Genius Explained [Paperback]

Michael J. A. Howe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521649684 | ISBN-13: 978-0521649681 | Publication Date: November 28, 1999

In Genius Explained Michael J. A. Howe addresses the commonly held belief that genius is born not made. Controversially he suggests that genius is not a mysterious and mystical gift but the product of a combination of environment, personality and sheer hard work. The exceptional talents of those we call geniuses are the result of a unique set of circumstances and opportunities but in every case they are pursued and exploited with a characteristic drive, determination and focus which the rest of us rarely show. Michael J. A. Howe develops these ideas through a series of case studies focusing on famous figures such as Charles Darwin, George Eliot, George Stevenson, the Bronte sisters, Michael Faraday and Albert Einstein in this fascinating and accessible book which will be of interest to academics and students of intelligence and the interested lay reader.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book persuasively argues against the straw man idea of genius as an inherent quality or (super) natural gift. Exceptional abilities are built up in everyday circumstances-hard work, discussion, and so on. In addition, Howe presents clear, coherent biographical detail in an effort to foster the feeling that "geniuses" are just human beings- like you and me." Biography

Product Details

• Paperback: 231 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521649684
• ISBN-13: 978-0521649681
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,213,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genius within our reach, November 15, 2002

By 

Gia "gia500" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Genius Explained (Canto) (Paperback)

This is a great book in every sense. He is basically saying that the geniuses of the world have achieved their accomplishments through sheer hard work, persistence, and countless hour commitments. And therefore, genius is within all of our reaches, if we only apply the same principles that they did. I have seen what he is talking about played out in real life. For example, when I was working as an engineer, I had to share an office with a man who was known in the company as a genius, with astonishing achievements. He has since gone on to achieve national recognition for his work, and there is no end in sight. Therefore, I was astonished, when I was sharing an office with him, about how little he knew about some things, and how many mistakes he made even about engineering. In fact, I corrected him, and pointed things out to him on many occasions. After he left the company, I even redid some of his work, and everyone agreed it was an improvment. Seeing that side of him, I never thought he was born with some unexplained gift that caused him to be labeled genius by those who didn't see behind the scenes. He did what he did through sheer hard work. In fact, he is the hardest working person I have ever met. He would come into work at 5 in the morning. He would often work between 12 to 20 hours. He would work weekends. When he wasn't doing the direct work at hand, he would go home and read on background material for several hours. He was constantly studying. Hence, the finished product Genius. In this case, his genius came from a mind carefully, and very painstackingly trained through sheer hard work.
Now one point I would disagree with the author is that he says there are no born differences in people. I think there are individual differences in brain capacity between people, since the brain is an inherited organ just like any other. However, there a tons of people in the world who could potentially be an Einstein or Darwin, and very few actually do.
Further evidence for the author's claim is evident if we examine Chinese and Japanese cultures. They operate under the assumption in their schools that work is much more important than natural ability. As a result, about 60 to 70% of their students achieve in school, what our few 5% of 'geniuses' achieve. Their work takes their students a lot further than our kids go, and it will eventually catch up with us. I think this is a great book, which gives hope to so many people to achieve their potential. I know it has given me hope.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genius Carefully, Cautiously, and Kindly Explained, April 5, 2002

By 

Thomas Reynolds (Las Vegas, NV United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Genius Explained (Canto) (Paperback)

This book looks at the question of whether or not there is any such thing as genius. Are there innate, genetically programmed abilities whose possession makes one person smarter than another? Was Mozart qualitatively different from the rest of us poor mortals who were not composing piano concerti by the time we were four years old?

Dr. Howe (I presume) argues that there may very well be some innate genetic quality that makes Mozarts different from the rest of us, but it is difficult if not impossible to define. He argues that what leads to exceptional intellectual accomplishment as adults is primarily focus, dedication, and lots and lots of practice. He backs up his claim with abundant carefully reasoned, cautiously qualified and fairly presented evidence that is a pleasure to read.

Anyone like me who has repeatedly seen good, smart, capable people discouraged from pursuing intellectual studies because they were considered "not smart enough" owes it to themselves and those people to read this book. This is a MARVELLOUS book

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Motivating (Give a Copy to a Slacker Teenager), September 9, 2006

By 

S. F. Bell (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Genius Explained (Canto) (Paperback)

Through a series of biographical sketches of historic "geniuses" in a number of fields, Howe argues that they develop their abilities from their experiences rather than having them arise from any innate or mysterious qualities. In his profiles of Einstein, Darwin, the Bronte sisters, and others, Howe essentially argues that a close examination of their lives shows that they studied hard, practiced their craft for many, many hours, and generally received training from knowledgeable parents or mentors.

The biographies are interesting, particularly the story of British engineer George Stephenson, a designer of the British railways (and therefore founder of the Industrial Revolution) who is little-known in America; through sheer hard work, he pulled himself up from poverty and illiteracy. Howe's basic argument is convincing, and also motivating (it would be a good book to give to a teenager), since it indicates that just about anyone can develop extraordinary abilities (if they only can or will put in the many, many hours of study and practice that it might take).

The chief faults I found with the book are that Howe gets a bit repetitious in stating his main points and the biographical profiles are rather thinly sourced: Howe seems to have conducted little or no original research about his subjects (or at least no digging in the primary documents), and the profiles are based on a relatively small number of standard biographies, with Howe selecting the details that support his thesis. Still, it's clearly written and an interesting read.