Steven Johnson on Where Good Ideas Come From

23 SEPTEMBER, 2010

Steven Johnson on Where Good Ideas Come From

by Maria Popova

We’re big fans of the RSA. Their latest gem animates one of the most important questions in creative culture: Where do good ideas come from? Steven Johnson tackles the grand question with insights from his latest book and a historical perspective on innovation throughout human civilization.

Johnson’s answer strongly echoes the Brain Pickings mission — to build a rich and wide-spanning pool of mental resources that serve as the building blocks of creativity.

That’s the real lesson: Chance favors the connected mind.” ~ Steven Johnson

Also worth watching: Johnson’s recent TED talk, one of our favorites this year:

Johnson’s new book, Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation, a fixture on our list of must-read books by TEDGlobal speakers, is now available for pre-order.

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Brain Pickings has a free weekly newsletter and people say it's cool. It comes out on Sundays and offers the week's best articles. Here's an example. Like? Sign up.