In 1859, Charles Darwin used chance to introduce random mutations and selection as the basis for his theory of evolution. Since then, chance has invaded every corner of scientific inquiry. French scientist Remy Lestienne argues that chance is a real creative force and cites scientific evidence for the presence of true chance in the world.

A personal story of the ways in which persistence, chance, and creativity interact in biomedical research. This first book by the author of Zen and the Brain examines the role of chance in the creative process. James Austin tells a personal story of the ways in which persistence, chance, and creativity interact in biomedical research; the conclusions he reaches shed light on the creative process in any field. Austin shows how, in his own investigations, unpredictable events shaped the outcome of his research and brought about novel results. He then goes beyond this story of serendipity to propose a new classification of the varieties of chance, drawing on his own research and examples from the history of science—including the famous accidents that led Fleming to the discovery of penicillin. Finally, he explores the nature of the creative process, considering not only the environmental and neurophysiological correlates of creativity but also the role of intuition in both scientific discoveries and spiritual quests. This updated MIT Press paperback edition includes a new introduction and recent material on medical research, creativity, and spirituality.

Imagine creating something truly original without hesitation, conflict or doubt simply free to express the extraordinary creative energy at the heart of your being and apply it to any area of your life that you want.

Your words create and your words destroy. God created the universe with His Words, and He gave Christians that same authority here on earth. Many believers are not experiencing Gods absolute best simply because they dont realize the authority and responsibility they posses.

Ten years ago, the editor of a leading magazine invited me to lunch. I had been one of his contributors, but we had never met. He broke the ice by asking, “What is your hobby, Mr. Osborn?” “Imagination,” I replied. He paused, then wrote on the back of an envelope, “MY HOBBY IS IMAGINATION.” “Mr. Osborn,” he said, “you must do a book on that. It’s a job that has been waiting to be done all these years. There is no subject of greater importance. You must give it the time and energy and thoroughness it deserves.” That remark started this book. Although I earned my master’s degree in practical psychology and have devoted most of my life to the psychology of advertising, I cannot claim to be a psychologist. Nor have I tried to write as a psychologist. I have felt free to take figurative liberties with academic concepts. For instance, I realize that imagination is an integral part of man’s mind-body function; and yet, for the sake of clarity and readability, I refer to imagination as if it were an entity of itself. My frequent use of the term “brainstorm” may bother the reader at first. Although Chapter 33 will fully explain, an inkling of its meaning may be helpful here: “Brainstorm” is used mainly to label the kind of conference where a few people sit down together for an hour or so solely to use their creative imaginations—solely to suggest ideas on a specific subject, right then and there. During the past ten years, in quest of material and insight, I have interviewed hundreds of people and have read hundreds of books, speeches and articles. I am indebted to all who talked with me and to all whose writings I read. Many of their names will be found in the index.

With the goal of helping teachers discover how best to nurture children's creative potential, Creative Power explores the practices and strategies needed to understand writers and writing. It examines the nature of children's writing and provides a wealth of information and ideas about the language, interests, and creative capabilities of children.

The Creative Power of the Tongue is like taking a journey and picking up things in life that were lost during the growth process. It has much truth in it, as well as life-changing revelations that causes one to see and live by the understanding and applying of these gems. This book has insight into growing up and taking full responsibility over one's thoughts, words, behavior, and associations. I believe that many who pick up this book will be truly blessed and impacted as they apply these truths to their lives. It can profoundly help self-evaluate and correct what is missing in your life. It reveals that ideas are meant to live and innovation is the vehicle that sets the stage for ideas to manifest in one's life.