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Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers
How to Innovate: An Ancient Guide to Creative Thinking
What we can learn about fostering innovation and creative thinking from some of the most inventive people of all times--the ancient Greeks
When it comes to innovation and creative thinking, we are still catching up with the ancient Greeks. Between 800 and 300 BCE, they changed the world with astonishing inventions--democracy, the alphabet, philosophy, logic, rhetoric, mathematical proof, rational medicine, coins, architectural canons, drama, lifelike sculpture, and competitive athletics. None of this happened by accident. Recognizing the power of the new and trying to understand and promote the conditions that make it possible, the Greeks were the first to write about innovation and even the first to record a word for forging something new. In short, the Greeks "invented" innovation itself--and they still have a great deal to teach us about it.
How to Innovate is an engaging and entertaining introduction to key ideas about--and examples of--innovation and creative thinking from ancient Greece. Armand D'Angour provides lively new translations of selections from Aristotle, Diodorus, and Athenaeus, with the original Greek text on facing pages. These writings illuminate and illustrate timeless principles of creating something new--borrowing or adapting existing ideas or things, cross-fertilizing disparate elements, or criticizing and disrupting current conditions.
From the true story of Archimedes's famous "Eureka!" moment, to Aristotle's thoughts on physical change and political innovation, to accounts of how disruption and competition drove invention in Greek warfare and the visual arts, How to Innovate is filled with valuable insights about how change happens--and how to bring it about.
When it comes to innovation and creative thinking, we are still catching up with the ancient Greeks. Between 800 and 300 BCE, they changed the world with astonishing inventions--democracy, the alphabet, philosophy, logic, rhetoric, mathematical proof, rational medicine, coins, architectural canons, drama, lifelike sculpture, and competitive athletics. None of this happened by accident. Recognizing the power of the new and trying to understand and promote the conditions that make it possible, the Greeks were the first to write about innovation and even the first to record a word for forging something new. In short, the Greeks "invented" innovation itself--and they still have a great deal to teach us about it.
How to Innovate is an engaging and entertaining introduction to key ideas about--and examples of--innovation and creative thinking from ancient Greece. Armand D'Angour provides lively new translations of selections from Aristotle, Diodorus, and Athenaeus, with the original Greek text on facing pages. These writings illuminate and illustrate timeless principles of creating something new--borrowing or adapting existing ideas or things, cross-fertilizing disparate elements, or criticizing and disrupting current conditions.
From the true story of Archimedes's famous "Eureka!" moment, to Aristotle's thoughts on physical change and political innovation, to accounts of how disruption and competition drove invention in Greek warfare and the visual arts, How to Innovate is filled with valuable insights about how change happens--and how to bring it about.
168 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
18 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
About the author
Aristotle
4,333 books5,553 followersAristotle (Greek: Αριστοτέλης; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, and the arts. As the founder of the Peripatetic school of philosophy in the Lyceum in Athens, he began the wider Aristotelian tradition that followed, which set the groundwork for the development of modern science.
Little is known about Aristotle's life. He was born in the city of Stagira in northern Greece during the Classical period. His father, Nicomachus, died when Aristotle was a child, and he was brought up by a guardian. At 17 or 18, he joined Plato's Academy in Athens and remained there until the age of 37 (c. 347 BC). Shortly after Plato died, Aristotle left Athens and, at the request of Philip II of Macedon, tutored his son Alexander the Great beginning in 343 BC. He established a library in the Lyceum, which helped him to produce many of his hundreds of books on papyrus scrolls.
Though Aristotle wrote many treatises and dialogues for publication, only around a third of his original output has survived, none of it intended for publication. Aristotle provided a complex synthesis of the various philosophies existing prior to him. His teachings and methods of inquiry have had a significant impact across the world, and remain a subject of contemporary philosophical discussion.
Aristotle's views profoundly shaped medieval scholarship. The influence of his physical science extended from late antiquity and the Early Middle Ages into the Renaissance, and was not replaced systematically until the Enlightenment and theories such as classical mechanics were developed. He influenced Judeo-Islamic philosophies during the Middle Ages, as well as Christian theology, especially the Neoplatonism of the Early Church and the scholastic tradition of the Catholic Church.
