The Geography of Genius

Tag along on this New York Times bestselling “witty, entertaining romp” (The New York Times Book Review) as Eric Winer travels the world, from Athens to Silicon Valley and back through history, too to show how creative genius flourishes in specific places at specific times.

In this “intellectual odyssey, traveler’s diary, and comic novel all rolled into one” (Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness), acclaimed travel writer Weiner sets out to examine the connection between our surroundings and our most innovative ideas. A “superb travel guide: funny, knowledgeable, and self-deprecating” (The Washington Post), he explores the history of places like Vienna of 1900, Renaissance Florence, ancient Athens, Song Dynasty Hangzhou, and Silicon Valley to show how certain urban settings are conducive to ingenuity.

With his trademark insightful humor, this “big-hearted humanist” (The Wall Street Journal) walks the same paths as the geniuses who flourished in these settings to see if the spirit of what inspired figures like Socrates, Michelangelo, and Leonardo remains. In these places, Weiner asks, “What was in the air, and can we bottle it?”

“Fun and thought provoking” (Miami Herald), The Geography of Genius reevaluates the importance of culture in nurturing creativity and “offers a practical map for how we can all become a bit more inventive” (Adam Grant, author of Originals).

About the Author

Eric Weiner is author of the New York Times bestsellers The Geography of Genius and The Geography of Bliss , which has been translated into twenty languages, as well as the critically acclaimed Man Seeks God . A former correspondent for NPR and The New York Times, Weiner’s work has appeared in the New Republic, Slate, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The New York Times Magazine, and the anthology Best American Travel Writing.