Everyone wishes to be a genius, right? But what is genius? Is it one measurable quality, like a high IQ, or is it a combination of a variety of qualities? Is a person with a special talent a genius? What role does education or formal training play in genius? These are just a few of the questions that British journalist, literary editor and writer Andrew Robinson explores in his latest book, Genius: A Very Short Introduction [Oxford University Press; 2011; ISBN 978-0199594405; Amazon UK; Amazon US].

Robinson begins his exploration of this subject by identifying ten geniuses; five artists and five scientists:

Homer, Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, Mozart, and Tolstoy; Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Curie, and Einstein. What do these world-famous figures in the arts and sciences have in common? ...Most of us would probably answer something like this: all ten individuals through their work permanently changed the way that humanity perceived the world: each possessed something we call genius. [p. 1]

After settling on this definition as his central thesis, Robinson asks what qualities these ten geniuses have in common -- heredity, education, intelligence, creativity, hard work, training, personality, parenting, talent, luck -- and which are necessary to make a genius. Throughout the rest of the book, he details historical and contemporary ideas about each of these qualities and their contribution to genius. I thought that the chapter, "Genius and madness", was especially rich and varied; quoting Aristotle as well as discussing several insightful studies (out of the hundreds available) to make the author's points.

In the end, Robinson notes (somewhat sadly?) that whilst there are more talented scientists and artists who earn a living from their creative output than ever before, true genius seems to have disappeared. What has happened to society's geniuses, where are they today? he wonders. After reading this book, we understand the essence of the author's argument that there aren't any true geniuses today.

Even though Robinson has written extensively on the topic of genius, he doesn't seem bored by it. His prose is clear and engaging and he takes his time exploring the background and the nuances of this topic as he develops his argument. Black-and-white pictures, quotes from individual geniuses as well as those who studied them are also included.

This book part of the Oxford "Very Short Introductions" series, which will contain 300 titles covering all sorts of subjects. Printed on high-quality paper, this slim paperback is small and light enough to easily fit into a backpack, purse or pocket for reading whilst "on the go." At 135 pages, the deceptively small volume is so succinct and the examples are so thoughtfully chosen that I was impressed with the amount of information that the author included. The book's four-page chapter-by-chapter list of "further reading" as well as its five-page index are a nice touch and make this a nice reference book. After reading this book, I want to read the entire series!

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Andrew Robinson holds degrees from Oxford University (in chemistry) and the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. He is currently a visiting fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge. He has worked as a journalist, in television, as a media consultant, and is a full-time writer. He is the author of more than twenty books covering both the arts and the science published in the USA and UK. At least several of his books are used as teaching texts in universities.

