David Eagleman is a neuroscientist and the New York Times
bestselling author of Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain and
Sum. He is the writer and host of the Emmy–nominated PBS television
series The Brain. Eagleman is an adjunct professor at Stanford
University, a Guggenheim fellow, and the director of the Center for
Science and Law. He has written for the New York Times, Discover
Magazine, The Atlantic, Slate, Wired and many others, and he
appears regularly on National Public Radio and BBC.
Anthony Brandt is a composer and professor at Rice
University’s Shepherd School of Music. He is also Artistic Director
of the contemporary music ensemble Musiqa, winner of two
Adventurous Programming Awards from Chamber Music America and
ASCAP. Brandt has received a Koussevitzky Commission from the
Library of Congress and grants from the National Endowment for the
Arts, Meet–the–Composer and the Houston Arts Alliance. He has
co–authored papers on music cognition published in the journals
Frontiers and Brain Connectivity. Brandt has written two chamber
operas and works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, dance, theater,
film, television, and sound and art installations. He currently
lives in Houston with his wife and children.
“The authors look at art and science together to examine how
innovations—from Picasso’s initially offensive paintings to Steve
Jobs’s startling iPhone—build on what already exists and rely on
three brain operations: bending, breaking and blending. This
manifesto of sorts shows how both disciplines foster
creativity.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“The Runaway Species approach[es] creativity scientifically but
sensitively, feeling its roots without pulling them out.”
—The Economist
“Unravels the interplay of art, neuroscience and evolution, while
celebrating the special thing that is human innovation.”
—Entrepreneur
“An intriguing and riveting mélange of perspectives that
successfully delineates what creativity and innovation are about.
It is an outstanding and inspirational volume that will have a
broad and global appeal. It will categorically transport the reader
into the past and the future fusing them together as one scientific
structure, constituting an electrifying and enlightening scholarly
reading.”
—The Inquisitive Mind
“It’s a belter of a book for anyone with an interest in
neuroscience, creativity or education . . . Understanding ourselves
and our creativity is a journey that also helps us to understand
what makes us human. The Runaway Species not only makes the complex
readable, but also opens a fascinating world that exists between
predictability and surprise.”
—Business Hitchhiker
“Which inventions have had the most impact—and why? What can they
teach us about game–changing innovation? And how will science and
technology revolutionize our lives next? The rest of The Runaway
Species sheds light on these issues . . . bolstered by delightful
visuals.”
—Harvard Business Review
“Readers familiar with David Eagleman’s writing will encounter the
clever analogies that typify his style. Co–author Anthony Brandt, a
professor at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, adds rich
texture and scope to their speculations. It is not obvious what
NASA and Picasso have in common. Nor what flamboyant hairstyles,
bicycles, or stadium designs share. But the answers seem obvious
once the links are pointed out.”
—Richard E. Cytowic, New York Journal of Books
“With the pleasing pace of an extended essay, the book offers
surprises and insights at every turn, and the authors argue
convincingly that basic strategies inform most creative behavior. .
. Essential—and highly pleasurable—reading for anyone who cares
about ideas and innovation.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Art and science converge in this beautiful collaboration . . .
Divided into three parts, this inquiry covers a complicated set of
connected topics in an engaging and surprisingly accessible way . .
. Packed with vivid images, countless examples, and fun facts that
will leave readers eager to discuss it with friends, this is a
refreshing and thought–provoking book that captures both the wonder
of science and the beauty of the human spirit.”
—Booklist
“A nice and highly readable introduction for laypersons to human
creativity . . . The book is chock full of well–chosen and
interesting illustrations that greatly enhance the value of the
narrative . . . This book has many positive features. First,
writing a successful trade book on creativity is hard to do well.
Some of the books tend to be too scholarly; others are just pop
psychology with no theoretical or empirical basis . . . This book
is both scientifically strong and accessible to the public. Second,
the book is highly readable. It never gets bogged down in jargon
and is lavishly illustrated to show how its concepts can be
understood in concrete, practical terms. The book is never boring .
. . The Runaway Species is an engaging and worthwhile book. We
recommend it with enthusiasm to those interested in learning about
creativity and how it has impacted and can impact society and its
development.”
—Robert J. Sternberg, The American Journal of Psychiatry
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