Scott Berkun: The Myths of Innovation

If you’re looking for a thought-provoking, concise guide to modern innovation, I would suggest checking out Scott Berkun’s The Myths of Innovation. In each chapter, Berkun presents a commonly-held assumption about innovation (e.g. “the best ideas win,” “innovation is always good”) and then dissects this assumption step-by-step using a mix of business case studies, historical examples, and anecdotal evidence.  (In Chapter 4, there’s even a quote from Niccolo Machiavelli on why introducing new innovations is so hard!) One of my favorite chapters in the book looks at the way that basic evolutionary theory can be used to understand the path of innovation. In retrospect, of course, history seems to be perfect. The reality is that the unique twists and turns of the past are often “frustrating, embarrassing, and uncertain.”

You can find out more about the myths of innovation over at Scott’s personal blog.