Tag along on this New York Times bestselling âwitty, entertaining rompâ (The New York Times Book Review) as Eric Winer travels the world, from Athens to Silicon Valleyâand back through history, tooâto show how creative genius flourishes in specific places at specific times.
In this âintellectual odyssey, travelerâs diary, and comic novel all rolled into oneâ (Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness), acclaimed travel writer Weiner sets out to examine the connection between our surroundings and our most innovative ideas. A âsuperb travel guide: funny, knowledgeable, and self-deprecatingâ (The Washington Post), 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. With his trademark insightful humor, this âbig-hearted humanistâ (The Wall Street Journal) 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, âWhat was in the air, and can we bottle it?â
âFun and thought provokingâ (Miami Herald), The Geography of Genius reevaluates the importance of culture in nurturing creativity and âoffers a practical map for how we can all become a bit more inventiveâ (Adam Grant, author of Originals).