At some point in our lives, we’ve all had a big idea that could change everything. Maybe you have one right now… but this idea of yours is, well, a little crazy. What will your family, your coworkers, your boss think of it? Will they shoot it down? Could you be risking your reputation—maybe even your job—by championing it? Or would the greater risk be keeping it to yourself, failing to seize the opportunity it promises?

It turns out that the fates of careers, companies, even entire industries depend on crazy ideas just like yours. And in Loonshots, physicist turned biotech entrepreneur Safi Bahcall explains the science behind why some ideas make it big while others never see the light of day.

Bahcall pulls back the curtain on history’s greatest scientific, technological, and entrepreneurial breakthroughs, introducing us to a cast of colorful characters that have much to teach us about how innovation really happens. In doing so, he provides a brand new framework for understanding the delicate relationship between complex ideas and even more complex people. (Believe it or not, traffic jams, forest fires, and cricket communication all offer gems of valuable insight.)

Whether you’re trying to cultivate an innovative work environment or amplify your own creative potential, Loonshots is an essential, groundbreaking guide to growing your next big idea.