Preview
  • How to Fly a Horse

  • The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery
  • By: Kevin Ashton
  • Narrated by: Kevin Ashton
  • Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (513 ratings)

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How to Fly a Horse

By: Kevin Ashton
Narrated by: Kevin Ashton
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Publisher's summary

As a technology pioneer at MIT and as the leader of three successful start-ups, Kevin Ashton experienced firsthand the all-consuming challenge of creating something new. Now, in a tour-de-force narrative 20 years in the making, Ashton leads us on a journey through humanity's greatest creations to uncover the surprising truth behind who creates and how they do it. From the crystallographer's laboratory where the secrets of DNA were first revealed by a long forgotten woman, to the electromagnetic chamber where the stealth bomber was born on a twenty-five-cent bet, to the Ohio bicycle shop where the Wright brothers set out to "fly a horse"; Ashton showcases the seemingly unremarkable individuals, gradual steps, multiple failures, and countless ordinary and usually uncredited acts that lead to our most astounding breakthroughs.

Creators, he shows, apply in particular ways the everyday, ordinary thinking of which we are all capable, taking thousands of small steps and working in an endless loop of problem and solution. He examines why innovators meet resistance and how they overcome it, why most organizations stifle creative people, and how the most creative organizations work. Drawing on examples from art, science, business, and invention, from Mozart to the Muppets, Archimedes to Apple, Kandinsky to a can of Coke, How to Fly a Horse is a passionate and immensely rewarding exploration of how "new" comes to be.

©2015 Kevin Ashton (P)2015 Random House
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What listeners say about How to Fly a Horse

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

really fun to read(listen)

Would you listen to How to Fly a Horse again? Why?

Yes, great stories and subjects and interesting spin. Could learn more from listening again

What did you like best about this story?

Fascinating stories that you've probably never heard

Which scene was your favorite?

So many great ones it's hard to choose from. Only downsides were a section on gender equality and racial equality...i feel like most people reading this book are likely in support of both of those subjects

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing!

What made the experience of listening to How to Fly a Horse the most enjoyable?

This is a new born classic in creativity studies.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ashton himself as a humble creator that inspires.

What does Kevin Ashton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Credibility and "in the trenches" experiences...

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me stand up and get my game together and create. Do, not talk: Show me!

Any additional comments?

If you are into product discovery this is a MUST in your life.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Do away with paralysis

Kevin Ashton reveals the power of small incremental steps. A book for anyone feeling paralyzed by the enormity of their goals.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Personal

Any additional comments?

Good to read when beginning a long, challenging problem.
Contrary to Kuhn's 'paradigm shift'(although incorporates this as an example) - proposes iterative progression of major ideas. No big leaps, all incremental. Some examples glorified and not historically accurate and story incomplete(angiogenesis). Question accuracy of some of the other stories(Dyson 5000 prototypes in 10 years, so 500 per year, more than one every single day?).
Point is well-taken - keep at it.
Experienced practitioners make it look easy because of the countless hours spent building the foundation.
Even 'flashes of insight' are iterative.
Makes a good argument that things don't happen spontaneously, but after long, hard work.

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A must for all in business

As an inventor with over 25 patents I found this book useful and enlightening. It explains a lot of behavior I have witnessed in my career.

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Stories were interesting

This is a collection of stories, stringed together to explain the different aspects of creativity. It is quiet long, at least 62 chapters of content broken down into smaller parts. Overall, these stories can also be found in other sources, which may provide in depth dives into each anecdote.

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Incredible!

Absolutely incredible book. Will relisten over and over. Dense with invaluable insight on creation and history! What a brilliant creation! Thanks Kevin.

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Great story of humans

Removes the myth that genius is only for the few. The ending it got a little long. definitely worth reading more than once.

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extraordinary

An amazing and inspiring book. It completely changed my perspective as a designer. Worth listening to over and over.

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He Explained My Life...

This was an Earth Shattering book for me personally...
My entire life has been spent creating new technologies and products for all of my employers over the years, generating millions of dollars for them...and not me. However I never worked more than a few years at any of them...
Kevin Ashton finally explained what my life was about, and that the problems I've had were not with me but how we as society deal with creative people, teach our children, and progress out society into the future.
Kevin Ashton I Thank You... I am 55.
If you are an artist, inventor this book will explain why you may not always succeed even though you are correct... sadly.
If you are a manager or owner of a company that employs creative people in any discipline You MUST READ this book.
If you are the spouse of a creative person you will understand them more and your relationship by reading this book.
And finally, if you have creative children or bright children that somehow are not doing well in school, then You MUST READ this book. You will understand them better and you can help bring out there talents and allow them to flourish in society.

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1 person found this helpful