Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better

A groundbreaking exploration of how limits can unlock creativity and drive innovation from New York Times bestselling author David Epstein ‘Masterful’ – Adam Grant, bestselling author of Think Again ‘Wonderful’ – Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit How to do more with less and use limits to stimulate creativity, innovation and collaboration, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Range. We live in a world that reveres limitless possibilities. We are constantly told to keep our options open and to ‘think outside the box’. But what if this is wrong? In Inside the Box, award-winning author David Epstein reveals why we actually need less freedom, not more. History shows us that boundaries breed brilliance: Dr Seuss revolutionised children’s literature only after accepting a bet to write an entire book using just fifty words. Keith Jarrett arrived to play a sold-out gig only to find a substandard, out-of-tune piano with sticky keys and broken pedals. Forced to improvise around the damage, the jazz pianist produced the bestselling solo piano album of all time. The periodic table wasn’t born from a sudden spark of boundless genius, but from a simple, strict deadline for a publisher’s textbook. General Magic – a tech startup with unlimited resources and unparalleled talent – failed spectacularly.