New Developments in Evolutionary Innovation

This is a very important book which gives flesh and structure to the notion that evolution is a genuinely uncertain and serendipitous process, both in biology and in the socio-economic domain. It should also be a must for all scholars tempted to use ideas like 'rational technological expectations' or 'selection-driven optimization': read this book and think twice! * Giovanni Dosi, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies *
Cattani and Mastrogiorgio and their collaborators offer a valuable contribution to the evolutionary perspective on technological change. Continuity and change are key properties of an evolutionary dynamic. By incorporating the key evolutionary process of exaptation, they offer important insights regarding novel technologies that help reconcile this duality of continuity and change. A real strength of the collection is that it spans theory, modeling, and empirical contributions around these important ideas. * Daniel Levinthal, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania *
This is an important and much needed book that enriches the evolutionary approach to technological change by exploring in a clear, rigorous, and original way new ideas, such as the role of exaptation and serendipity in innovation and novelty creation. * Luigi Marengo, LUISS University *