Aristotle was revered among medieval Muslim scholars as "The First Teacher", and among medieval Christians like Thomas Aquinas as simply "The Philosopher", while the poet Dante Alighieri called him "the master of those who know". His works contain the earliest known formal study of logic, and were studied by medieval scholars such as Pierre Abélard and Jean Buridan. Aristotle's influence on logic continued well into the 19th century. In addition, his ethics, although always influential, gained renewed interest with the modern advent of virtue ethics.
Little is known about Aristotle's life. He was born in the city of Stagira in northern Greece during the Classical period. His father, Nicomachus, died when Aristotle was a child, and he was brought up by a guardian. At 17 or 18, he joined Plato's Academy in Athens and remained there until the age of 37 (c. 347 BC). Shortly after Plato died, Aristotle left Athens and, at the request of Philip II of Macedon, tutored his son Alexander the Great beginning in 343 BC. He established a library in the Lyceum, which helped him to produce many of his hundreds of books on papyrus scrolls.
Though Aristotle wrote many treatises and dialogues for publication, only around a third of his original output has survived, none of it intended for publication. Aristotle provided a complex synthesis of the various philosophies existing prior to him. His teachings and methods of inquiry have had a significant impact across the world, and remain a subject of contemporary philosophical discussion.
Aristotle's views profoundly shaped medieval scholarship. The influence of his physical science extended from late antiquity and the Early Middle Ages into the Renaissance, and was not replaced systematically until the Enlightenment and theories such as classical mechanics were developed. He influenced Judeo-Islamic philosophies during the Middle Ages, as well as Christian theology, especially the Neoplatonism of the Early Church and the scholastic tradition of the Catholic Church.
Aristotle was revered among medieval Muslim scholars as "The First Teacher", and among medieval Christians like Thomas Aquinas as simply "The Philosopher", while the poet Dante Alighieri called him "the master of those who know". His works contain the earliest known formal study of logic, and were studied by medieval scholars such as Pierre Abélard and Jean Buridan. Aristotle's influence on logic continued well into the 19th century. In addition, his ethics, although always influential, gained renewed interest with the modern advent of virtue ethics.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 30, 2022
An odd little essay-length book that bills itself as something it's not quite: A text that uses ancient philosophers to get at present-day challenges. The introductions to the extended translations from Aristotle, etc., were intriguing enough, but didn't provide much meat on the bones. And the translations themselves, which I suppose were the purpose of the book, seemed to me too out of context and at times irrelevant to the topic at hand (like the extended passage on the massive scale of an ancient warship). Wouldn't recommend it except perhaps to a classics fan.
July 12, 2024
umm? I mean I learned something, but I didn’t learn what I thought I would learn… I feel like the translations from texts written by ancient philosophers, although interesting in themselves, felt so off topic. I truthfully didn’t understand the point of some of the texts that were translated. If u want to learn some random facts that have ~something~ to do with innovation and creativity, you could pick this up, but don’t expect this to give you anything substantial :(
November 13, 2024
I enjoyed the book. It's simply a short study into leaders in the Ancient world from an Ancient perspective. Luctra is mentioned as a battle that required thinking outside the box for the time.
Successful people simply see the world differently. Luckily, I have changed my association over the last year, and it has been a huge change in my life. There are a lot of good nuggets to pull from this short text.
Successful people simply see the world differently. Luckily, I have changed my association over the last year, and it has been a huge change in my life. There are a lot of good nuggets to pull from this short text.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2024
Given that the ancient Greeks are credited with inventing philosophy, democracy, logic, rhetoric, drama, and competitive athletics, they must surely be able to offer plenty of inspiration on how to be innovative. The book’s subtitle promises “an ancient guide to creative thinking”, and while a translation of essays by Aristotle may sound rather dry, the cover illustration of Archimedes in the bath hints at a lively approach to the subject, and it is presented in an informative and accessible style.
Archimedes was reportedly so enthused by his immersive experience that he shouted “Eureka!” and leapt from the bath towel-less in his haste to reveal all to the world. His discovery, which states that “an immersed object is buoyed by a force equal to the weight of fluid it displaces” became known as the Archimedes principle and had practical applications in ship-building.
