Strange Brains and Genius: The Secret Lives Of Eccentric Scientists And Madmen (Paperback)

by Clifford A. Pickover (Author) "Although few people today recognize the name of Nikola Tesla, his name should be as important as Thomas Edison's in the annals of electrical technology..." (more)
Key Phrases: pykrete ships, strange brains, sprained brain, Oliver Heaviside, New York, Nikola Tesla (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
What is the connection between genius and madness? IBM-based polymath Clifford Pickover approaches the question in a characteristically eclectic way. First he looks at the lives of a collection of eccentric scientists, from Nikolai Tesla to the Unabomber, giving each a name ("The Fly Man from Galway"; "The Rat Man from London") deliberately reminiscent of Sigmund Freud's names for his cases. Then Pickover discusses obsessive-compulsive disorder and the relationship between brain structure and genius. The book is organized less by an overall thesis than by what interests Pickover; thus, it includes descriptions of vaults filled with brains in formaldehyde, what it means to say that we use only 10 percent of our brains, e-mail replies to a poll on what a supergenius might be, and the latest research on the biochemistry of intelligence. Dedicated "to the cracked, for they shall let in the light," the book is engaging, haphazard, thought-provoking, and genial. --Mary Ellen Curtin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Filled with 200 years of eccentric geniuses, this delightful collection of profiles assembles an eclectic and fascinating sampling of scientists (as well as some artists and writers) with a far-ranging assortment of phobias, compulsions, odd belief systems and extraordinarily weird habits. Chief among the scientists is Nikola Tesla, father of alternating current and countless other electrical devices, who could be seen on New York City's streets covered in pigeons, was obsessed with the number three and repulsed by jewelry, particularly pearls. Then there is Oliver Heaviside, a Victorian mathematician and electrical researcher who painted his nails bright pink, signed his correspondence "W.O.R.M." and cruelly kept the woman charged with his care a virtual prisoner in her own house, later driving her into catatonia. Also explored are the lives of Samuel Johnson, van Gogh and legendary mathematician Paul Erdos, among others. Pickover, a high-tech inventor and researcher at IBM and a prolific author (TimeAA Traveler's Guide; Forecasts, Apr. 20) shows genuine fondness for his subjects and an appreciation of their accomplishments, which he explains clearly and succinctly. More than simply cataloguing unusual traits, Pickover also speculates on causes and diagnoses, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE). This is lively and immensely enjoyable scientific history. Photos throughout.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (May 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688168949
• ISBN-13: 978-0688168940
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #372,616 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond a Beautiful Mind, January 17, 2002

By	Emily Rosen (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

Strange Brains and Genius is by far the best book I have read that catalogues numerous examples of the fine line between genius and frailty in a wide range of colorful and influential people. Nikola Tesla had a horror of women's pearl earrings. Oliver Heaviside, the father of modern electric-circuit design, painted his nails cherry pink. Renowned scholar Samuel Johnson had so many tics and quirks that some mistook him for an idiot. Jeremy Bentham, the British philosopher who promoted the idea, "the greatest good for the greatest number of people", fell in love with rats. He also advised rich people to plant embalmed corpses of their ancestors upright along highways. There apparently is a link between extreme genius and madness in certain individuals. Pickover also goes further and discusses the role of the brain in religious and alien abduction experiences.

Pickover points out that in repressive times, strange geniuses have been persecuted, but in more enlightened eras these nonconformists have had the freedom to make great contributions to science and society. Are their minds like our own, or are they so different that these geniuses should be viewed as entirely different beings? What do geniuses have in common, and how can we foster their continued emergence? Is their a link between their obsessions and their creativity?

This book is organized into three parts. In Part I, Pickover discusses several geniuses with obsessive-compulsive (and Asperger's) tendencies. Many of the individuals might have Asperger's syndrome (characterized by an impairment in social interaction and development of restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities). Part II is smorgasbord of short subjects ranging from IQ to the influence of the brain's structure on behavior. Part III discusses how individuals were selected for this book and describes the effect of other disorders such as bipolar disorder and temporal-lobe epilepsy on creativity, religion, and even the alien abduction experience.

Buy this amazing book and go beyond "A Beautiful Mind"

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting topic, poor foundation, May 24, 2005

By	MPR "MPR" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

I liked this book. It makes sense to delve into the minds of individuals who've made considerable contributions to society to find out "how they tick." While this book does little to get to the core of the subjects with each chapter, in Pickover's defense, he's not a psychologist; merely a social observer with a few more resources than the average reader.

That's pretty much my short impression of this book.

However, I thought I'd point out something that struck me as odd. When I came across the first chapter about Nikola Tesla, Pickover briefly mentions that Tesla had created a music notation system. I wanted to know more about it so I decided to contact Mr. Pickover about it and he didn't seem to have much more information on this subject. I asked him what his resources were on this statement and he replied that he got it from a scholar who was an 'authority' on Tesla. He gave me his name and address and suggested I contact him on it. I did, and this individual said he wasn't aware of Tesla's involvement of music at all. Hmm... I then tried to contact Pickover again on this matter, only to get no response this time. I then contacted the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade; a place that houses almost all of his major documents. The manager of the museum, Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Marini, replied that he knows nothing of Tesla's involvement of musical notation either. What an odd thing to happen. If it's in his book, you'd think Pickover would have an explanation of this statement. If it's simply not true, why would he make that up?

This might not have bearing on your decision to purchase this book, but I thought I'd bring this to people's attention as a rather odd footnote for your reference. I still found the book a good read, true or not.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Probably Pickover's Worst Book, June 9, 2001

By	"starandysmom" (Santa Clara, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This is a survey book of Eccentricity and Genius. The first 180 pages are organized into sections on Biographical Fact (Fact Files), Technical Contribution (Straight Dope), and Litany of Eccentricities (Strange Brain) for the following individuals: Nikola Tesla, Oliver Heaviside, Samuel Johnson, Richard Kirwan, Jeremy Bentham, Henry Cavendish, Francis Galton, Geoffrey Pyke, and (?!) Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski.

Pickover's premise is that the personal 'strangeness' of these individuals significantly contributed to their brilliance and accomplishments. If they had been 'less strange' they would have accomplished less.

He also provides 20 pages of mini-biographies of people who missed the first cut, including: Paul Erdos, Richard Feynman, Charles Darwin, Howard Hughes, Edward Leedskalnin, and others.

The shallower parts of this survey include rehashes on topics like Einstein's Brain, the 10% Brain Use Myth, and IQ. He meditates pointlessly on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (in all of it's varieties), Trichotilliomania, Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, and other aspects of Genius and Strangeness (including Autism, Homosexuality, and Schizophrenia).

There are also 2 other very weird parts of the book. The first is a 'Human Mind Questionnaire' which spends 25 pages reporting on an anonymous (and unscientific) survey which he conducted on the internet. In another part of the book, he spends a dozen pages on extracts from 'Science' and 'Science News' from 1995/1996 to show that neuroscience and psychological issues are topical.

The book has some lackluster footnotes, a skimpy biblography, and a Table of Contents.

Pickover has written some wonderful, insightful, original books and technical articles over the years. It's hard for me to believe that the same guy wrote this book. Perhaps he didn't ... it seems more like the work of a summer intern or inexperienced research assistant. If this book was 150 pages shorter and better edited, it could have been extraordinary.