Most things we create will not matter. This book is about creating
things that do, from a master innovator who brings science and art
together in his cutting edge labs.
Art and science are famous opposites. Contemporary innovation mostly
keeps them far apart. But in this book, David Edwards―world-renowned
inventor; Harvard professor of the practice of idea translation; creator
of breathable insulin, edible food packaging, and digital scents―reveals
that the secret to creating very new things of lasting benefit,
including innovations we will need to sustain human life on the planet,
lies in perceiving art and science as one.
Here Edwards shares how he discovered a way of creating that transcends
disciplines and incorporates the principles of aesthetics. He introduces
us to cutting-edge artists, musicians, architects, physicists,
mathematicians, engineers, chefs, choreographers, and novelists (among
others) and uncovers a three-step cycle they all share in creating
things that durably matter. This creator cycle looks unlike what we
associate with game-changing innovation today, and aligns the most
expressive art and the most revolutionary science in a radical
reimagining of how we live. David Edwards and the innovators he profiles
belong to an emerging grassroots renaissance flourishing in special
environments that we all can make in our schools, companies and homes.
Creating Things That Matter is a book for anyone wondering what
tomorrow might be, and at last half believing that what they do can make
a difference.
