About this item
"An intellectual odyssey, a traveler's diary, and a comic novel all rolled into one. Smart, original, and utterly delightful." - Daniel Gilbert, Harvard professor and bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness "A charming mix of history and wisdom cloaked as a rollicking travelogue." - Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs Travel the world with Eric Weiner, the New York Times bestselling author of The Geography of Bliss, as he journeys from Athens to Silicon Valley - and throughout history, too - to show how creative genius flourishes in specific places at specific times.In The Geography of Genius, acclaimed travel writer Weiner sets out to examine the connection between our surroundings and our most innovative ideas. He explores the history of places, like Vienna of 1900, Renaissance Florence, ancient Athens, Song Dynasty Hangzhou, and Silicon Valley, to show how certain urban settings are conducive to ingenuity. And, with his trademark insightful humor, he walks the same paths as the geniuses who flourished in these settings to see if the spirit of what inspired figures like Socrates, Michelangelo, and Leonardo remains. In these places, Weiner asks, "What was in the air, and can we bottle it?" This link can be traced back through history: Darwin's theory of evolution gelled while he was riding in a carriage. Freud did his best thinking at this favorite coffee house. Beethoven, like many geniuses, preferred long walks in the woods. Sharp and provocative, The Geography of Genius redefines the argument about how genius came to be. His reevaluation of the importance of culture in nurturing creativity is an informed romp through history that will surely jumpstart a national conversation.
About the Author
Eric Weiner is best-selling author of such books as THE GEOGRAPHY OF BLISS, THE GEOGRAPHY OF GENIUS and the just-released THE SOCRATES EXPRESS. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages. A number of high schools and universities have incorporated them into their curricula. Weiner is the recipient of the Borders Original Voices Award, and a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover Award. As a long-time foreign correspondent for NPR, Eric reported from more than 30 nations, from Iraq to Indonesia, covering some of the major international events of recent times. The Wall Street Journal said of Eric: "There are some writers whose company is worth keeping, whatever the subject ... And Mr. Weiner is blessed with this gift. He is a prober and questioner, a big-hearted humanist. .." Eric is a regular contributor to The Washington Post and AFAR magazine. His work also appears in The Los Angeles Times, and other publications, as well as on the BBC and NPR's Morning Edition. He is a popular speaker and lecturer. When not writing, or thinking about writing, Eric is an avid cyclist and consumer of sushi (Tekka maki, in particular) . He lives in in the Washington, DC area, with his wife and daughter and a menageries of rambunctious animals.
