"Keith Sawyer, a psychologist at Washington University, tears down some of the most popular myths about creativity and erects new principles in their place. He reveals that creativity is always collaborative - even when you're alone. Sawyer's book is filled with compelling stories about the inventions that changed our world: the ATM, the mountain bike, and open source operating systems, among others. In each case, Sawyer shows the true story of innovation: in spite of the "lone genius" myths that always spring up after an invention's success, these important inventions always originate in collaboration."--Jacket.