‘How Innovation Works’ is yet another thought-provoking book by Matt Ridley. Challenging the modern obsession with disruptive innovation and the tendency to unfairly credit an individual for a certain innovation, Ridley argues that innovation is a gradual, incremental, and collective process. What I found particularly enjoyable is he makes his case by telling the fascinating stories behind some of the game-changing innovations as diverse as steam engines, light bulbs, silicon chips, vaccines, search engines, gene editing and many more.
If you’re interested in innovation, I’d highly recommend this along with ‘Innovator’s Dilemma’ (about disruptive innovation) and Zero to One (about vertical instead of horizontal, incremental progress). Since the authors of these three approach the same subject from differing and at times conflicting perspectives, we gain a deeper understanding of innovation (and a number of other adjacent disciplines).
Any other recommendations anyone, preferably without diminishing returns after these?