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Uncommon Genius: How Great Ideas are Born
Drawing on interviews with 40 winners of the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship—the so-called "genius awards"—the insightful study throws fresh light on the creative process.
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 5, 2013
A compelling, intriguing and inspiring exploration of creativity through an amalgamation of interviews and discussions with forty MacArthur Foundation Genius Award winners. Shekerjian's lucid prose style, and her empathy for the complexities of the creative processes, approaches and thinking patterns of these creative folk, delivers a satisfying assessment of living a creative life.
November 26, 2018
One of the most honest books about creativity I've ever read. Fans of Creativity, Inc. will find this an invaluable companion read. Shekerjian weaves together the themes she has learned by interviewing 40 MacArthur "genius" grant recipients. Each chapter picks up on a characteristic of creative genius and highlights a few thinkers who display or describe this characteristics well. But Shekerjian also emphasizes how difficult it is to nail down exactly what makes one person a success (and how difficult it is even for the "geniuses" themselves to identify precisely what it is they've accomplished and how!) She makes explicit the implicit tools of a creative genius.
One especially profound subtheme explores the curious and unpredictable conditions required for genius to be recognized as such. The moment must be ripe for your work to be appreciated. Many of these award recipients seemed actually quite foolish in their single-minded pursuit of a creative vision, to the exclusion of all rational, practical needs. Without the grant, these "geniuses" would more likely be considered "fools." It is only in hindsight that we can admire their tenacity to their vision. Is a genius still a genius if there is no one around to recognize their brilliance? "Hindsight makes everything seem effortless and every one of us a genius" recognizes Shekerjian, in a chapter that teases out the tension between instinct and judgment (169). She acknowledges that "intuition provides...an inkling, an itch, a yearning, a mist of possibilities" while "judgment provides...structure, assessment, form, purpose." Shekerjian describes how these two forces married to one another offer "the tiny, pert buds of opportunity, that, if pursued, may well lead to a dramatic flowering of the most creative work of your career" (170). This chapter (which is the one I marked most heavily) concludes that "instinct presents the creator with a range of possibilities; instinct is how he selects among them." That is good advice for anyone attempting to forge their own way with their work.
Some of her subjects are more insightful than others, but Shekerjian's generosity draws useful principles that will benefit anyone who longs to better understand how to recognize genius. Whether it is in their own words or her keen observations, she has pieced together several ways of being that will help any person develop creativity. If I were in a creative field, I would want to read this book perpetually to remind myself of how to call out my best ideas. I thought the book was beautifully written from page one, as she put readers into her own experience as an interviewer, and the strength of the argument grew through each successive chapter.
Some pieces I marked to remember: "Can you express the matter at hand--be it a problem, an annoyance, a point of confusion, a theory, whatever--as a metaphor? The better you get at this, the greater your opportunity for a fresh perspective" (102).
"It's the idea of doing without a fixed purpose, doing with a sense of exploration, that lets you see the tension in something that everybody else thinks is inert, dull, traditional, gone, forgotten, not worth thinking about. It's the reformulation, the mileage that can be gotten out of changing where that part fits in the scheme...The idea was to see the potential in (perfectly banal things)--not, like some volcano, to eject some completely new thought, but to see the new possibilities in things that other people take for granted" (67). (Varnedoe)
"What marks a visionary is dedication to an ideal, a dedication so strong that it rejects outright the complacency of those who prefer the status quo and insists that there has to be another way... Instead of reaching for the nearest, most convenient conclusions, his important ideal of a sustainable society causes him to push hard against the limits of what others believe is possible" (87). (Les Brown).
"Accidents 'deflect, enlarge, sharpen, simplify.' The accidents Irwin stumbles across are largely because he has put himself in a position to stumble, and is wise enough and focused enough on his own goals to recognize a stumble of potential artistic value" (160).
One especially profound subtheme explores the curious and unpredictable conditions required for genius to be recognized as such. The moment must be ripe for your work to be appreciated. Many of these award recipients seemed actually quite foolish in their single-minded pursuit of a creative vision, to the exclusion of all rational, practical needs. Without the grant, these "geniuses" would more likely be considered "fools." It is only in hindsight that we can admire their tenacity to their vision. Is a genius still a genius if there is no one around to recognize their brilliance? "Hindsight makes everything seem effortless and every one of us a genius" recognizes Shekerjian, in a chapter that teases out the tension between instinct and judgment (169). She acknowledges that "intuition provides...an inkling, an itch, a yearning, a mist of possibilities" while "judgment provides...structure, assessment, form, purpose." Shekerjian describes how these two forces married to one another offer "the tiny, pert buds of opportunity, that, if pursued, may well lead to a dramatic flowering of the most creative work of your career" (170). This chapter (which is the one I marked most heavily) concludes that "instinct presents the creator with a range of possibilities; instinct is how he selects among them." That is good advice for anyone attempting to forge their own way with their work.
Some of her subjects are more insightful than others, but Shekerjian's generosity draws useful principles that will benefit anyone who longs to better understand how to recognize genius. Whether it is in their own words or her keen observations, she has pieced together several ways of being that will help any person develop creativity. If I were in a creative field, I would want to read this book perpetually to remind myself of how to call out my best ideas. I thought the book was beautifully written from page one, as she put readers into her own experience as an interviewer, and the strength of the argument grew through each successive chapter.
Some pieces I marked to remember: "Can you express the matter at hand--be it a problem, an annoyance, a point of confusion, a theory, whatever--as a metaphor? The better you get at this, the greater your opportunity for a fresh perspective" (102).
