Your Creative Mind

INTRODUCTION

WE’VE ALL READ ABOUT the legendary inventors, scientists, and designers whose discoveries changed the world forever. And the way the stories go, many of their brilliant insights seemed like destiny: James Watt got the idea for the steam engine from watching his mother’s tea kettle boil on the stove; Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin when a petri dish was accidentally left open all night; and we all remember the legend about Sir Isaac Newton and the apple.

Whatever actually led to each of those defining moments, for centuries we have made certain assumptions about the men and women whose ingenuity still inspires us today. Although their biographies reveal admirable work ethic and perseverance, we presumed that they were also ...