking for a practical book on how to innovate this is likely not for you. This is best viewed as a philosophical take and perspective taxonomy on innovation in general.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Delights and Instructs!

Don't have time to write the review this book deserves. Suffice it to say that this is what all of my business
friends are getting for Christmas this year.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing.com

Just get it, Now. A real eye opener, narrated with charm and most of all greatly written, light and easy

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great book to spark and form new ideas.

I found this book very informative. It helped in opening up my way of thinking. Also in the way I've limited myself from using ideas and other yools to build on mine. I also need to collaborate my ideas with others to improve on them. It's an interconnected Web of how we improve what we and who we are. Enjoy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

amazing ways ideas form

loved it. favorite part, how the internet of today, with one tweet, has many branches.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • MP
  • 09-29-16

amazing narration

The performance is the best that I have ever heard from an audio book. I loved the way the narrator slipped into the appropriate accent when reading quotes. great production value, the team who made this should be commended.

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