Genius And The Mind: Studies Of Creativity And Temperament

Genius and the Mind: Studies of Creativity and Temperament

What is genius? Are there easily identifiable personality traits associated with giftedness? What is the link between intense creativity and madness? These are just some of the questions explored in Genius and the Mind. With historical studies of some of the most famous creative people, this exciting book considers the nature of creativity and genius from a psychological standpoint. Chapters, written by leading researchers in the study of genius, span the range of approaches used to understand the subject--from discussions of the role of genes in giftedness to the importance of social context in defining and acknowledging creativity. Mozart's precocity, Byron's mania, Shakespeare's literary brilliance, personalities of the Italian Renaissance painters, and the psychoses of many celebrated writers are all discussed, making this a fascinating text for anyone with an interest in the psychology of genius and geniuses, as well as for students and researchers in the field.Review"This book is about real genius. . . . Steptoe (Univ. of London, UK) provides genuinely high quality contributions by scholars of artists like Mozart, Shakespeare, Byron, and Darwin. Case histories of individuals are fascinating. Similar to the engaging Creativity & Madness, ed. by Barry Panter et al. (CH, May'95), this volume takes another step: it uses a variety of techniques to measure and quantify the personalities, success, style, and expertise of the subjects. Steptoe's volume will serve as a stepping-stone for additional research on individual brilliance; from this research and the investigations that should follow it, one will be able to learn not only more about the individual genius but about the consistency and diversity of remarkable minds. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates through faculty and practitioners."--Choice"Gathering the thoughts of colleagues from around the globe, Andrew Steptoe, a professor of psychology at St George's Hospital, London, has produced a book that is . . . notable for the ambition of the questions it addresses."--Times Literary Supplement". . .if you want to learn about some geniuses without coming away with a complete understanding of what turned them into geniuses, this book may be for you."--American Journal of PshychologyAbout the AuthorAndrew Steptoe is at St George's Hospital, London.