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The Neuroscience of Genius
Dana Press
December 2005
225 pages
ISBN: 1932594078
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
Michelangelo was raised in a rustic village by a family of
modest means. Shakespeare's father was a middle-class
businessman. Abraham Lincoln came from a family of itinerant
farmers. Yet all these men broke free from their limited
circumstances and achieved brilliant careers as creative
artists and leaders. How such extraordinary creativity
develops in the human brain is the subject of renowned
psychiatrist Nancy Andreasen's The Creating Brain. Andreasen
explains here how the brain produces creative breakthroughs
in art, literature, and science, revealing that creativity
is not the same thing as intelligence. She scrutinizes the
complex factors involved in the development of creativity,
including the role of patrons and mentors, "non-standard"
educations, and the possession of an "omnivorous" vision. A
fascinating interview with acclaimed playwright Neil Simon
sheds further light on the creative process.The relationship
between genius and insanity also plays an important role in
Andreasen's examination. Drawing on her studies of writers
in the Iowa Writers' Workshop and other scientific evidence,
Andreasen asserts that while creativity may sometimes be
linked to mental disorders and may be partially due to
familial/genetic factors, neither is inevitable nor needed
for creativity to flourish. Scientiest's increasing
understanding of the brain's plasticity suggests even more
possibilities for nurturing the creative drive, and
Andreasen looks ahead to exciting implications for
child-rearing and education. The Creating Brain presents an
inspiring vision for a future where everyone--not just
artists or writers--can fulfill their creative capacity.
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