The Hidden Habits of Genius: Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit—Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness
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- Author：Craig Wright
- ISBN：0062892738
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Summary
“An unusually engaging book on the forces that fuel originality across fields。” —Adam Grant
Looking at the 14 key traits of genius， from curiosity to creative maladjustment to obsession， Professor Craig Wright， creator of Yale University's popular “Genius Course，” explores what we can learn from brilliant minds that have changed the world。
Einstein。 Beethoven。 Picasso。 Jobs。 The word genius evokes these iconic figures， whose cultural contributions have irreversibly shaped society。
Yet Beethoven could not multiply。 Picasso couldn’t pass a 4th grade math test。 And Jobs left high school with a 2。65 GPA。 What does this say about our metrics for measuring success and achievement today？ Why do we teach children to behave and play by the rules， when the transformative geniuses of Western culture have done just the opposite？ And what is genius， really？
Professor Craig Wright， creator of Yale University’s popular “Genius Course，” has devoted more than two decades to exploring these questions and probing the nature of this term， which is deeply embedded in our culture。 In The Hidden Habits of Genius， he reveals what we can learn from the lives of those we have dubbed “geniuses，” past and present。
Examining the lives of transformative individuals ranging from Charles Darwin and Marie Curie to Leonardo Da Vinci and Andy Warhol to Toni Morrison and Elon Musk， Wright identifies more than a dozen drivers of genius—characteristics and patterns of behavior common to great minds throughout history。 He argues that genius is about more than intellect and work ethic—it is far more complex—and that the famed “eureka” moment is a Hollywood fiction。 Brilliant insights that change the world are never sudden， but rather， they are the result of unique modes of thinking and lengthy gestation。 Most importantly， the habits of mind that produce great thinking and discovery can be actively learned and cultivated， and Wright shows us how。
This book won’t make you a genius。 But embracing the hidden habits of these transformative individuals will make you more strategic， creative， and successful， and， ultimately， happier。
Looking at the 14 key traits of genius， from curiosity to creative maladjustment to obsession， Professor Craig Wright， creator of Yale University's popular “Genius Course，” explores what we can learn from brilliant minds that have changed the world。
Einstein。 Beethoven。 Picasso。 Jobs。 The word genius evokes these iconic figures， whose cultural contributions have irreversibly shaped society。
Yet Beethoven could not multiply。 Picasso couldn’t pass a 4th grade math test。 And Jobs left high school with a 2。65 GPA。 What does this say about our metrics for measuring success and achievement today？ Why do we teach children to behave and play by the rules， when the transformative geniuses of Western culture have done just the opposite？ And what is genius， really？
Professor Craig Wright， creator of Yale University’s popular “Genius Course，” has devoted more than two decades to exploring these questions and probing the nature of this term， which is deeply embedded in our culture。 In The Hidden Habits of Genius， he reveals what we can learn from the lives of those we have dubbed “geniuses，” past and present。
Examining the lives of transformative individuals ranging from Charles Darwin and Marie Curie to Leonardo Da Vinci and Andy Warhol to Toni Morrison and Elon Musk， Wright identifies more than a dozen drivers of genius—characteristics and patterns of behavior common to great minds throughout history。 He argues that genius is about more than intellect and work ethic—it is far more complex—and that the famed “eureka” moment is a Hollywood fiction。 Brilliant insights that change the world are never sudden， but rather， they are the result of unique modes of thinking and lengthy gestation。 Most importantly， the habits of mind that produce great thinking and discovery can be actively learned and cultivated， and Wright shows us how。
This book won’t make you a genius。 But embracing the hidden habits of these transformative individuals will make you more strategic， creative， and successful， and， ultimately， happier。
Reviews
Chad Stuart
，
Worst book I’ve read in a while。 And I must be honest I didn’t finish the last couple chapters。 This book was valuable for maybe one chapter。 Just not a good book！
Jung
，
We can trace the same key elements in the lives of many geniuses across vastly different cultures and times。 At root， genius involves the ability to combine intense concentration with creative downtime， to turn personal difficulties into strengths， and to find the courage to break traditional rules。 On top of that， geniuses have a daring， childlike point of view – and an insatiable curiosity that always prompts them to learn more。Actionable advice: Go for a leisurely walk。Walking played a key ro We can trace the same key elements in the lives of many geniuses across vastly different cultures and times。 At root， genius involves the ability to combine intense concentration with creative downtime， to turn personal difficulties into strengths， and to find the courage to break traditional rules。 On top of that， geniuses have a daring， childlike point of view – and an insatiable curiosity that always prompts them to learn more。