Creation Myth (Malcolm Gladwell) Analysis

Malcolm Gladwell is a popular staff writer for The New Yorker who has written four bestselling books. In Creation Myth, he delves into the innovative successes originating from Xerox PARC, a research center in Palo Alto, California, credited with some of the greatest technological innovations of the 1900s. He specifically describes two instances, the personal computer that inspired Steve Jobs's Macintosh and Gary Starkweather's laser printer. In this essay Gladwell shows how Xerox PARC's approach to innovation allowed for revolutionary thinkers to develop the technology industry. In addition to proving the potential of Xerox PARC, Gladwell also explores the difference between a novel invention and a product developed for the consumer market. He does this for the general public, assuming they have a basic knowledge of the technology industry, including the companies Xerox and Apple. To describe the processes involved with innovation, Gladwell utilizes multiple stories of creativity, focusing on how Steve Jobs developing Xerox's personal computer into a successful consumer item, and Gary Starkweather's struggle to develop a laser printer without Xerox's backing. Gladwell selects these stories because the innovations are profound enough to already be known to the reader, and in both stories Xerox's management seems to fail the company. After the two stories, Gladwell transitions into a separate anecdote regarding Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. This change of setting not only shows the universality of creativity, but this selected example allows Gladwell to make the logical argument that to produce a product creativity must be controlled and directed Gladwell then returns to the story of Gary Starkweather's fight with Xerox management. Gladwell uses deductive reasoning to show that creativity must be controlled to be successful. Starkweather is creative, and ultimately uses the narrative to reveal that Xerox management made the printer a success. Gladwell ends by quoting Starkweather describing Starkweather when he left to go to Apple, which, ultimately, became as stifling as Xerox. This is a full circle ending, but is also abductive reasoning. Starkweather and the Rolling Stones are the major and minor premise, respectively, leading to the final conclusion about Apple imitating Xerox. I think this piece is effective because it engages the reader with interesting stories and commentary. The transitions and organization chronologically bring the reader to a natural epiphany about innovation, effectively accomplishing Gladwell's purpose.

Success
Apple's personal computer is the result of a long innovative process.
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