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

In an ambitious attempt to determine the genesis of genius and the conception of creativity, former NPR correspondent Weiner (The Geography of Bliss) travels to history’s great hot spots of innovation. As he walks the hallowed streets of Athens, Calcutta, Edinburgh, Hangzhou, Silicon Valley, and other storied locales, he investigates the elements and factors that came together to turn these places into centers of cultural and technological advancement. Weiner speaks with resident experts and recounts the stories of thinkers and doers alike to chart the progress of ideas over the centuries. “Do these genius clusters come in one flavor or many,” he asks, “and did the genius of the place evaporate completely, or do trace elements remain?” But in Weiner’s quest to understand what makes genius and what causes certain places at certain times to hit a creative critical mass, he seems to end up with more questions than answers, accepting that there is no one true, predictable way to determine how and where genius will strike. He tackles this thought-provoking topic intelligently and doggedly, but occasionally loses focus and direction. Weiner’s work is definitely more about the journey than the destination. Agent: Sloan Harris, ICM. (Jan.)