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Creativity in Science: Chance, Logic, Genius, and Zeitgeist

4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

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Where do major scientific breakthroughs come from? Do they arise from the logic of the scientific method, or do they result from flashes of genius? Are they the products of some mysterious zeitgeist, or spirit of the times, or do they emerge from chance or serendipity? Dean Simonton provides an answer, not by choosing one explanation and ignoring the others, but rather by unifying all four perspectives into a single theory in which chance plays the primary role, but with the significant involvement of logic, genius and zeitgeist.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This engaging and insightful book explores the four candidates that traditionally have been suggested to explain creativity in science. Recommended."
-R.M. Davis, Albion College, CHOICE

"Simonton is a very clear writer, and the empirical support he marshals is impressive. Although the book begins with an advisement of mathematical formulae to be used, Simonton does not bog the reader down with equations. Instead, he affirms the superiority of the change approach as an overarching explanation to scientific creativity with a thorough account of how the causal predictions based on the logic, genius, and zeitgeist perspectives ultimately contradict available data."
-Christopher H. Ramey, Department of Psychology, Florida Southern College, Philosophical Psychology

Book Description

Chance, logic, genius, and zeitgeist perspectives are integrated into a theory of creativity in science.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press (May 3, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 234 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 052154369X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521543699
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.99 x 0.59 x 9.01 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

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Dean Keith Simonton
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4 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2009
    Simonton is a lucid thinker and lucid writer, so I found this book a delight to read, though it's a challenging delight because it reads much like a PhD thesis, with careful reasoning, abundant use of empirical data, and more quantitative analysis than one might have expected.

    But that rigor is worth dealing with because many of Simonton's conclusions turn out to be counterintuitive. What is his central conclusion? In a sophisticated way, Simonton makes a strong case that chance (luck) is the dominant factor in scientific creativity and success, while also recognizing the supporting roles of genius (inborn ability), zeitgeist (culture), and logic (basic knowledge of one's scientific domain and its rules of inference).

    Yet Simonton also notes that "chance" isn't strictly random and out of our control, since the odds of coming up with important results can be increased by factors such as hard work (eg, increasing number of papers published), exposure to diverse and numerous influences, and fostering an iconoclastic attitude (willingness to think "outside the box," in opposition to prevailing paradigms).

    To place this book in a more "popular" context, please see my December 30, 2008 review of Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell.

    The bottom line is that I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in creativity and success in science, both at individual and group levels. The book requires sustained concentration, but the effort is well worth it. This book itself exemplifies creative and successful scientific work!
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2024
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2014
    perfect in every way
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2023
    This is a great research piece on creativity within the research fields of science. It leaves me knowing not to give up on trying to do great works in science.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • DanielJ
    5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2013
    This book is enjoyable and inspirational. If you in science/ academia and need a book to boost your motivation... buy this!
  • 3.0 out of 5 stars 科学的大発見の要因に関する既存見解をことごとく粉砕!
    Reviewed in Japan on March 5, 2011
    創造性の心理学研究の泰斗サイモントン博士の筆になる本書は、科学的創造性をめぐる博士の考察の集大成。科学史上の大発見の心理学的、あるいは社会学的メカニズムに関する既存の諸見解を徹底的に粉砕してくれます。

    大発見は、天与の才のおかげではないし、時代が作り出したわけでもない、と。サイモントン博士が最終的にたどり着いた見解は「偶然Chance」。
    科学的大発見は、パーソナリティから時代状況にいたるまでの種種雑多な要因がたまたまうまく結合した結果にすぎない、と。

    個々の要因単体ではダメで、要因間の組み合わせがたまたま(=偶然)成立したときにのみ発見はなされるという、この「Chance Theory」、正直なところ、分野を問わず「多要因仮説」一般にありがちな、あまり面白くない結論ではありますが、間違った結論ではないことも確かでしょう。創造性の議論にありがちだった非常に主観的で雑駁な議論は一切なしで、統計を駆使して厳密に諸仮説を検証していく本書のストイックな姿勢は、創造性研究が成熟した学術的研究分野になってきている証拠だとは感じます。