Where good ideas come from (for software engineers)

Steven Johnson's "Where Good Ideas Come From" debunks the "lone genius" myth, showing innovation happens through systematic processes rather than eureka moments. The book introduces concepts like adjacent possible (building on existing tools), liquid networks (collaborative environments), and platform thinking. Engineers can apply these insights by treating code reviews as idea collisions, building on existing stacks rather than reinventing, and maintaining diverse interests to cross-pollinate ideas.