1.      Introduction

Part I: Innovation in History

2.      Innovation in Early Societies

Sticks, shovels and streams; Oog helps out the ladies, or not;
blue-collar and white-collar innovation

3.      A Different Kind of Society Appears on the Scene

The Greeks develop the revolutionary concept of citizen participation in government;
the two greatest innovations of the Greeks; innovation around the Mediterranean;
the Romans lose the spirit

4.      The Mediterranean Loses Its Innovative Spirit, then Regains It

The breakup of the Roman Empire — a blessing in disguise; Asian inventions begin a chain
of world-changing innovations; an enlightened Islamic empire emerges;
blue-collar innovation revives and thrives in Europe; increased trade stimulates innovation

5.      Innovation Gathers Steam

Innovative activity picks up in Europe; some societies become distinctively more innovative
than others; blue- and white-collar efforts begin to cross-fertilize

6.      Innovation Takes Off

GDP per capita rises in innovative societies; capitalism shows its ability to create wealth;
patents promote innovation; everyone loves innovators;
innovation becomes institutionalized

Part II:  How, Where and Why Innovation Occurs

7.      Invention Spurs Invention

Technology begets technology – a perfect storm of changing conditions; the empowerment
of individuals; competition within societies; the appearance of the modern market; size matters;
innovations that promote democratization

8.      The Conditions that Support Innovation – Previous Work

Evaluating previously proposed factors in innovation; demography, geography, geology;
governmental and institutional considerations; societal attitudes towards innovation

9.      The Conditions that Support Innovation – A New Look

Synthesizing the best ideas into a few critical factors; adding a new one

10.    Absence of Fear

Fear of the autocrat; fear of powerful people; class-based fear; fear of loss of income; religious fear; fear of ridicule; fear of failure; overcoming them all

11.    Access to Information

Intercultural contacts; seeing is understanding, sometimes; the role of transportation and trade;
secrecy doesn’t help; the printing press changes everything; libraries and journals;
accessing information in the digital age

12.    Guidance in the Use of Information

Learning from the masters; learning from peers; peer guidance and the printing press;
putting the knowledge of experts in perspective; institutions attempt to guide invention

13.    Societal Rewards for Innovation

Losing the zero-sum-game assumption; recognition is nice, but jobs and money are nicer;
rock stars or inventors? the role of patents

14.    Multiplicity of Opportunities

Choices, choices, choices; China doesn’t discover the new world;
competition creates more choices; the gradual growth of opportunities

15.    Three Great Innovators

Galileo Galilei, the white-collar genius with blue stains in his white collar; Philippe de Girard,
a forgotten mega-inventor; Thomas Edison, of course; others

16.    Innovation and Governments

“Ocracies: autos, plutos, and demos”; monarchies, dictatorships, and communists;
how they rank applying the critical five conditions; surprise: democracies win

17.    Innovation in Today’s Societies

Some countries get high grades; some get improving grades, and others get low grades;
size matters, again; why natural resources are becoming less important

18.    Applying What We Have Learned

Promoting the five essential conditions for innovation; encouraging young innovators;
avoiding complacency and cultural biases; have we reached the limits of democratizing innovations?

Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Notes
Index