Provides a guide to the creative strategies used by Thomas Edison, counseling inventors and entrepreneurs on how to use these steps to find success in the modern business market.

Read Sarah Miller Caldicott's posts on the Penguin Blog. Michael J. Gelb, author of the international bestseller How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, and Sarah Miller Caldicott, a descendant of Thomas Edison, introduce a revolutionary new system for successful innovation. Bestselling author Michael J. Gelb and Sarah Miller Caldicott introduce a carefully researched, easy-to-apply system of the five success secrets inspired by the creative methods of Thomas Alva Edison. The greatest innovator in American history, Edison set the stage for America’s global leadership in innovation by his focus on practical accomplishment. Now Gelb and Caldicott apply the best practices of this American genius to contemporary business situations to help today’s leaders harness their own innovative potential. Innovate Like Edison is a blueprint for success that will enable executives and entrepreneurs to revitalize their own ingenuity and thrive in today’s culture of innovation.

In this fascinating exploration of one of the most celebrated and innovative minds, best-selling author Alan Axelrod cuts through the myths and reverence surrounding Edison’s “genius” to show how the inventor was, in fact, an ordinary man who created extraordinary work. While many of us believe that creativity, like genius, is something that just happens by chance or destiny, Edison’s life demonstrates that creativity of the very highest order can indeed be summoned up at will, and even reduced to a reliable working method and set of principles.

This book develops a systematic approach to the role of failure in innovation, using the laboratory notebooks of America's most successful inventor, Thomas Edison. It argues that Edison's active pursuit of failure and innovative uses of failure as a tool were crucial to his success. From this the author argues that not only should we expect innovations to fail but that there are good reasons to want them to fail. Using Edison's laboratory notebooks, written as he worked and before he knew the outcome we see the many false starts, wrong directions and failures that he worked through on his way to producing revolutionary inventions. While Edison's strengths in exploiting failure made him the icon of American inventors, they could also be liabilities when he moved from one field to another. Not only is this book of value to readers with an interest in the history of technology and American invention, its insights are important to those who seek to innovate and to those who employ and finance them.

This inspiring and inventive guide teaches readers how to develop their full potential by following the example of the greatest genius of all time, Leonardo da Vinci. Acclaimed author Michael J. Gelb, who has helped thousands of people expand their minds to accomplish more than they ever thought possible, shows you how. Drawing on Da Vinci's notebooks, inventions, and legendary works of art, Gelb introduces Seven Da Vincian Principles—the essential elements of genius—from curiosità, the insatiably curious approach to life to connessione, the appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things. With Da Vinci as your inspiration, you will discover an exhilarating new way of thinking. And step-by-step, through exercises and provocative lessons, you will harness the power—and awesome wonder—of your own genius, mastering such life-changing abilities as: •Problem solving •Creative thinking •Self-expression •Enjoying the world around you •Goal setting and life balance •Harmonizing body and mind Drawing on Da Vinci's notebooks, inventions, and legendary works of art, acclaimed author Michael J. Gelb, introduces seven Da Vincian principles, the essential elements of genius, from curiosita, the insatiably curious approach to life, to connessione, the appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things. With Da Vinci as their inspiration, readers will discover an exhilarating new way of thinking. Step-by-step, through exercises and provocative lessons, anyone can harness the power and awesome wonder of their own genius, mastering such life-changing skills as problem solving, creative thinking, self-expression, goal setting and life balance, and harmonizing body and mind.

Dispelling the myth that innovation is invention & revolution, this text argues that innovators past & present have employed a strategy of technology brokering to source, develop & exploit new ideas. It provides a clear set of recommendations for managing the innovation process in organizations.

The must-read summary of Michael Gelb and Sarah Caldicott's book: "Innovate Like Edison: The Success System of America’s Greatest Inventor" This complete summary of the ideas from Michael Gelb and Sarah Caldicott's book "Innovate Like Edison" shows that Thomas Edison is the greatest innovator in American history: he generated a record-breaking 1,093 US patents and 1,293 international patents over 62 successive years. He founded the world’s first research lab and General Electric. These have formed the basis of some of today’s billion dollar industries. This summary shows the results of the research of Edison’s competencies and strategies. It suggests that his exceptional innovations skills are based on five competencies and twenty-five best practices. It recommends such strategies as developing a solution-centered mindset, harnessing mastermind collaboration and focusing intensively on creating value. These general suggestions are broken down into practical measures: it explains how to create the best multi-disciplinary teams, and why you should recruit the best possible people. They believe in rewarding collaborators generously, and discuss the best ways to network. "Innovate like Edison" also includes tactical, long-term advice, such as when to consider up-scaling. Added-value of this summary: • Save time • Understand key concepts • Increase your business knowledge To learn more, read "Innovate Like Edison" and discover Thomas Edison's systemic approach, and how to implement it.