Making Connections by Elan

Making Connections by Elan - July 2013 Scholarship Essay

A good book tells a story or provides information; a great book leaves an impact. Steven Johnson's Where Good Ideas Come From left more of an impact on how I think than any other book I have read. The book deals with the entrepreneurial minded to help them think. It's not a bunch of stories or one story; it's not a list of things that work; it explains how to find ideas relevant to your own mind. It begins at a scientific level with the connections between neurons and how that affects ideas. When the brain comes up with an idea millions of these neurons fire off completely randomly with utter chaos. Most great ideas are established in similar connections. The chaos and randomness contributes to ingenuity. It is rare that one will come up with an idea solely on their own in the lab, but when that same individual is taken into the boardroom to discuss their findings with coworkers all of the sudden a sea of information floods their mind with ideas. Great ideas are created during thoughtful discussion, even if what is being said is only relevant to one person. Johnson labels innovation into four quadrants, and the fourth is the most productive throughout history. The fourth quadrant is made up of non-market/networked innovations; showing that the more connections made the greater chances of achieving a great idea.