Group Genius
The Creative Power of Collaboration
Keith Sawyer(Author)
Basic Books (Publisher)
Published on 5. June 2007
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-0-465-07192-0 (ISBN)
Description
A pioneering expert on creativity and innovation shows the power of collaboration for individual organizational creativity. Creativity has long been thought to be an individual gift, best pursued alone; schools, organizations and whole industries are built on this idea. But what if the most common beliefs about how creativity works are wrong? In this authoritative and fascinating new book, Keith Sawyer, a psychologist at Washington University, tears down some of the most popular myths about creativity and erects new principles in their place. He reveals that creativity alone is always collaborative, even when you're alone - that Eureka moment in the bath couldn't have happened if Archimedes hadn't spent so many hours arguing and comparing notes with his fellow mathematicians and philosophers. Sawyer draws on compelling stories of inventions and innovations: the inventors of the ATM, the mountain bike and open source operating systems among others, to demonstrate the freewheeling ways of true innovation.
He shares the results of his own acclaimed research on jazz groups, theatre ensembles, and conversation analysis, to show us how to be more creative in collaborative group settings, how to change organizational dynamics for the better, and how to tap into our own reserves of creativity.
He shares the results of his own acclaimed research on jazz groups, theatre ensembles, and conversation analysis, to show us how to be more creative in collaborative group settings, how to change organizational dynamics for the better, and how to tap into our own reserves of creativity.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-465-07192-0 (9780465071920)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2017
2nd Edition
Basic Books
€9.99
Available for download
Person
Keith Sawyer is an associate professor of psychology at Washington University in St Louis. He is the author of the textbook Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation, has designed video games for Atari, and lectures frequently to both academic and business audiences. He lives in St Louis, Missouri.