First published 2016
Pagan Kennedy explores the origins of breakthrough ideas by examining how ordinary moments spark extraordinary solutions. She traces how a parent dealing with toddler messes conceived the sippy cup, how an engineer observing walkie-talkie users developed the cell phone, and how a doctor created a lifesaving hospital bed design. Kennedy investigates these invention stories to uncover the repeatable methods behind innovation. She demonstrates how contemporary tools like crowdfunding, big data, and 3D printing have democratized the invention process, making it easier than ever to turn concepts into reality. The book identifies specific steps in the creative process and shows how modern technology has created unprecedented opportunities for inventors. Kennedy argues that we now live in an age where transforming ideas into actual products has become more accessible to millions of people than at any previous time in history.
Genres: science, business, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: informative, inspiring, thought-provoking
Tropes: educational, informative
Period: 21st Century
304 pages · ebook · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt