Why do so many world-changing insights come from people with little or no related experience? Charles Darwin was a geologist when he proposed the theory of evolution. And it was an astronomer who finally explained what happened to the dinosaurs.

Frans Johansson’s The Medici Effect shows how breakthrough ideas most often occur when we bring concepts from one field into a new, unfamiliar territory, and offers examples how we can turn the ideas we discover into path-breaking innovations.

This is an excellent and well-researched book on creativity and innovation, and how they can be fostered in individuals and organizations by facilitating "intersection" of diverse disciplines, cultures, life experiences, worldviews, etc. The intersection concept is similar to concepts such as fusion, multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, cross-fertilization, liberal arts education, integrative approaches (eg, in medicine), etc.

The book is well organized and well written, with a diverse range of fascinating examples to illustrate the concepts, and therefore the book is easy and enjoyable to read.

To be sure, the book and the concept have some limitations, as other reviewers have pointed out. In particular, (a) Johansson has not provided every "how to" detail related to implementing the concepts, (b) intersection won't always work, especially if subtleties in its implementation are missed, and indeed (c) there are some circumstances where constraints make creativity and innovation essentially impossible and sometimes even undesirable, with standard solutions being more appropriate instead.

But this is a book which should be judged by what it offers, not by what it lacks, and it certainly offers a lot of valuable insights on a fundamentally important topic.

Highly recommended for people seeking to be creative and innovative, for parents thinking about their children's education and careers, and for those with a general interest in education and personal development. This book has certainly inspired me to try harder to seek intersectional ways to make use of my own diverse background and interests.

After hearing Frans Johansson speak, I purchased his book. I was very inspired by him and his work. The intersections that he talks about are not easily recognized but if you can apply this to business, your profits will soar. I highly recommend this book that combines ideas and encourages you to color outside the lines.

I think the basic premise is solid--your best chances of true innovation come from the "Intersection." It's something I had known before--I often look for lessons from other industries, to see how they apply to mine. But he expanded the concept to go beyond cross-industry pollination, to include intersections between business and biology and other less obvious combinations. The first half of the book was a real page turner. Second half slowed down--a bit of re-hashing, and overly detailed explanations for some obvious ideas. Still, overall an excellent book that I will recommend to others.

this is a quick read on where real innovation comes from. johansson contends that there are two kinds of creativity and innovation. one is linear, staying within one field of study, one body of knowledge. most companies (and people) who are trying to innovate, attempt this directional innovation. like, an engineer who tries to think up a new way of building a bridge by surveying bridges already built and thinking of a refinement or change.

johansson contends that this kind of innovation is rare, and never substantial when it happens. we're too locked into our modes of thinking, and we put up barriers to potentially innovative influences from outside the field (because they're seen as a threat or a distraction).

the second kind of innovation is intersectional. it's the stuff that comes from the intersection of two different fields of study or bodies of knowledge. this is where - the author contends - all deep and significant innovation occurs. johansson gives dozens of helpful illustrations -- like, how a knowledge of the feeding patterns of african ants helped inform truck drivers trying to find the quickest route through the swiss alps at any given time.

anyone interested in being innovative should read this book. it's a great book for a team read and discussion.

At first glance, "The Medici Effect" can seem like yet another quick-read business book that simply restates the obvious. The author's basic thesis is this: to spur innovation, we must bring people together from different backgrounds and disciplines.

Well, that seem true enough... Just visit Thomas Edison's complex at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan, for an early example of this so-called "intersection of innovation." (Museum curators have done a fantastic job reconstructing his entire laboratory.)

What saves this book from the dust pile is the author's willingness to go beyond the easy answers. Brainstorming can often fail, says Johansson, and he spells out the most common pitfalls in great detail. Likewise, he says that building a culture of innovation must include both punishments and rewards for those involved -- even if those rewards are largely intangible. "Positive failure" is another powerful concept -- the idea that failure can be encouraged, managed and optimized for faster innovation.

Johansson illustrates his main point with a dozen or more entertaining anecdotes from a wide variety of fields, ranging from neurobiology at Brown University to video games to the restaurant business.

Along the way, he provides practical guidelines for team leaders and team members alike. Johansson knows that innovation isn't limited to PhD's in white lab coats or oddball geniuses with bad teeth. All of us are capable of (at least contributing to) breakthrough innovations, given the right support system and organizational attitude.

Of all the concepts Johansson presents, I found his section on "associative barriers" to be the most interesting. Here's a quick summary: As we become more knowledgeable about a particular field, we also begin to limit our cognitive freedom to make strange, unpredictable associations. For example, if I say "police," most people would associate that word with things like crime, violence, jail, justice or lawbreakers. Relatively few would jump to other associations, such as childhood disease or solar energy. By breaking down these associative barriers, we can see new connections and find new solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

If you don't have time to read the entire book (short as it is), I strongly recommend this section. The Medicis would certainly approve.