“Creation Myth” is an essay in
which Malcolm Gladwell reveals the legacy of Xerox PARC, the “innovation arm” of
the multinational corporation. It is not surprising that Gladwell begins with
the story of Steve Jobs and his visit to the building in Palo Alto, where he
marveled at Xerox’s most advanced computer, complete with menus, icons, and a
mouse. He would thereafter take this back to Apple and create the first personal
computer, revolutionizing the world of technology. This process of taking an
idea and evolving it is reinforced throughout the essay with other examples.
I found one in particular very
effective in defining the message, where Gladwell juxtaposed the advancement of
technology in warfare with the advancement of the personal computer, comparing
the Soviet Union, United States, and Israel, to Douglas Engelbart, Xerox PARC,
and Apple. Each had their own part in making the product a reality, whether
they wanted it to be a collaborative effort or not.
Gladwell’s purpose appears to be
something along the lines of inspiration; his audience made up of individuals
who are fascinated by the success of people like Steve Jobs and Gary
Starkweather, and want to create just as they did with similar triumph.
Gladwell writes about ideas, and how the geniuses mentioned in his essay, who
have had more good ideas than their peers, have also had many more bad ideas.
Gladwell seems to be giving advice to the reader, instructing them how to be a
true innovator by showing the process that has resulted in inventions like the
laser printer, precision-guided missiles, and the mouse.
He has made me think about all of
this, and in my mind he has accomplished his purpose. Malcom Gladwell has
written books in a similar style and genre to this essay, including The Tipping Point, Outliers, and Blink. He
has also been a staff writer of the New Yorker since 1996, and was declared one
of Time’s 100 Most Influential
People.
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| Xerox PARC's Alto, the computer that inspired Jobs. Notice the mouse on the right, which has three buttons. This design aspect was not replicated with the Apple mouse; a one button design was used to make it easier for the general public to use. Source: http://www.mac-history.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Xerox-Alto.jpg |
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