How to Fly a Horse by Kevin Ashton Summary
Overview of How to Fly a Horse
Forget the "creative genius" myth. "How to Fly a Horse" reveals creativity as ordinary, accessible work requiring persistence through failure. Kevin Ashton's game-changing perspective has inspired innovators worldwide. What if your next breakthrough is simply waiting for your patient, determined effort?
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Key takeaways
The Lie We've Been Told About Genius and What Really Drives Creation
A forged letter from 1815 claimed Mozart composed entire symphonies in his head, effortlessly transcribing perfect music onto paper. We want to believe this story-that creativity is a gift bestowed on the chosen few, arriving in magical flashes of inspiration. But here's what actually happened: Mozart worked obsessively, revised constantly, and needed his instruments to compose. He struggled. He erased. He rewrote. The myth persists because it's comforting to believe that if we're not geniuses, we're simply not creative. This convenient fiction lets us off the hook. The word "creativity" didn't even exist until 1926, when philosopher Alfred North Whitehead coined it to describe something mystical and rare. Meanwhile, the reality tells a different story entirely. A twelve-year-old enslaved boy named Edmond Albius solved a problem that had stumped botanists for centuries. Using a bamboo toothpick, he figured out how to hand-pollinate vanilla orchids-a technique still used worldwide today. His innovation wasn't born from genius but from careful observation and experimentation. What makes Edmond unusual isn't that he created something-it's that history actually remembered his name. Most creators remain invisible, their contributions absorbed into the fabric of progress without acknowledgment. The numbers don't lie. The U.S. Patent Office took 130 years to grant its first million patents but only 8 years for its sixth million. Copyright registrations exploded from 5,600 in 1870 to over 600,000 by 1991. Scientific papers increased tenfold between 1955 and 2005. When we actually start counting creators, they're everywhere-nearly as many Americans received first patents in 2011 as attended a typical NASCAR race. This isn't a story about rare genius. It's a story about human nature itself. Lewis Terman tried to prove otherwise in 1921 with his "Genetic Studies of Genius," tracking over 1,500 California children identified as gifted by IQ tests. His "Termites," as they were called, should have changed the world. Instead, many found ordinary jobs. Meanwhile, the kids Terman rejected-William Shockley and Luis Alvarez among them-went on to win Nobel Prizes. Genius doesn't predict creative ability because it isn't required for creation.
The Unglamorous Truth About How Creation Actually Works
The Brutal Price of Persistence and Why the World Resists New Ideas
Why Experts Miss What's Right in Front of Them and the Power of Beginner's Mind
The Stolen Legacy of Rosalind Franklin and the Rigged Game of Recognition
When Progress Destroys and Why We Need More Innovation, Not Less
The Crossroads Where Passion Meets Purpose and Creation Becomes Inevitable
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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