As If By Design

Forget insight and genius! The many creative things we make and do generally arise from sheer chance and trial-and-error learning.

Ever wonder how the Heimlich maneuver, the butterfly stroke, or the moonwalk originated? They were not feats of genius. Basic laws of learning and behavior explain how such innovations emerged and evolved. Using real life stories, behavioral psychology, and the history of science, this book illuminates the creative process.The eureka moment is a myth. It is an altogether naïve and fanciful account of human progress. Innovations emerge from a much less mysterious combination of historical, circumstantial, and accidental influences. This book explores the origin and evolution of several important behavioral innovations including the high five, the Heimlich maneuver, the butterfly stroke, the moonwalk, and the Iowa caucus. Such creations' striking suitability to the situation and the moment appear ingeniously designed with foresight. However, more often than not, they actually arise 'as if by design.' Based on investigations into the histories of a wide range of innovations, Edward A. Wasserman reveals the nature of behavioral creativity. What surfaces is a fascinating web of causation involving three main factors: context, consequence, and coincidence. Focusing on the process rather than the product of innovation elevates behavior to the very center of the creative human endeavor.