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A practical treatise on the mental skills, habits, and craft that enable scientists to make discoveries, arguing that research is an art rather than a purely logical science.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Drawing on decades of experience in the study of infectious diseases and a rich collection of anecdotes about famous discoveries, W.I.B. Beveridge distills the practice of scientific investigation into learnable principles rarely taught in formal education. Rather than dwelling on logic and philosophy, the book focuses on the psychology and everyday practice of research: how to read critically, plan experiments, exploit chance, use hypotheses without becoming enslaved by them, cultivate imagination and intuition, observe acutely, recognize and overcome the mental resistance to new ideas, and organize research strategically. It is an indispensable introduction for the young scientist and a stimulating read for anyone curious about how knowledge actually advances.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A student or young scientist about to engage in research who wants to make meaningful discoveries and become a productive investigator.
- The problem
- Research skills and the art of investigation are rarely taught, leaving the beginner to learn slowly and wastefully through personal trial and error. The novice feels uncertain, frustrated by repeated failures, and fears he may waste his most creative years without guidance.
- The plan
- Prepare by studying the field critically and defining the problem.
- Design and conduct controlled experiments with careful attention to detail and objectivity.
- Stay alert to chance and unexpected observations, and interpret them with a prepared mind.
- Formulate hypotheses as tools, testing and abandoning them as evidence dictates.
- Cultivate imagination, intuition, and scientific taste through contemplation, relaxation, and discussion.
- The payoff
- Becoming a more productive research worker earlier in one's career. · Recognizing and exploiting chance opportunities others let pass. · Enjoying the thrill of discovery, one of life's greatest pleasures.
See our guide
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Additional reading
- Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock Potential in Yourself and Your Organization · Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey
This is the authors' previous book, which provides a deep dive into the ITC framework that is presented as a key tool in Chapter 6 and used by the fledgling DDOs in Chapter 7.
- In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life · Robert Kegan
This book lays out the foundational theory of adult development and mental complexity that underpins the entire DDO concept, explaining the 'adaptive gap' that DDOs are designed to address.
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success · Carol Dweck
The book explicitly references Dweck's work, contrasting the 'fixed mindset' (prevalent in ordinary organizations) with the 'growth mindset' that is fundamental to a DDO's culture.
- Organizational Culture and Leadership · Edgar H. Schein
Mentioned in the book, Schein's work provides a foundational understanding of organizational culture, which is the primary medium through which DDOs operate.
- The Functions of the Executive · Chester Barnard (1938)
Chapter 10 identifies this book as providing the seminal concept of 'willingness to contribute to the cooperative system,' which forms the theoretical foundation for the modern construct of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB).
- The Psychology of Careers · Donald E. Super (1957)
Chapter 3 cites this as a foundational work that established the concept of career stages, a model that has profoundly influenced career development theory and research for decades.
- Decision-making in the employment interview · E. C. Webster (1964)
Chapter 6 highlights this as the key report from the influential McGill University studies, which revealed the cognitive biases inherent in unstructured interviews and shifted the focus of research toward understanding the interviewer's decision process.
- Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures · Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
Multiple chapters (e.g., 13, 15) refer to this document and the related AERA/APA/NCME 'Standards' as the authoritative professional guidelines that define best practices and core concepts, like the modern unitarian view of validity, for the entire field of personnel selection.
- Managing Human Assets · Beer, M. et al. (1984)
This is a seminal book that introduced the 'Harvard framework' of HRM, emphasizing a multi-stakeholder approach that considers the interests of employees, not just shareholders. It provides a foundational 'soft' HRM perspective.
- Strategic Human Resource Management · Fombrun, C. J., Tichy, N. M. and Devanna, M. A. (1984)
This book introduced the 'Michigan framework,' which advocated for a 'hard' HRM approach focused on tightly matching HR strategy to the business strategy (vertical fit). It is a foundational text for the strategic alignment concept.