The Geography of Genius: A Search for the World's Most Creative Places from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley

“It’s rare to read a book that makes you laugh and learn, but Eric Weiner has done it again. This witty, wise explorer offers fascinating insights on how culture has inspired creativity across the ages—ripe for chats at water coolers and cocktail parties—and offers a practical map for how we can all become a bit more inventive.”
— Adam Grant, Wharton professor and bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals

In his previous New York Times bestseller The Geography of Bliss (2008), Eric Weiner searched for the happiest places in the world. Now, in The Geography of Genius: A Search for the World’s Most Creative Places, from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley (Simon & Schuster; hardcover; on sale now) the acclaimed travel writer and former NPR correspondent sets out to examine the connection between our surroundings and our most innovative ideas.

Provocative and entertaining, The Geography of Genius is an informed romp through history that will start a national conversation about the importance of culture in nurturing creativity. Weiner shows we need to change the way we think about creative genius—not simply as a matter of genetics or even hard work but, rather, the fruits of a culture that encourages ingenuity. Genius, he argues, is not a private act but a public commitment. As he writes: “If it takes a village to raise a child… it takes a city to raise a genius.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ERIC WEINER is a philosophical traveler and recovering malcontent. His books include the New York Times bestseller The Geography of Bliss and Man Seeks God. A former foreign correspondent for NPR, his work has appeared in Slate, Quartz, Foreign Policy, the BBC, AFAR, The Best American Travel Writing, and elsewhere. For some reason, he lives in the Washington, D.C. area.