Where Good Ideas Come From

The myth of the lone genius inventor having a sudden “eureka” moment has been a persistent narrative in popular culture, but the history of innovation presents a more complex picture. This historical context is crucial for understanding Johnson’s arguments in Where Good Ideas Come From.

The idea of the solitary genius can be traced back to the Renaissance, with figures like Leonardo da Vinci often portrayed as isolated visionaries. This perception was reinforced during the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution, with inventors like James Watt and Thomas Edison becoming cultural icons. However, even these celebrated innovators relied heavily on the work of predecessors and collaborators.

In reality, most significant innovations throughout history have been the result of cumulative efforts and incremental improvements. The printing press, often solely credited to Gutenberg, actually evolved from existing technologies like the wine press and movable type, which had been developed in China centuries earlier. The steam engine, frequently attributed to James Watt, was the result of improvements on earlier designs by Thomas Newcomen and others. The telephone, patented by Alexander Graham Bell, built upon the work of many researchers in the field of acoustics and electricity. The Wright brothers’ successful airplane was the culmination of numerous experiments in aviation by various inventors worldwide.