The Hidden Habits of Genius: Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit—Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness

Written by Craig Wright

Narrated by Fred Sanders

“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.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Oct 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9780063005389

Craig Wright

Craig Wright is the Henry L. and Lucy G. Moses Professor Emeritus of Music at Yale University, where he teaches the popular undergraduate course, “Exploring the Nature of Genius.” A Guggenheim Fellow, Wright has received an honorary Doctorate of Human Letters from the University of Chicago, is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was awarded the Sewall Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching at Yale (2016) as well as the DeVane Medal for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship (2018).  He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Ph.D. from Harvard.  

Reviews for The Hidden Habits of Genius

[Augustine Jezreel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

PHENOMENAL!
That's really the only way to describe this book.

[Kate · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Woke and scraggly nonsense with little rigor or structured thought.

[Hanna Divine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book redefined the "genius", covered a range of topics and provided lots of useful insights.

[knightlight777 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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!

[gottfried_leibniz-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

1. Why did I read this?

I took this book for a weekend read and relax. I was curious to see, what a Yale Professor has to say about Genius.

2. What happened during my reading?

I learnt new things about famous people.

I laughed many times with examples.

I learnt new things about famous people.

Maybe your sense of humor might be contrasting to me.

3. What's my own thoughts on this?

My own thought on Genius means -- Original thinking.

It seems definitions for Geniuses, change over generations.

He brings many examples, I share few of them that I like.

Professor Craig says about a famous statistician, Francis Galton.

He says, Galton was wrong on his work of hereditary genius.

Professor Craig says, “You can’t create a super horse or gifted race of men by selective breading.”

He says, talent maybe heritable but genius cannot be created.

Genius does not come from exceptional parents.

4. What's my qualms with this?

My only qualm on the above is one historical example.

The greatest American theologian -- Jonathan Edwards.

Jonathan Edwards was a profound thinker, writer with depth thoughts.

He had an extraordinary lineage - How?

In his lineage, Edwards had produced accomplished generation.

Many clergymen for generations.

About thirteen presidents of higher learning, but now, changed into fourteen (2021) (Drew Faust)

The contemporary last one in Edward's lineage - Drew Gilpin Faust. Faust was, president of Harvard.

Sixty-five Professors, and many other persons of notable achievements -- How?

Oh, maybe I can inject non-scientific explanation, “God blessed his generation.” How simple?

I understand, Naturalists won’t agree with the above explanation.

5. What else does he say?

Let's get to most famous example, Charles Darwin.

Charles Darwin’s early academic was poor.

His Father thought he was a disgrace to his family.

Darwin flunked Medical school, transferred and gambled, drank, partied.

Leaving all that behind, he embarked on his famous Beagle.

I like the following from the book —

“Darwin had been born with a love for Nature.

He had also developed a desire to prove himself the equal of the scientific superiors.

Many of them, he had failed to impress at Edinburgh and Cambridge.

He also failed to please possibly of his father as well."

6. What other examples are inside?

a) Steve Jobs -- People comment that he treated many like dirt. Would you want to be treated like dirty? Possibly not, no thanks!

He had 2.65 GPA. It didn't matter when he made gazillions.

b) Jack Ma, famous Chinese billionaire. He had got 19/120 on Math exam.

What matters is not the school, but what is inside of you.

c) John Stuart Mill, famous utilitarian says “Happiness is something that happens to us while we are pursuing some other purpose.”

As people frequently talk about happiness in life, I remember this.

Apparently, I sent this quote to a Cardiologist in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu (India)

7. What more does he say?

The author says, Don’t over-regulate children.

Let them break the rules. Let children explore, take risks, experience failure.

Be a fox, roam around in curiosity, sometimes that doesn’t have self-restraint.

A Polymath is one who can combine disparate things to create

In my Goodreads profile, I've written - aspiring Polymath. It's a lofty ambition, slowly progressing.

8. How much time does this take?

If you are an avid reader - 3-4 hours.

I would recommend this to everyone.

Deus Vult,
Gottfried