This is a good example of a discovery which has captured the public imagination: I know of two women who once resolved a drunken dispute over the relative size of their breasts by comparing measurements through the displacement of water.
The ancient Greeks introduced the concept of philosophy, meaning a love of wisdom, and investigated the nature of the universe and the elements underlying all creation. Thales was the first to propose water as the element most essential to life (well ahead of the modern theory that life first originated in a “primordial soup”.) Anaximenes identified air as being most essential, while Heraclitus suggested fire. They were all right, in their own way, since oxygen, sunlight and water are vital for the existence of life. Empedocles first proposed the existence of four elements of earth, air, water and fire around 450BC, a theory later developed by Aristotle.
The author argues that the same premise may be applied to the creative process: “Just as water is a condition for the flourishing of life, the right conditions are needed for creativity to flourish”. These are identified as the freedom and resources to think creatively, the ability to disseminate ideas with ease and rapidity, and the presence of personal, social and financial incentives.
The translations from Aristotle are in dual language format, with the original Greek alongside the English; a useful layout for any scholars of the language. Chapter 5 is largely dedicated to an extract from Aristotle's Politics Book 2. There are also translations from the historian Diodorus and the author Athanaeus, who describes the construction of a huge ship built by king Hieron of Syracuse, a project overseen by Archimedes. Complete with a library, boardwalks, statues, paintings and mosaic floors, the Syracuse was effectively a floating palace to rival any modern-day cruise liner.
The book touches on the wide scope of innovation prevalent in this ancient culture and offers snippets of information to inspire us. It’s often said that there is nothing new under the sun, but there are always other windows onto the world, past and present, which may reveal something to surprise us.
As the philosopher Heraclitus puts it: “Expect the unexpected, or you will not achieve it.”
Archimedes was reportedly so enthused by his immersive experience that he shouted “Eureka!” and leapt from the bath towel-less in his haste to reveal all to the world. His discovery, which states that “an immersed object is buoyed by a force equal to the weight of fluid it displaces” became known as the Archimedes principle and had practical applications in ship-building.
This is a good example of a discovery which has captured the public imagination: I know of two women who once resolved a drunken dispute over the relative size of their breasts by comparing measurements through the displacement of water.
The ancient Greeks introduced the concept of philosophy, meaning a love of wisdom, and investigated the nature of the universe and the elements underlying all creation. Thales was the first to propose water as the element most essential to life (well ahead of the modern theory that life first originated in a “primordial soup”.) Anaximenes identified air as being most essential, while Heraclitus suggested fire. They were all right, in their own way, since oxygen, sunlight and water are vital for the existence of life. Empedocles first proposed the existence of four elements of earth, air, water and fire around 450BC, a theory later developed by Aristotle.
The author argues that the same premise may be applied to the creative process: “Just as water is a condition for the flourishing of life, the right conditions are needed for creativity to flourish”. These are identified as the freedom and resources to think creatively, the ability to disseminate ideas with ease and rapidity, and the presence of personal, social and financial incentives.
The translations from Aristotle are in dual language format, with the original Greek alongside the English; a useful layout for any scholars of the language. Chapter 5 is largely dedicated to an extract from Aristotle's Politics Book 2. There are also translations from the historian Diodorus and the author Athanaeus, who describes the construction of a huge ship built by king Hieron of Syracuse, a project overseen by Archimedes. Complete with a library, boardwalks, statues, paintings and mosaic floors, the Syracuse was effectively a floating palace to rival any modern-day cruise liner.
The book touches on the wide scope of innovation prevalent in this ancient culture and offers snippets of information to inspire us. It’s often said that there is nothing new under the sun, but there are always other windows onto the world, past and present, which may reveal something to surprise us.
As the philosopher Heraclitus puts it: “Expect the unexpected, or you will not achieve it.”
