Mothers of Invention: A History of Creativity from the Greek Muses

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF AUGUST BY BARNES AND NOBLE AND KOBO

A rollicking, enlightening examination of humanity’s changing relationship to creativity, written from the perspectives of the Greek Muses.

The thing that sets humans apart from other animals is our ability to create, to imagine how one thing could become something else. For millennia, art and science, fueled by creativity, have driven the advancement of civilization. From Socrates to Galileo to Ella Fitzgerald, so-called geniuses have left indelible marks on culture, but the creative’s role in society is shifting. The artists and scientists who were once seen as bastions of innovation and enlightenment have been reduced to mere entertainment in the age of media and celebrity. This degradation of art is as harmful as it is boring, putting undue pressure on fallible individuals and eroding the magic of true creative expression. But if you know how to look for them, the powerful and (mostly) benevolent Greek Muses can be seen uplifting creativity as they inspire humanity's major inventions throughout history.

In Mothers of Invention, the Greek Muses reveal how they meddled in mortal manners, from using astronomy to make sense of the universe to harnessing electricity to transform life on earth―and Olympus. They show the healing power of art through jazz, the equalizing power of science through healthcare, and the communing power of creativity when we broadcast our stories to the world. In sharing their perspectives on human history, the Muses offer insights into the origins of religion, democracy, and physics, providing a decidedly mythical birds-eye view of these monumental developments. The result is a compelling call to creative action, recognizing the power of collaboration and reframing what it really means when inspiration strikes.