Sleeping Beauties

In Sleeping Beauties, David Byrne explores why groundbreaking ideas across arts and sciences often go unnoticed or forgotten before eventually being rediscovered, highlighting how innovation can be dormant for years or even centuries. Through a wide-ranging historical lens, Byrne examines the factors that cause ideas to fall into obscurity and what prompts their reawakening, emphasizing the importance of openness and cross-disciplinary thinking. The book offers insights into how society can better recognize and nurture the next wave of breakthroughs, serving as both a humbling reminder and an inspiring call for curiosity and resilience.