February 24, 2024
The ancient Greeks have a reputation for not being innovators. Which is rather odd, given that they invented the very word, kainotomia, which was used by the dramatist Aristophanes back in the 5th century BCE. They also invented the alphabet (borrowing and adapting from the Phoenicians), philosophy, logic, rhetoric, mathematical proof, theatrical drama, evidence-based medicine, monetary coinage, lifelike sculpture, competitive athletics, architectural canons, the self-governing city-state, and, oh right, democracy! So it's a very good thing that Armand D'Angour translated in this new book a crucial piece of writing by Aristotle on innovation, from the first book of his Physics, as well as a number of other short essays that explore different aspects of the phenomenon. One is about Archimedes's famous "Eureka!" moment, which came as a result of the decision by Hieron of Syracuse to build the largest ship of antiquity, the Syracusia. Another concerns the principle of disruption, exemplified by a brilliant, innovative strategy deployed by the Theban general Epaminondas, which led to a stunning defeat of the Spartans and inaugurated an era of political and military dominance for Thebes. The final essay concerns the benefits of competition, exemplified by Dionysius I of Syracuse organizing a contest for the development of new weaponry, which resulted, among other things, in the invention of the catapult. A must read book in the ongoing Princeton Press' series, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers.
December 9, 2024
Unlike several of the other books in this series, this was "present a core argument and use extended quotes from classical authors to support the argument" vs "explore a historical writer's work in modern context". The only really new part for me was learning about the Syracusia, the largest transport ship of antiquity, which only sailed once, was massively complex and innovative, and too big for all but one port -- basically the Spruce Goose of the classical period. There was a lot of other description of Archimedes other work too (which I already had known), and overall this isn't bad, just not really successful at teaching how to innovate.
November 29, 2021
Wanting more
This work summarized important activities and ideas about innovation and change in antiquity. Focusing on Aristotle was interesting, especially this criticism of the proposals presented by others. The question of equity seems to occupy the creative investments of the late antiquity thinkers. But why is equality important for creativity and innovation? Good summary but I was left wanting more.
This work summarized important activities and ideas about innovation and change in antiquity. Focusing on Aristotle was interesting, especially this criticism of the proposals presented by others. The question of equity seems to occupy the creative investments of the late antiquity thinkers. But why is equality important for creativity and innovation? Good summary but I was left wanting more.
January 15, 2025
The main way I innovate is in my daily life. Most of the innovations are minor. I make small changes in the way I ride my bike, or swim, or teach a class. The innovations just seem to occur to me, I don’t often set out to change the way I live. I think the same thing happens to most people, but they may not be aware of it.
March 26, 2025
Nice little book and translation. A bit short, but the text contains interesting information on innovation.
Aristotle waxes about how to seed innovation and creativity. Different chapters focus on innovations in various fields ( government, military, inventions etc) this book goes a long way to disprove the misnomer that ancient Greeks were not innovative!
Aristotle waxes about how to seed innovation and creativity. Different chapters focus on innovations in various fields ( government, military, inventions etc) this book goes a long way to disprove the misnomer that ancient Greeks were not innovative!
May 30, 2025
This was a good overview of some of Aristotle's writings concerning creative thought and critical thinking. I also appreciated the discussions of various forms of government. it was interesting to read about the communist styles of government that were proposed by some of the ancient thinkers. This returns to Marcus Aurelius when he said that everything that is happening has happened before.
January 9, 2022
Continuing my reading in the series. This was informative but not as thorough as others I have read. The editor’s comments made the treatise accessible. I wanted more and the value of this small volume is that it will force me innvate my study habits. So, I shall read more Aristotle!
December 27, 2022
This book is less of a “guide” and more of a simple exploration of some specific examples of innovation in Ancient Greece by Aristotle and others. It was well written with a consistent structure between chapters. A short and easy read.
February 2, 2022
It didn't reveal anything groundbreaking that I was missing. Although I did enjoy the section at the end with Aristotle Criticising different political theories at the end.
December 31, 2022
Book about how the Greeks innovated-focusing on adaptation, cross-fertilization, and disruption.
February 13, 2023
3,5/5 curtinho, não amei, mas tbm não odiei
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October 16, 2023δῆλον ὄτι Ιt was really exciting to finally read book II of the politics in greek
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews