A great description of Geography of Genius can be found on Amazon (along with the book). It says, “Travel the world with Eric Weiner, the New York Times bestselling author of The Geography of Bliss, as he journeys from Athens to Silicon Valley—and throughout history, too—to show how creative genius flourishes in specific places at specific times.

In The Geography of Genius, acclaimed travel writer Weiner sets out to examine the connection between our surroundings and our most innovative ideas. He explores the history of places, like Vienna of 1900, Renaissance Florence, ancient Athens, Song Dynasty Hangzhou, and Silicon Valley, to show how certain urban settings are conducive to ingenuity. And, with his trademark insightful humor, he walks the same paths as the geniuses who flourished in these settings to see if the spirit of what inspired figures like Socrates, Michelangelo, and Leonardo remains.”

I was fascinated by the stories Weiner shared as he experienced the places where so much discovery and invention occurred. Whether it was Darwin getting an “aha” about his theory while riding in a carriage or Freud, like so many others, having great conversations and much enlightened thinking at a favorite coffee house – or the opportunity to walk in the woods like Beethoven did – this book was a great read.

You may enjoy reading a recent blog article on books such as this one.