Description
Book SynopsisTaking as examples the lives of creative individuals through history, Genius and the Mind considers the nature of creativity and genius from a psychological standpoint. Eleven chapters, contributed by leading researchers, span the range of approaches used to understand the subject. A discussion of heredity considers the extent to which genes play a part in giftedness. The importance of social context in defining and acknowledging creativity is explored. Several chapters look at training and skill development in exceptional individuals, and a number of contributions scrutinize the links between creativity, temperament, and mental health. Mozart''s precocity, Byron''s mania, the 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.
Trade Review"This rich, informative and literate collection of papers works around ideas of genius. The writers are generally well-known within their specialities, and the disagreement between them makes for a thought provoking read." Psychological Medicine, October 1999... This book provides an interesting, thought provoking read.Michael Rutter, THES, June 1999
Table of Contents1. Exceptional Creativity and the Psychological Sciences ; 2. The Genetics of Genius ; 3. Creativity and Genius: A Systems Perspective ; 4. Historical Developments of Expert Performance: Public Performance of Music ; 5. Early Lives: Prodigies and Non-prodigies ; 6. Mathematical Giftedness and Mathematical Genius: A Comparison of G.H. Hardy and Srinivasa Ramanujan ; 7. Mozart: Resilience Under Stress ; 8. The Creative Genius of William Shakespeare: Historiometric Analyses of his Plays and Sonnets ; 9. Lord Byron: The Apostle of Affliction ; 10. Creativity and Madness: Clues from Modern Psychiatric Diagnosis ; 11. Artistic Temperament in the Italian Renaissance: A Study of Giorgio Vasari's Lives