Actionable advice: Go for a leisurely walk。Walking played a key role in the creative routines of geniuses like Charles Dickens and the Peripatetic philosophers – but if you are going for a stroll in search of inspiration， be sure to stick to a moderate pace。 Scientists say that if you raise the speed of your walks from a leisurely pace to a more exerting one， you break the spell。 That’s because if you move too quickly， your mind fixates on the mechanics of walking rather than roaming freely， and you lose the creative benefits a walk can bring。---The key message is : Make time for relaxation。When is it that your best ideas strike you？ Is it when you’re at your desk？ Or when you’re answering emails？ Probably not。 If you’re like most of us， inspiration probably strikes when your mind is disengaged – while you’re taking a shower， going for a walk， or even while you’re in the depths of a dream。Isaac Newton， for example， had the ability to hold a problem in his mind and meditate on it for hours at a time – leading to revolutionary breakthroughs in the world of physics and astronomy。 But genius isn’t just about being able to focus。 It also involves the opposite of hard work and concentration: the ability to relax。Judging by the creative habits of many geniuses， the best way to arrive at new insights is to disengage from your work for a while， letting your weary mind slacken and relax。 One of the most common ways of doing this is by getting some exercise。This isn’t a new idea。 Legend has it that a Greek philosophical sect called the Peripatetics carried out their arguments and discussions while walking around the grounds of Aristotle’s school。 In more modern times， novelist Charles Dickens is said to have walked up to 15 miles a day while working on A Christmas Carol。But there are more relaxing states than walking – and the most relaxing of all is surely sleep。 In the depths of our slumber， as we dream， we enter a phase called REM， or Rapid Eye Movement， sleep。 During REM sleep， the far left and right sides of our prefrontal cortex， which play a key role in logical thought， power down。 At the same time， the parts of our brain connected to memory， emotion， and images go into overdrive。 The result is the bizarre phenomenon we call dreaming – a state during which geniuses from the artist Salvador Dalí to the Beatles’ Paul McCartney experienced some of their most important creative breakthroughs。But， geniuses or not， there’s a lesson for the rest of us as well。 The way to arrive at new ideas and insights isn’t by exhausting yourself with never-ending work。 For optimal creativity， times of concentration need to be combined with stretches of deep relaxation and rest。 。。。more
Andrew Clinton
，
This is a book I listened to instead of reading， but I feel like I was able to retain about the same amount of information that I would have by reading。 I listened to the most of this book while mowing the lawn， but it did a good job of taking my mind of the menial task。 This book is filled to the brim with examples of impressive humans throughout history。 Outlining the fact that geniuses are not born that way， but it has to do with their actions， which clearly deviate from the norm。 The Hidden This is a book I listened to instead of reading， but I feel like I was able to retain about the same amount of information that I would have by reading。 I listened to the most of this book while mowing the lawn， but it did a good job of taking my mind of the menial task。 This book is filled to the brim with examples of impressive humans throughout history。 Outlining the fact that geniuses are not born that way， but it has to do with their actions， which clearly deviate from the norm。 The Hidden Habits of Genius showed me that to truly be extraordinary， you need to act differently from most everyone else。 。。。more
Tobe
，
Blinkist Key Messages:->>Look at the world through the eyes of a child->>Cultivate a strong sense of curiosity->>Give your work your complete attention->>Dare to break the rules->>Geniuses can turn weakness into a source of creativity->>Make time for relaxation
Aminur Rahman
，
We can trace the same key elements in the lives of many geniuses across vastly different cultures and times。 At root， genius involves the ability to combine intense concentration with creative downtime， to turn personal difficulties into strengths， and to find the courage to break traditional rules。 On top of that， geniuses have a daring， childlike point of view - and an insatiable curiosity that always prompts them to learn more。 Go for a leisurely walk。 Walking played a key role in the creati We can trace the same key elements in the lives of many geniuses across vastly different cultures and times。 At root， genius involves the ability to combine intense concentration with creative downtime， to turn personal difficulties into strengths， and to find the courage to break traditional rules。 On top of that， geniuses have a daring， childlike point of view - and an insatiable curiosity that always prompts them to learn more。 Go for a leisurely walk。 Walking played a key role in the creative routines of geniuses like Charles Dickens and the Peripatetic philosophers – but if you are going for a stroll in search of inspiration， be sure to stick to a moderate pace。 Scientists say that if you raise the speed of your walks from a leisurely pace to a more exerting one， you break the spell。 That's because if you move too quickly， your mind fixates on the mechanics of walking rather than roaming freely， and you lose the creative benefits a walk can bring。 。。。more
