Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration

In this authoritative and fascinating book, Keith Sawyer, a psychologist at Washington University, tears down some of the most popular myths about creativity and erects new principles in their place. The empowering message is that all of us have the potential to be more creative; we just need to learn the secrets of group genius.

December 2008: Sawyer featured in New York Times

The themes and research of Group Genius were featured in "Teamwork, The True Mother of Invention" by Janet Rae-Dupree.

September 2008: Group Genius featured in Investor's Business Daily

A Sep. 23 article by Cord Cooper titled "Tap Customers' Creativity" summarizes the message of Chapter 10 of Group Genius, "Collaborating with customers."

March 2008: Group Genius wins two book awards

The business book awards for 2007 are in! Group Genius won the award for Best Business Book on Innovation by 1-800-CEO-READ; and an award for Best Business Book in Management/Leadership by the Library Journal.

March 2008: Group Genius now in paperback

...and is now available at your local bookstore and online (click the image at right).

Praise for Group Genius

“In this provocative book, Keith Sawyer complexifies our thinking about creativity, innovation, and genius.”—Howard Gardner, author of Five Minds for the Future

"Creativity can be planned. Keith Sawyer spent years studying jazz bands and improvisational theater troupes, discovering the structural rules underneath their seemingly effortless creativity. He shares the secrets in a book that's every bit as fun, insightful, and practical as you'd want a book on creativity to be."—Chip Heath and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick

“Group Genius is a must read for anyone who needs to build better teams, take their organization to new levels of performance, or make their city or region a more creative and exciting place. If you want to understand the creative process or want to make the most of your own creative capabilities, this is the book for you.”

—Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class

“I can’t stop thinking and talking about Group Genius. It’s filled with insightful nuggets—from improvisational theater to the advent of Monopoly to Impressionist painting to the invention of the mountain bike—about teams and the creative process. Whether shedding new light on brainstorming or exploring the subtleties of language, Sawyer made me see creativity in a whole new way.”

—Ori Brafman, author of The Starfish and the Spider