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A review by athulsure93
How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom by Matt Ridley
3.0
This book was my first foray into non-fiction this year.
I believe that human beings, with our incessant need for order and meaning, are obsessed with stories and the deeper meaning that lie behind them. This is exactly why I prefer learning about abstract concepts narrated through a well fleshed out story where the ensconced idea gets communicated in a much better manner as opposed to works of non-fictions where they’re presented, cooked and cleaned, with minimal seasoning to make it palatable for the masses.
Matt Ridley has used the narratorial approach to his advantage when grappling the seemingly open ended question of how innovation works. The book is neatly broken down into two logical sections - the stories and the lessons. In the story section, the author artfully chronicles a series of stories about innovations in the fields of energy creation, public health, transport, food and communication among many others. He has sequenced them in such a manner so as to highlight the impacts that earlier innovations had on later ones. In addition, he has beautifully sprinkled nuggets of analysis throughout these stories, with each story serving to highlight some crucial aspect of innovation. The second part is more academic where the ideas highlighted in the first part are taken and analysed in isolation, with small substantiating examples thrown in to strengthen their case.
I’m a big fan of “meta-analysis”, whereby seemingly disconnected stories are analysed to assess and ascertain the pattern that pervades all of them. The author has done an excellent job of distilling innovation and the plethora of pervading factors, from what begets it, to what inhibits it, using a multitude of tales spread across multiple millennia.
Mainstream narratives have a tendency to paint innovations as breakthroughs brought about by cerebral beings performing extraordinary feats. The author makes a very strong case for why it is not the reality. The cycle of innovation is portrayed for what it is - a gradual process of incremental change where the accumulation of knowledge and experience lends itself to the production of better things. It's not a staccato of notes but a symphony.
The analysis of the influence of external entities (ex: governments), as well as the impact of regulations and patents also presents some interesting gems which seem to go against conventional beliefs. The book does have its slow parts, with a few of the stories going into unnecessary side-tracks featuring a cast of characters who are nowhere to be found past their brief roles. Like most authors of nonfiction, Matt Ridley also slides into brief periods where points are bludgeoned to death, and sweeping generalisations are made on the shoulder of insufficient evidence.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and the author’s overarching efforts to distill patterns of innovation from multiple corners of history. I would recommend this to anyone looking for the unwritten rules and the untaught lessons that rule the world of innovators and their innovations.
Matt Ridley has used the narratorial approach to his advantage when grappling the seemingly open ended question of how innovation works. The book is neatly broken down into two logical sections - the stories and the lessons. In the story section, the author artfully chronicles a series of stories about innovations in the fields of energy creation, public health, transport, food and communication among many others. He has sequenced them in such a manner so as to highlight the impacts that earlier innovations had on later ones. In addition, he has beautifully sprinkled nuggets of analysis throughout these stories, with each story serving to highlight some crucial aspect of innovation. The second part is more academic where the ideas highlighted in the first part are taken and analysed in isolation, with small substantiating examples thrown in to strengthen their case.
I’m a big fan of “meta-analysis”, whereby seemingly disconnected stories are analysed to assess and ascertain the pattern that pervades all of them. The author has done an excellent job of distilling innovation and the plethora of pervading factors, from what begets it, to what inhibits it, using a multitude of tales spread across multiple millennia.
Mainstream narratives have a tendency to paint innovations as breakthroughs brought about by cerebral beings performing extraordinary feats. The author makes a very strong case for why it is not the reality. The cycle of innovation is portrayed for what it is - a gradual process of incremental change where the accumulation of knowledge and experience lends itself to the production of better things. It's not a staccato of notes but a symphony.
The analysis of the influence of external entities (ex: governments), as well as the impact of regulations and patents also presents some interesting gems which seem to go against conventional beliefs. The book does have its slow parts, with a few of the stories going into unnecessary side-tracks featuring a cast of characters who are nowhere to be found past their brief roles. Like most authors of nonfiction, Matt Ridley also slides into brief periods where points are bludgeoned to death, and sweeping generalisations are made on the shoulder of insufficient evidence.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and the author’s overarching efforts to distill patterns of innovation from multiple corners of history. I would recommend this to anyone looking for the unwritten rules and the untaught lessons that rule the world of innovators and their innovations.