Ujjesha
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Geniuses can cause trouble。 They can rock the boat。 They make us feel uneasy。 They change our world，whether we like it or not， BUT for our good。lessons lerned from the book :1。 Look the world through the eyes of a child ; eg， Mary shelleys 2。 Cultivate a strong sense of Curiosity， eg : Leonardo ; only few of us will turn into leonardos - but we can all try to be more receptive to the world around us。 If you wanna develop your sense of curiosity ， then try to adopt an open and eager attitude to e Geniuses can cause trouble。 They can rock the boat。 They make us feel uneasy。 They change our world，whether we like it or not， BUT for our good。lessons lerned from the book :1。 Look the world through the eyes of a child ; eg， Mary shelleys 2。 Cultivate a strong sense of Curiosity， eg : Leonardo ; only few of us will turn into leonardos - but we can all try to be more receptive to the world around us。 If you wanna develop your sense of curiosity ， then try to adopt an open and eager attitude to experiencing new things。 3。 Give your work your complete attention ; outstanding power of CONCENTATION。 eg， einstein。4。 Dare to break the rules; eg。 Warhol ， martin luther 5。 Turn a weakness into a source of creativity; " no great genius without a touch of madness "; eg。 Yayoi kusama 6。 Make time for relaxation; When is that your best idea strike you ？ is it when you're at your desk ？ probably not。 It strikes when your mind is disengaged - while you're taking shower or going for a walk and best is sleep ， dream ！ eg ; Salvador Dali。 。。。more
Patricia Baker
，
bought this book to give to new parents。 they have a new baby girl and expect great things from her。 this book tempers that great want to have a perfect child in the perfect environment to produce that perfect one of a kind genius。 but it is put forth in the book that a genius is almost the perfect storm of many things and sometimes no things obvious for many years。
Diane
，
3。5 stars。Interesting read， but I can't agree with some of the individuals that the author identifies as genius。 3。5 stars。Interesting read， but I can't agree with some of the individuals that the author identifies as genius。 。。。more
Jonathan Fang
，
Love the art， not the artist。 Many of them were assholes in life。
Sofía Caldas
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Ayuda a entender mejor lo que se define como genio。 Permite saber además más sobre la vida de quienes se consideran genios， y ciertos aspectos en común que se asocian con algunos genios， por ejemplo， lo mal personas que fueron。 Me gusto particularmente como un puede replantearse cómo está llevando a cabo ciertos hábitos， no necesariamente para convertirse en un genio， pero si para crecer。
Anna
，
This wasn't exactly a "how to be a genius" book， like the title might suggest。 The author teaches a class about geniuses at Yale and this is a summary of some of his observations about what makes a "genius" （his definition is narrower than most） and traits many geniuses throughout history have shared。 He doesn't overly glorify those geniuses and acknowledges that many were awful people， especially in their interpersonal relationships。 （See: Picasso） It was interesting to hear his perspectives on This wasn't exactly a "how to be a genius" book， like the title might suggest。 The author teaches a class about geniuses at Yale and this is a summary of some of his observations about what makes a "genius" （his definition is narrower than most） and traits many geniuses throughout history have shared。 He doesn't overly glorify those geniuses and acknowledges that many were awful people， especially in their interpersonal relationships。 （See: Picasso） It was interesting to hear his perspectives on education as an ivy league professor and as a person who has studied some of the most groundbreaking and intelligent people that have lived。 I also enjoyed learning a bit more about those notable individuals' lives。 。。。more
Hal
，
Written by a professor of music the intriguing title caught my attention as well as many others curious to see if maybe we are geniuses afterall。 Sorry， probably not。 Very few are it seems。 Dr。 Wright delves into the hidden habits but I can't say at this point I remember any of them， which disqualified me right off the bat。The book is mildly interesting as he discusses various aspects and characteristics of the well known geniuses of history and maybe some not so well known。 Genius of course we Written by a professor of music the intriguing title caught my attention as well as many others curious to see if maybe we are geniuses afterall。 Sorry， probably not。 Very few are it seems。 Dr。 Wright delves into the hidden habits but I can't say at this point I remember any of them， which disqualified me right off the bat。The book is mildly interesting as he discusses various aspects and characteristics of the well known geniuses of history and maybe some not so well known。 Genius of course we find is not something we can really train for， you either have it in you or you don't， and again that is most。 But how we define the term and apply what it gives us is another topic of debate。 But safe to say the major conclusion comes down to basically one word， creativity。 Genius！ 。。。more
Mặt Trời Nhỏ
，
Not bad。
John McPhee
，
