Episode · EconTalk · 2020-08-31
Books mentioned on Matt Ridley on How Innovation Works
What's the difference between invention and innovation? Could it be that innovation--the process of making a breakthrough invention available, affordable, and reliable--is actually the hard part?
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
-
How Innovation Works
How Innovation Works by Matt Ridley is an accessible examination of how human ingenuity, technological progress, and economic prosperity develop over long historical spans.
Discussed“his latest book in the subject of today's discussion is how innovation works”
Where to get it
-
The Innovators
The Innovators by Walter Isaacson is a comprehensive historical account detailing the collaborative efforts of hackers, geniuses, and geeks who engineered the digital revolution and invented the computer.
Discussed“i mean i have a section in the book called who invented the computer and i draw very heavily on walter isaacson's wonderful book the innovators to to understand that story”
Where to get it
-
Orbiting the Giant Hairball
Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie is a widely celebrated work exploring corporate culture, creativity, and the preservation of unconventional thinking within large institutions.
Discussed“there's a book i love called orbiting the giant hairball which is an unusual title it's a book by the late gordon mackenzie”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“he was last here in february 2016 talking about his about his book the evolution of everything”
“and he wrote back and said well i think i got that idea from your book the origins of virtue”