Innovation Generation: How to Produce Creative and Useful Scientific Ideas

by Roberta B. Ness

Overview

Whether you are a student or an established scientist, researcher, or engineer, you can learn to be more innovative. In Innovation Generation, internationally renowned physician and scientist Roberta Ness provides all the tools you need to cast aside your habitual ways of navigating the every-day world and to think "outside the box." Based on an extraordinarily successful program at the University of Texas, this book provides proven techniques to expand your ability to generate original ideas. These tools include analogy, expanding assumptions, pulling questions apart, changing your point of view, reversing your thinking, and getting the most out of multidisciplinary groups, to name a few. Woven into the discussion are engaging stories of famous scientists who found fresh paths to innovation, including groundbreaking primate scientist Jane Goodall, father of lead research Herb Needleman, and physician Ignaz Semmelweis, whose discovery of infection control saved millions. Finally, the book shows how to combine your newly acquired skills in innovative thinking with the normal process of scientific thinking, so that your new abilities are more than playthings. Innovation will power your science.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199892594
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	03/01/2012
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Roberta Ness is Dean of the University of Texas School of Public Health and the University of Texas-Houston Vice President for Innovation.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Don't Read this Book

PART I. The Big Picture: Understanding and Overcoming Barriers to Innovation

Chapter 2: It All Depends on How You Look at It
Chapter 3: Overcoming Frames
Chapter 4: Say it Like you Mean
Chapter 5: Overcoming Metaphors
Chapter 6: Check this Out!
Chapter 7: Becoming a Keener Observer
Chapter 8: How Biased are You?
Chapter 9: Overcoming Bias
Chapter 10: The Brain and Creativity: The Seat of Inspiration
Chapter 11: The Brain and Creativity: Getting Out in Front

PART II. Asking and Answering a Scientific Question through Innovation

Chapter 12: The Joy of Science
Chapter 13: Asking the Right Question
Chapter 14: How is a Marriage like a Matchbox?
Chapter 15: Flip it!
Chapter 16: A Man Walked into a Bar
Chapter 17: The Power of Group Intelligence
Chapter 18: Getting the Most from a Group
Chapter 19: Incubation
Chapter 20: Testing Your Idea
Chapter 21: That Right Idea
Chapter 22: The Stodginess of Science
Chapter 23: Overcoming the Stodginess of Science
Chapter 24: Innovation Incubators

References
Answers

Editorial Reviews

"Innovation, defined as creativity with a purpose, is widely considered to be the engine of scientific progress," writes Ness, Dean of the University of Texas School of Public Health. With this book, Ness hopes to explain both the "frames" that keep creative thinking from happening, and the rigorous, engaging methods that can be used to break out of those frames. There's nothing here that's remarkably innovative-Ness directly references Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point and Blink-but her ideas about creating new ways of thinking are accessibly explained and inspiring, including chapters on group intelligence and overcoming bias. A section on the "Stodginess of Science" will be of particular interest to the scientifically minded who feel frustrated with the slow pace of innovation within the field. Ness explains the reasons behind the reticence, and offers means to overcome it. While her writing is focused on scientific innovation, there's enough here that's applicable to other fields to make it worth a read for anyone interested in breaking out of their habitual mindset and cultivating innovative thinking. Illus.
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Publishers Weekly

"[Ness's] ideas about creating new ways of thinking are accessibly explained and inspiring, including chapters on group intelligence and overcoming bias...While her writing is focused on scientific innovation, there's enough here that's applicable to other fields to make it worth a read for anyone interested in breaking out of their habitual mindset and cultivating innovative thinking." —Publishers Weekly

"Through role models and exercises, [Ness] shows how better metaphors and observation can shift paradigms; and how specific issues can be solved with the right questions, the right analogies and group intelligence." —Nature

"With its interesting stories and offbeat exercises for the reader, Innovation Generation has grab." —Paul Silvia, Pacific Standard

"Roberta Ness teaches how to be a more innovative thinker. Now in a book as creative as its subject, Dr. Ness shows how, with a little know-how and a lot of practice, we can all bring out our more creative selves." — Harvey V. Fineberg, President, Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Science

"A thought-provoking dissertation on innovative thinking and how to circumvent the barriers that can inhibit our creativity. The range of ideas and approaches put forward here serve as a spur to further thought - and to action." — Russell A. Hulse, Nobel Laureate in Physics

"Great science depends on innovative thinking. Our societal creativity and progress depends on investing in such innovation. This book argues that innovation can be taught, fostered, and nurtured as a basis for accelerating innovation. It provides the framework for fostering creativity and a toolbox teaching it. This is an outstanding contribution to our collective success." — Linda P. Fried, Dean, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

"Can we teach people to be innovative? Roberta Ness demonstrates that the answer is a resounding 'yes.' This is a rare book that contains both a rigorous account of the elements that foster innovation and examples that will inspire scientists, teachers, students, and anyone with a sense of curiosity to become more successful innovators." — E. Gordon Gee, President, The Ohio State University

"Dr. Ness shows us that learning to become a better innovator is indeed possible. This book is a tremendous help for scientists, policy makers, and students of all ages."
- Arthur "Tim" Garson, Director, Center for Public Health Sciences, and former Provost, University of Virginia School of Medicine

"Innovation Generation: How to Produce Creative and Useful Ideas is a superb read.The path to a strong and vibrant America today and into the future will be through the inculcation of innovation among our students across all disciplines. Roberta Ness provides substantive tools to enhance our ability for critical learning and innovation. More importantly, she emphasizes how important it is for us to inspire and facilitate innovative thinking from our students and not to inadvertently suppress students from challenging mainstream ideas, even if they are our own." — Francisco G. Cigarroa, University of Texas System Chancellor

"Enter Roberta Ness's Innovation Generation: How to Produce Creative and Useful Scientific Ideas. A workshop in a book, Innovation Generation uses ideas from the study of creativity training to cultivate scientific innovation. The notion of training creativity might seem odd, but a lot of studies show that people can learn strategies and habits that cultivate creative thought... With its interesting stories and offbeat exercises for the reader, Innovation Generation has grab." — Pacific Standard

From the Publisher