How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery

Do you agree with the author’s assertion that we should not assign credit to individuals for creative work because it is inevitably based upon the work of many others? Why or why not? Do you think it would it have any effect on the motivation people have to create? What would the author say about such external motivation? 

The author discusses the work of Thomas Kuhn in his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, famous for the idea of “paradigm shifts” in the history of science. What is an example of one such paradigm shift that took place? Be sure to include the field and individuals involved, the circumstances that led to it, and how we know it was a paradigm shift. 

Chapter 6 deals with the consequences of creations, both intended and unintended. Ashton details everything that goes into producing a can of Coca-Cola, including the container, and then reviews the consequences of this. Pick a product of your own and do the same. Choose something not too complex, so you can be as thorough as possible. (A car, for example, has too many parts to track.) See how much you can learn about the raw materials and processes involved, and where they take place. Conclude with a review of the consequences: What happens as a result of producing this item? On balance, are the consequences positive or negative?

In Chapter 3, the author introduces the pioneering work of Judah Folkman on the treatment of tumors. The next chapter presents the story of Robin Warren, who researched the causes of ulcers. The work of both men received criticism initially but later proved to be true. Who is someone else in history who made a breakthrough discovery that met with initial criticism but later received approval? Provide the details of the individual, his or her research, and why people criticized the work. How did it change the thinking in the field and/or the profession’s practice?

The book’s main theme is that creating is not something reserved for the elite few but is inherent in all humans. Ashton argues against the myth that creativity is the result of a flash of insight and for the idea that creativity comes from methodically thinking through problems. Yet the fact remains that some people make discoveries and inventions while many people do not. How would the author explain this? Do you accept his premise that creating is a prosaic process available to everyone? Why or why not?

Ashton argues that individuals, and two partners, do the most creative work. Organizations more often stifle creativity. What are the reasons he gives for this? What are some examples (pick two or three not mentioned in the book) of organizations that have been creative? How did they accomplish this? What did they have in common that aided this?

Failure is an inevitable and essential part of creating. The author argues that it teaches necessary lessons. Find an example of someone who created, discovered, or invented something but only after failure of some kind. Explain the circumstances in detail and the process this individual followed. What was the failure and how was it instructive? How did this person eventually overcome it?

Think of something that no one has invented yet but you think should be. What would it do and how would it be beneficial? What has prevented people from inventing it? Be as specific as possible. Trace the origins of ideas or research that lead up to but fall short of this item. To do this, follow the process that Ashton describes: observations and evaluation, meeting and solving a problem, and repeating. What is the next problem that needs a solution in order to bring this idea to fruition?