The Strangest Idea in the World

Through discovery and innovation we achieve miracles. But people show remarkably little curiosity about this aspect of human history: what are discovery and innovation, why do they happen to us and not to rabbits or rocks and why don't they happen more often? Adam Mastroianni's ingenious and delightful book explores how we have to fight our own natures to change the world for the better.

Matt Ridley, author of How Innovation Works

This book is a marvel. It feels like getting a beer with a comedian who also happens to be one of the smartest people in the world. Funny, profound, packed with scientific history, psychology, philosophy, and potty humor, Adam Mastroianni’s first book is a truly original work about the mystery of where original ideas come from.

Derek Thompson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Abundance

A gonzo exploration of science, progress, and creativity brimming with insights and epiphanies. I don’t remember the last time I’ve had so much fun reading a serious book.

Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology, Harvard University

Brilliant, original, provocative, and—of all things—funny, The Strangest Idea in the World is a deeply important book that will be discussed and debated, celebrated and hated, lauded, applauded, and thrown across the room.

Daniel Gilbert, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and New York Times bestselling author of Stumbling on Happinness