Walter Isaacson's book, "The Innovators," discusses the nature of creativity and innovation, emphasizing that groundbreaking ideas often emerge suddenly and intuitively. Einstein highlighted that this intuition is built upon a foundation of prior knowledge and experiences. Therefore, what may appear to be a spontaneous insight is actually a culmination of past intellectual engagements.

The author argues that when individuals draw from various influences and combine them, they tend to perceive these new ideas as original. In reality, these insights are the product of collaborative evolution in thought and creativity, illustrating how innovation is rarely a solitary endeavor but rather a collective process that builds on existing concepts.