A smart summary of many other books。 Easy to read。 A little heavy on historical figures and not as even-handed in discussing modern geniuses as it could be。
Lyubov
，
Listened to audio version of the book with curiosity。 I love how author rase the question about women geniuses in past， about biases。 It was interested to learn all sides of geniuses traits， not just the genius part。 Book that leads to a lot of thinking。 Definitely with reading
chris
，
really interesting。 I know a few reviewers didn't like the repeated introduction of steve jobs and facebook guy types and so on paired alongside mozart and einstein and tesla。 and while I agree to an extent， I still found this book an excellent read （or listen as you will）。didn’t like: comparing what’s-his-name-facebook guy to the likes of einstein or mozart。 wish there was more time spent on the habits of genius， like dumbing it down for the little people （like me）。 while it did cover some of i really interesting。 I know a few reviewers didn't like the repeated introduction of steve jobs and facebook guy types and so on paired alongside mozart and einstein and tesla。 and while I agree to an extent， I still found this book an excellent read （or listen as you will）。didn’t like: comparing what’s-his-name-facebook guy to the likes of einstein or mozart。 wish there was more time spent on the habits of genius， like dumbing it down for the little people （like me）。 while it did cover some of it， just wish there was more it。liked: inspiring。 so many interesting tidbits and facts and studies that I didn’t know and had never heard about。 appreciated time spent on female geniuses whose work was mostly credited to men。 impressed that he spent time on some of the genius’s negative traits and abusive behaviors。 too often we spend only the time on the “greatness” and not on the reality of it still being a human being， some more faulty and abusive than others， doing all these great things。 a genius can be still be a genius and a not so great person， or not so great in all other aspects of their lives。 。。。more
Ale Hernandez
，
Yep！ Is entertainer ， anecdotic， with a good research。 But still I feel missing more insight， psicological studies about why they are genios。 Is a good book anyway。
sergio bozzo
，
Genius beyond the mythExcellent and convincing review about what are the main geniuses traits， and not the ones we usually believe。 A pleasure to read， sure you will not think twice if you wnted to be a genius
Paul
，
Interesting book that analyzes the lives of geniuses throughout history and across many different professions， nations， and walks of life。 It often reads like a series of standalone articles， and felt repetitive to read for long periods of time。 But the content was interesting and the takeaways were discrete and appropriate。 Overlaps with a other books on habit formation， digital minimalism， meditation and goal-setting。
Pranav Pandya
，
Reliance on anecdotal accounts of successful people makes me think that the sample considered for the research is flawed。 The author takes genius people and demonstrates that they have most of the 14 habits listed in the book。 Good。 But what I end up wondering is， how many people in the history of the world would there be who had all or most of these 14 habits but who failed to leave a mark on the society？ If we had those numbers， I'd be far more inclined to recommend this book。 In their absence Reliance on anecdotal accounts of successful people makes me think that the sample considered for the research is flawed。 The author takes genius people and demonstrates that they have most of the 14 habits listed in the book。 Good。 But what I end up wondering is， how many people in the history of the world would there be who had all or most of these 14 habits but who failed to leave a mark on the society？ If we had those numbers， I'd be far more inclined to recommend this book。 In their absence， I am left wondering if I am being fooled by randomness。 。。。more
Dania
，
Though some of it is interesting。 It was a DNF for me。
Candace
，
Well researched book & lots of interesting facts about geniuses。
J
，
Overall， "The Hidden Habits of Genius" is an interesting and engaging read。 Wright has this topic polished quite well。 As a Yale professor who offers a course on the topic， he has had ample opportunity to reflect upon and refine his takeaways from studying people ostensibly identified as meriting the distinction of "genius。"His insights are thought-provoking and with the exception of a couple of remarks he made in the book， I find his arguments and conclusions agreeable。 There are， however， a co Overall， "The Hidden Habits of Genius" is an interesting and engaging read。 Wright has this topic polished quite well。 As a Yale professor who offers a course on the topic， he has had ample opportunity to reflect upon and refine his takeaways from studying people ostensibly identified as meriting the distinction of "genius。"His insights are thought-provoking and with the exception of a couple of remarks he made in the book， I find his arguments and conclusions agreeable。 There are， however， a couple of points he has made that don't quite jibe with the historical record。 But the interpretation of history is quite often subject to personal bias and agendas that may not align with the facts。 Regardless， I do take his points at face value and feel no desire to quibble about them because this body of work stands in its own right。 There are so many takeaways in this fast read。 They make me wish that I too could sit in on Dr。 Wright's course someday。 Being familiar with many of the historical figures referenced in this study， I was surprised and appreciative at the way Dr。 Wright assimilated the information in an entertaining educational manner。 This is a book that I will continually circle back to for its greatest benefit; insights on how to become more productive in becoming an independent thinker， a disciplined researcher with a razor-sharp focus with an appreciation for refining attention to detail - not because it is a valuable skill， it is a strategy that can be cultivated。 。。。more
