Andrew Goodwin: It's time for advisers to think differently about innovation

It's now 90 years since Bertrand Russell's In Praise of Idleness was first published. This wonderful essay, in which the great philosopher argues there's "far too much work done in the world", may be more relevant today than ever.  One of its key points is that innovations that ought to reduce levels of labour are often instead used to maintain or even increase them. The most celebrated illustration centres on the manufacture of pins.  Imagine, Russell says, that a certain number of people work eight hours a day to produce all the pins humanity could ever need. One day, thanks to a re...