The Runaway Species: How Human Creativity Remakes the World

by David Eagleman, Anthony Brandt

Overview

This enlightening examination of creativity looks “at art and science together to examine how innovations . . . build on what already exists and rely on three brain operations: bending, breaking and blending” (The Wall Street Journal)

The Runaway Species is a deep dive into the creative mind, a celebration of the human spirit, and a vision of how we can improve our future by understanding and embracing our ability to innovate. David Eagleman and Anthony Brandt seek to answer the question: what lies at the heart of humanity’s ability—and drive—to create?

Our ability to remake our world is unique among all living things. But where does our creativity come from, how does it work, and how can we harness it to improve our lives, schools, businesses, and institutions?

Eagleman and Brandt examine hundreds of examples of human creativity through dramatic storytelling and stunning images in this beautiful, full–color volume. By drawing out what creative acts have in common and viewing them through the lens of cutting–edge neuroscience, they uncover the essential elements of this critical human ability, and encourage a more creative future for all of us.

“The Runaway Species approach[es] creativity scientifically but sensitively, feeling its roots without pulling them out.” —The Economist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781948226035
Publisher:	Catapult
Publication date:	06/19/2018
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	397,622
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

David Eagleman is a neuroscientist and the New York Times bestselling author of Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain and Sum. He is the writer and host of the Emmy–nominated PBS television series The Brain. Eagleman is an adjunct professor at Stanford University, a Guggenheim fellow, and the director of the Center for Science and Law. He has written for the New York Times, Discover Magazine, The Atlantic, Slate, Wired and many others, and he appears regularly on National Public Radio and BBC.

Anthony Brandt is a composer and professor at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He is also Artistic Director of the contemporary music ensemble Musiqa, winner of two Adventurous Programming Awards from Chamber Music America and ASCAP. Brandt has received a Koussevitzky Commission from the Library of Congress and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet–the–Composer and the Houston Arts Alliance. He has co–authored papers on music cognition published in the journals Frontiers and Brain Connectivity. Brandt has written two chamber operas and works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, dance, theater, film, television, and sound and art installations. He currently lives in Houston with his wife and children.

Table of Contents

Introduction: What do NASA and Picasso have in common? 1

Part I New Under the Sun

1 To innovate is human 13

2 The brain alters what it already knows 33

3 Bending 55

4 Breaking 74

5 Blending 91

6 Living in the B-hive 105

Part II The Creative Mentality

7 Don't glue down the pieces 133

8 Proliferate options 147

9 Scout to different distances 163

10 Tolerate risk 171

Part III Cultivating Creativity

11 The creative company 189

12 The creative school 215

13 Into the future 244

Acknowledgments 252

Image Credits 254

Bibliography 260

Notes 277

Index 286

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Runaway Species

“The authors look at art and science together to examine how innovations—from Picasso’s initially offensive paintings to Steve Jobs’s startling iPhone—build on what already exists and rely on three brain operations: bending, breaking and blending. This manifesto of sorts shows how both disciplines foster creativity.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Unravels the interplay of art, neuroscience and evolution, while celebrating the special thing that is human innovation.” —Entrepreneur

"Which inventions have had the most impact—and why? What can they teach us about game-changing innovation? And how will science and technology revolutionize our lives next? The rest of The Runaway Species sheds light on these issues … bolstered by delightful visuals." —Harvard Business Review

“The Runaway Species approach[es] creativity scientifically but sensitively, feeling its roots without pulling them out.” —The Economist

"A lively exploration of the software our brains run in search of the mother lode of invention… The Runaway Species is beautifully produced, illustrated and written. It sweeps the reader through examples from engineering, science, product design, music and the visual arts to trace the roots of creative thinking to three key mental skills: bending, breaking and blending.” —Nature

"With the pleasing pace of an extended essay, the book offers surprises and insights at every turn, and the authors argue convincingly that basic strategies inform most creative behavior. . . . Essential—and highly pleasurable—reading for anyone who cares about ideas and innovation." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The Runaway Species is a simple and delightful read — no science knowledge required. And in a rare triumph, the fact that this book was written by two authors never got in the way of making me feel like someone was telling me a story or delivering a thirteen-chapter TED talk. " —Cooper Square Review

"Art and science converge in this beautiful collaboration. . . . Divided into three parts, this inquiry covers a complicated set of connected topics in an engaging and surprisingly accessible way. . . . Packed with vivid images, countless examples, and fun facts that will leave readers eager to discuss it with friends, this is a refreshing and thought-provoking book that captures both the wonder of science and the beauty of the human spirit." —Booklist

"A nice and highly readable introduction for laypersons to human creativity . . . The book is chock full of well-chosen and interesting illustrations that greatly enhance the value of the narrative . . . This book has many positive features. First, writing a successful trade book on creativity is hard to do well. Some of the books tend to be too scholarly; others are just pop psychology with no theoretical or empirical basis . . . This book is both scientifically strong and accessible to the public. Second, the book is highly readable. It never gets bogged down in jargon and is lavishly illustrated to show how its concepts can be understood in concrete, practical terms. The book is never boring . . . The Runaway Species is an engaging and worthwhile book. We recommend it with enthusiasm to those interested in learning about creativity and how it has impacted and can impact society and its development." —Robert J. Sternberg, The American Journal of Psychiatry

"An intriguing and riveting mélange of perspectives that successfully delineates what creativity and innovation are about. It is an outstanding and inspirational volume that will have a broad and global appeal. It will categorically transport the reader into the past and the future fusing them together as one scientific structure, constituting an electrifying and enlightening scholarly reading." —The Inquisitive Mind

"A paean to the ingenuity of the human species, a description of the anatomy of creativity and a rallying cry to cultivate our skills for the benefit of our collective future." —Tes.com

"Brandt and Eagleman have written an exuberant book about creativity. If you were a fan of James Burke’s brilliant Connections, or perhaps of Don Norman’s ruminations on design, there’s a similarly sumptuous buffet of brain candy here on which to pig out." —Neo.life

“Readers familiar with David Eagleman’s writing will encounter the clever analogies that typify his style. Co-author Anthony Brandt, a professor at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, ads rich texture and scope to their speculations. It is not obvious what NASA and Picasso have in common. Nor what flamboyant hairstyles, bicycles, or stadium designs share. But the answers seem obvious once the links are pointed out.” —Richard E. Cytowic, New York Journal of Books

"It’s a belter of a book for anyone with an interest in neuroscience, creativity or education... Understanding ourselves and our creativity is a journey that also helps us to understand what makes us human. The Runaway Species not only makes the complex readable, but also opens a fascinating world that exists between predictability and surprise." —Business Hitchhiker

From the Publisher