(Guest review by Paul)
In The Myths of Innovation (TMOI), Scott Berkun lays out six concepts that motivate innovation:
GG&S is more broadly about how and why Europeans emerged as the most powerful cultural force on Earth. Europeans are not inherently better than other societies, Diamond argues; rather, Europeans lucked out in their environment and location relative to other societies, notably those in the Middle and Far East. Innovation and the resulting technological advantage were key to the Europeans' success. Innovation was so important, in fact, that an entire chapter is devoted to the concept (Chapter 13: Necessity's Mother).
Societal factors of innovation
Diamond begins by challenging the notion that necessity is the mother of invention. With a few examples, he turns the notion on its head: "...invention is often the mother of necessity, rather than vice versa." He suggests that invention or technology — his words for innovation — are rarely the work of a single individual. In fact, invention is the embodiment of an accumulation of a lifetime, or multiple lifetimes, of knowledge. "My two main conclusions are that technology develops cumulatively, rather than in isolated acts, and that it finds most of its uses after it has been invented, rather than being invented to meet a foreseen need."
GG&S identifies four factors required to turn an interesting toy into a widely used technology:
- Hard work in a specific direction
- Hard work with direction change
- Curiosity
- Wealth/money
- Necessity
- Combination
GG&S is more broadly about how and why Europeans emerged as the most powerful cultural force on Earth. Europeans are not inherently better than other societies, Diamond argues; rather, Europeans lucked out in their environment and location relative to other societies, notably those in the Middle and Far East. Innovation and the resulting technological advantage were key to the Europeans' success. Innovation was so important, in fact, that an entire chapter is devoted to the concept (Chapter 13: Necessity's Mother).
Societal factors of innovation
Diamond begins by challenging the notion that necessity is the mother of invention. With a few examples, he turns the notion on its head: "...invention is often the mother of necessity, rather than vice versa." He suggests that invention or technology — his words for innovation — are rarely the work of a single individual. In fact, invention is the embodiment of an accumulation of a lifetime, or multiple lifetimes, of knowledge. "My two main conclusions are that technology develops cumulatively, rather than in isolated acts, and that it finds most of its uses after it has been invented, rather than being invented to meet a foreseen need."
GG&S identifies four factors required to turn an interesting toy into a widely used technology:
- The innovation must impart a relative economic advantage;
- be of sufficient social value to offset any economic detriment;
- be compatible with current "vested interests" (why the QWERTY keyboard remains dominant, even today); and
- the advantages of the innovation must be easily observed.
The notion that some societies are naturally better innovators then others is dispensed with quickly; the key is how readily a society accepts a new invention. As TMOI also makes abundantly clear, innovation is not easy. It is much better to adopt a current innovation than to reinvent one from scratch. In fact, a useful innovation virtually forces itself upon a society. A society either recognizes the value of the innovation, or it becomes overwhelmed by a neighboring society possessing the innovation — a sort of societal darwinism.
The role of climate in innovative diffusion
Europe was lucky, in this respect, because it was relatively easy for technologies to be traded from East to West and back again. Since Eurasia extends along an east-west (or longitudinal) axis, crops and agricultural technology could be transmitted at any point along this relatively homogeneous climate. Crops and techniques that are successful in Turkey stand a reasonable chance at being succeeding in China, for example. This, in turn, allowed for a sedentary life to begin, leading to specialization and innovation.
Contrast this with the difficulties in trading along the north-south (latitudinal) axis of the Americas. Not only did the dramatic change in climate from North to South America hinder the transmission of suitable crops, the narrow isthmus of Panama became a bottleneck, preventing facile trade between the two continents. Africa also had a north-south axis, and was dramatically barred from Eurasia by the Sahara. So we see, for instance, North America with the wheel but no beasts of burden, while South America had beasts of burden but not the wheel. Europe and China had both, because the horse could move east and the wheel could move west with relative ease.
As Europe and China traded innovations, they became technologically advanced. Technology begets technology, as a critical mass of wealth, necessity, and collaboration is achieved. "Hence, all other things being equal, technology develops fastest in large productive regions with large human populations, many potential inventors, and many competing societies." These conclusions contrast sharply with the paternalistic colonialism with which Western powers conquered and subjugated Africa, Australia and the Americas.
Two views of innovation
Whereas TMOI emphasizes the decisions, considerations and compromises that innovators and companies must make with regard to an innovation, GG&S explores the macro factors that lead societies to innovate. As two peas in the innovation pod, The Myths Of Innovation and Guns, Germs, and Steel offer opinions on innovation that are at once differing and complementary in scope.
The role of climate in innovative diffusion
Europe was lucky, in this respect, because it was relatively easy for technologies to be traded from East to West and back again. Since Eurasia extends along an east-west (or longitudinal) axis, crops and agricultural technology could be transmitted at any point along this relatively homogeneous climate. Crops and techniques that are successful in Turkey stand a reasonable chance at being succeeding in China, for example. This, in turn, allowed for a sedentary life to begin, leading to specialization and innovation.
Contrast this with the difficulties in trading along the north-south (latitudinal) axis of the Americas. Not only did the dramatic change in climate from North to South America hinder the transmission of suitable crops, the narrow isthmus of Panama became a bottleneck, preventing facile trade between the two continents. Africa also had a north-south axis, and was dramatically barred from Eurasia by the Sahara. So we see, for instance, North America with the wheel but no beasts of burden, while South America had beasts of burden but not the wheel. Europe and China had both, because the horse could move east and the wheel could move west with relative ease.
As Europe and China traded innovations, they became technologically advanced. Technology begets technology, as a critical mass of wealth, necessity, and collaboration is achieved. "Hence, all other things being equal, technology develops fastest in large productive regions with large human populations, many potential inventors, and many competing societies." These conclusions contrast sharply with the paternalistic colonialism with which Western powers conquered and subjugated Africa, Australia and the Americas.
Two views of innovation
Whereas TMOI emphasizes the decisions, considerations and compromises that innovators and companies must make with regard to an innovation, GG&S explores the macro factors that lead societies to innovate. As two peas in the innovation pod, The Myths Of Innovation and Guns, Germs, and Steel offer opinions on innovation that are at once differing and complementary in scope.
by Cormac McCarthy. Posts about this book: