Penny, The Review Group's reviewer Penny for Your ThoughtsThe Review Group
Self-help ✦ Penny’s Take

Where Good Ideas Come from

Steven Johnson Β· 2011
82/100
πŸ‘ Worth It

Steven Johnson is one of the best science-writing storytellers working, and the seven innovation patterns he identifies here, from the adjacent possible to slow hunches, have proven durable enough to enter business and design vocabulary since 2010. The NYT bestseller status and cross-disciplinary historical examples make it accessible and genuinely stimulating. Readers already deep in complexity theory may find it introductory, but for most adults it's an excellent, thought-expanding read.

✦ Penny’s Take β€” this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read β€” not a page-by-page personal one. The gold βœ“ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety95
substance80
craft84
originality78
accuracy80
hype72
age-fit85
human-eye82
Penny’s verdict82
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