Oooh, fabulous book from Matt Ridley. Duncurin was fortunate recently to review a book by Brian Greene (Until the End of Time). My criticism of that book was that it failed to illustrate how special, how fascinating and how complex we humans can be - as well as of course, at times, demonstrating lesser qualities! No such concerns with this amazing book as the fascination, the wonder keeps coming page after page as one feverishly and excitedly turns to the next. Not that Matt Ridley is not also fully conversant with so many technical discussions and I particularly liked his words on fertiliser, heat to work, g/W, nought/zero, gene editing and so many other examples that I will leave for you to discover for yourselves. In between such wonderful subjects there are also fascinating facts scattered liberally, and obviously garnered after painstaking research, such as Ericsson’s contra-rotating propeller. More than this, the book has a facilitative, ‘can do’ rich seam running throughout and such a stance is the perfect antidote for these troubled days where constant sniping of the efforts of others is the norm together with a negativism that seems to extend in every field of human endeavour.
Much of the narrative is laid down under the umbrella of human innovation and of course the author clarifies that he is not talking of invention and illustrates this with numerous examples of how sometimes independent and at times collaborative efforts came up with the same results as others and steadily and incrementally improved upon what had come before. It’s also true that in talking of human innovation we are in reality also talking of many and varied human facets all of which contribute to the central thesis of innovation. Thus, if we took as an example of penicillin mold growing on a petri dish. First, we would have to see it. Then we’d have to recognise exactly what we’ve seen, then we’d have to guess or postulate why we are seeing what we see and then we’d have to find a way or an experiment to clarify whether our assumptions fit this picture. This in turn relies on so many human qualities: the restless spirit, the enquiring mind, the ability to see behind a given problem, to try and to test and ultimately to devise a way of proving what we’ve hitherto guessed at.
I was a bit unsure about the author’s assertion that we must be free to speculate and experiment and that war or hardship is not a particularly great driver of innovation. Though I’d fully agree that one is more likely to be innovative if looking at financial or social success than have Stalin threatening to send you to the gulag if you don’t reverse engineer that Rolls-Royce jet engine in double-quick time! Although the author deconstructs arguments such as wartime driving the development of radar for instance, there are many other examples where humans under pressure delivered admirably such as the creation of the first Dreadnought in just about a year, the Hedgehog (mortar), squid, the longbow and of course the Firefly (tank) all made in a hurry when Britain’s back was to the wall. Furthermore, so many prime movers in the innovation stakes were themselves touched by personal difficulty, adversity which perhaps in turn made them more receptive to the forces of innovation.
I’m also delighted that the author came down firmly with the assertion that poverty is falling, as it is, not just in the UK but across the world and I’m sure that innovation has a great role to play in this continuing at a rapid and ever-increasing rate.
I also liked the discussion of some older disruptive beliefs; for instance that potatoes were ungodly and sadly such preconceptions abound today in all societies whether we talk of ground rhino horn as being good for us or the latest crackpot to call out some vaccination or other as giving all our kids autism which then takes years and years for us to turn round while the poor kids become badly damaged by whooping cough and measles, and still does!, all of which could have been prevented by such charlatans in keeping their mouths shut.
Other quick thoughts before I leave you to enjoy this fabulous book:
I wonder if blockchain shows more promise with warehousing and logistics than in finance.
Coffee has been proven to extend one’s lifespan- at least 2 cups a day.
The Duke of Wellington opened Eccles Station.
I would have thought Tim Berners-Lee should have had a bit more of a mention.
The first are indeed not always the best. Zantac and Lipitor became the world’s most profitable drugs though neither were first.
When I qualified, heart failure was regarded as a terminal condition. Then came some fabulous drugs such as Ace Inhibitors and more which turned this condition around.
I’ll believe in self-driving cars when I have seen one get through the Worsley Interchange at 8am.
French ships were generally regarded as being of a superior innovative design to the slower British efforts, but rapid rate of fire, bravery, daring and an acceptance of staring into the barrel of a gun literally - brought success.
Never dismiss pure luck and chance, Viagra was initially developed in Sandwich in Kent as a blood pressure pill !
At one lecture I was lucky to be present, the cardiologist said that we all have two jobs. One is our normal day job and the other is the job that we all have - a duty and responsibility to improve the way and how we work.
A nice discussion about the tendency of some areas to over-regulation and unfair assessments of one country's vacuum cleaners over another. Also, towards the end, the author seeks some of the reasons that stifle innovation. Lack of entrepreneurial veuve, willingness to take risks and a blame game culture are high up there. The airline industry has a no blame culture, ‘let’s move on’ whilst I have seen so many medical professionals be destroyed by mistakes that are there for all of us but for the grace of God. Humans need to make mistakes to move on.
Lastly, although the book is rich with what I shall call ‘human content’ remember that there are higher levels of human magnificence that we can all aspire to, that extend above and beyond our ability to innovate or otherwise – though of course few of us are about to change the world! I’m not even talking of the obvious ones like love or faith either. Some years ago, a lady came to see me who had a responsible job at our local hospital. She told me that she was sorry to trouble me but her friend had just died of pancreatic cancer and since that time her tummy did not feel right. I put her up on the couch and organised blood tests all of which were normal. She returned saying that she could still feel that something wasn’t right. I sent her off for an ultrasound scan of her pancreas and other abdominal organs. This too was normal and she returned once again apologising but saying that she felt no better. I told her that I was happy to keep going until I ran out of ideas and sent her off for a gastroscopy. There on the lesser curve of her stomach was the tiniest gastric cancer. This was at a very early stage and meant that she had an excellent chance of a full recovery. The female surgeon thanked me for referring her so early and so promptly. In reality, however, I had nothing to do with saving her. It was a particularly powerful and wonderful human trait that we all have and can cultivate and which, in my view, rises above our ability to innovate. The stomach cancer was so small there was no way that she could have felt it. Ultimately instinct had brought her to me and this is what had saved her. I just listened to her and put the tools in her hands. She saved herself by her own instinct. Learn its ways and use it wisely – this book is a good start. Enjoy.
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How Innovation Works Hardcover – 25 Jun. 2020
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Review
‘How Innovation Works is an entertaining attempt to explore what innovation is, how it works and why it is resisted… Packed with insightful examples… The book is also engaging on how new innovations often spark resistance.’ John Thornhill, Financial Times
‘An insightful and charming exploration of questions that range from the truly profound (How does our species capture energy to stave off decay and death?) to the merely fascinating (Why did it take us so long to invent the wheeled suitcase?)’ Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor, Harvard University, and author of Enlightenment Now
‘From the Stone Age to smartphones and from farming to fission, Matt Ridley demonstrates with a plethora of examples how innovation has changed and, for the most part, improved the human condition, despite repeated resistance and frequent failure. Given the freedom of thought that innovation needs, he argues, we can ensure the survival of the planet. We abandon it or constrain it at our peril’ Sir Tim Laurence, Chairman of English Heritage
‘In this insightful and delightful book, Matt Ridley explores the wondrous causes of innovation, the force that drives our modern economy. He shows that it’s a team sport, but one that features many colourful stars. It’s a joy to tag along with him as he mines the history of human advances to discover nuggets of useful lessons’ Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs
‘A compelling case for free enterprise and free trade and the power of serendipity.’ Liz Truss MP, Secretary of State for International Trade
About the Author
Matt Ridley is the author of The Rational Optimist, The Evolution of Everything, The Red Queen and Genome, among other books on science and economics. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages and he has been a columnist for the Telegraph, The Times and the Wall Street Journal. He sits on the science and technology select committee of the House of Lords.