Rebekoval
，
This book doesn’t give you a road map to become a genius because， let’s face it， you’re probably not。 But it does help to explain some of the common traits found in geniuses across many disciplines， from writers to painters to composers to inventors to the gods of tech。 Spoiler: most of them were assholes。 Undeniably， they changed the course of our lives， usually for the better， but they were frequently narcissistic， self-centered， abusive， and obsessive。 Not exactly the people you want at your This book doesn’t give you a road map to become a genius because， let’s face it， you’re probably not。 But it does help to explain some of the common traits found in geniuses across many disciplines， from writers to painters to composers to inventors to the gods of tech。 Spoiler: most of them were assholes。 Undeniably， they changed the course of our lives， usually for the better， but they were frequently narcissistic， self-centered， abusive， and obsessive。 Not exactly the people you want at your next dinner party。 It’s almost like the people closest to geniuses were sacrificed so the rest of us could benefit。 I learned a lot about people I’ve always admired， but I’m torn over the takeaways。 I’ve long struggled to find ways to appreciate the gifts of genius while simultaneously despising the creator， and I don’t feel I’m on any stronger footing after having read this book。 Still， it’s an interesting read that I would recommend to anyone， and the conversational style of the author makes it accessible and easily digestible。 。。。more
Joan
，
Very interesting 🌟， EXCELLENT and very thought provoking。 A protege is never a genius and a genius is never a protege！ Did you ever stop to think why there are such few female geniuses？ Well you will find out with this book as you platform
Sharvin Jangle
，
Good book ！ As the title suggests " the hidden habits of genius " ， the habits are not very hidden as such 。 The title is what we call it in today's world a "click-bait"。 Book focuses on the author's description of genius ， and the epitomes 。 It then develops a generalization of the habits and the patterns amongst them 。 divided into 14 chapters ，few were dull ， few were interesting ， the latter did enhance my perspective towards the ideologies of these epitomes 。 Thus giving a distinction betwe Good book ！ As the title suggests " the hidden habits of genius " ， the habits are not very hidden as such 。 The title is what we call it in today's world a "click-bait"。 Book focuses on the author's description of genius ， and the epitomes 。 It then develops a generalization of the habits and the patterns amongst them 。 divided into 14 chapters ，few were dull ， few were interesting ， the latter did enhance my perspective towards the ideologies of these epitomes 。 Thus giving a distinction between the art and and the Artist 。 With pages full of quotes from picaso to Warhol ， from bach to kanye west ， from Tesla to jack ma ， the author's intervention in the book could mere be the research and choice went into it 。 Book turns into a jumble of quotes ， which were repeated ， sentences and ideas too 。 "Geniuses happen when they die" 。 As one of the quote says ， then the follow-up question would be ， why then fill up the book with quotes of jack ma ， Zuckerberg and many more ？ Should've included content creators of YouTube then ！ I would suggest （ and I know the writer will agree） to pick up the book to just go through the second chapter ' genius and gender' ！ Which is so fine ！It is my first long review ， could very well be loose with the choice of words ！ Hope u get it ！Thankyou ， 。。。more
Diane Nodell
，
A fascinating book if the subject interests you。 Interesting exploration into what is a genius， what makes a genius， nature or nurture， resulting in some thoughts as to how we can uncover our inner intellect。
Travis Schirner
，
Life-changing analysis
Tina Lund
，
I enjoyed this tale through the lives of important disruptors throughout history。 It ties together parts of Thinking Fast & Slow （Kahneman）， Deep Work （Newport）， The Power of Habit （Duhigg） and many other current books on productivity and thinking。 This book highlights various aspects of people's habits and tendencies; good， bad or otherwise & ties things all together with a nice flourish。 I'll be incorporating some of the ideas into my own work and life。 Not planning to be an Einstein， but want I enjoyed this tale through the lives of important disruptors throughout history。 It ties together parts of Thinking Fast & Slow （Kahneman）， Deep Work （Newport）， The Power of Habit （Duhigg） and many other current books on productivity and thinking。 This book highlights various aspects of people's habits and tendencies; good， bad or otherwise & ties things all together with a nice flourish。 I'll be incorporating some of the ideas into my own work and life。 Not planning to be an Einstein， but wanting to do the best I can do in my positions。 。。。more
Alejandra
，