"It's the idea of doing without a fixed purpose, doing with a sense of exploration, that lets you see the tension in something that everybody else thinks is inert, dull, traditional, gone, forgotten, not worth thinking about. It's the reformulation, the mileage that can be gotten out of changing where that part fits in the scheme...The idea was to see the potential in (perfectly banal things)--not, like some volcano, to eject some completely new thought, but to see the new possibilities in things that other people take for granted" (67). (Varnedoe)
"What marks a visionary is dedication to an ideal, a dedication so strong that it rejects outright the complacency of those who prefer the status quo and insists that there has to be another way... Instead of reaching for the nearest, most convenient conclusions, his important ideal of a sustainable society causes him to push hard against the limits of what others believe is possible" (87). (Les Brown).
"Accidents 'deflect, enlarge, sharpen, simplify.' The accidents Irwin stumbles across are largely because he has put himself in a position to stumble, and is wise enough and focused enough on his own goals to recognize a stumble of potential artistic value" (160).
January 6, 2025
I picked up a random book from one of those little libraries and this was it! Interesting concept, but after 200 pages you’re tired of hearing about the McArthur grant. I kinda want one now but also have no natural born talent or work ethic
August 10, 2015
I am glad that I found this book by reference from the Malcolm Gladwell book, "Outliars." It really sheds light on what it takes to be a creative genius. I read this book wanting to know what the secrets were, if there was any predisposed behavior or genetic line but what the author founds out from his research with all the other MacArthur grant members is that everyone one of them has the same thing in common.
The author of this book is also a MacArthur grant member and got it because of his work in his field. He never really thought of himself as someone worthy of it but was happy to be part of a very exclusive group. After getting his award he was intrigued to know what did all the other people do to get the attention of the famous foundation, which does not allow any solicitation from people but instead goes out and finds them.
His work in this book led him to forty members who were either contacted directly or brought into contact from the foundation. Most of the people were very hard to pin down for an interview and some took years to finally get in touch with before finally setting a date and time to talk. The work that he produces here shows the strain and stress that each member went through before being awarded their prize. Many never thought that their work would elicit the attention of that foundation and many who did get that prize money quickly spent it on their life's work or bought something small for themselves and saved the rested. The idea of money for them was either a blessing or a curse because of the fame it brought them and the demands from everyone else that wanted to now be apart of their work.
If you want to know what it takes to be a genius and to create the work that a genius does then this is a book to sit down and read carefully. You will find that the difference between someone who makes it in life through doing what they want to do and someone that works paycheck to paycheck all comes down to a few certain habits.
The author of this book is also a MacArthur grant member and got it because of his work in his field. He never really thought of himself as someone worthy of it but was happy to be part of a very exclusive group. After getting his award he was intrigued to know what did all the other people do to get the attention of the famous foundation, which does not allow any solicitation from people but instead goes out and finds them.
His work in this book led him to forty members who were either contacted directly or brought into contact from the foundation. Most of the people were very hard to pin down for an interview and some took years to finally get in touch with before finally setting a date and time to talk. The work that he produces here shows the strain and stress that each member went through before being awarded their prize. Many never thought that their work would elicit the attention of that foundation and many who did get that prize money quickly spent it on their life's work or bought something small for themselves and saved the rested. The idea of money for them was either a blessing or a curse because of the fame it brought them and the demands from everyone else that wanted to now be apart of their work.
If you want to know what it takes to be a genius and to create the work that a genius does then this is a book to sit down and read carefully. You will find that the difference between someone who makes it in life through doing what they want to do and someone that works paycheck to paycheck all comes down to a few certain habits.
February 7, 2009
Hands down, my MOST favorite book ever. If I were stuck on an island, this would be my one book. The book is an inquiry into creativity. Ms. Shekerjian goes about interviewing 40 recipients of the McCarthur Award (aka, the "Genius Award") and finding out what they have in common and what sets them apart - what is the nature of their geniusness. She explains what the award is, how it came about, and writes about the process of finding and talking to these 40+ people. It is so interesting and inspiring and helped me to appreciate my random talents/habits as a potential indicator of my life's purpose....really fascinating read.
April 7, 2020
Read for class. A huge amount of biographical fluff and useless obsession over “creative geniuses” paired with generic creativity advice. So surface level. 1.5/5
July 27, 2020
It’s time to shelve this book. I read about 60% of it, but ever time I picked it up - it was complete torture. Incredibly boring and I didn’t find anything valuable in that 60%. Perhaps it’s just me, because it appears a lot of people really like it.
June 9, 2019
Still relevant and interesting discussions on creativity that the author held with recipients of the MacArthur grant.
partly-read-listened
September 17, 2021Well written, loved it.
Gonna keep it
Gonna keep it
December 23, 2024
Not only practical for ways to promote personal creativity but also the interviews with the MacArthur award winners are entertaining.
August 10, 2007
I picked this up expecting it to be way more fabulous than it was. I thought it would be a really dynamic, engaging series of biographical-type profiles of MacArthur fellows and it ended up being (what it was probably advertised to be, to be honest, which was) a book about creativity and genius and how all of these fellows probably came to warrant attention by the MacArthur Foundation. Somehow, my copy was plagued by typos and I am anal as f&^k about spelling and that was the end of it for me.
With that said, Shekerjian is a good enough writer and the subject material (though dated) is interesting enough to make this a tolerable, quick, and occasionally enjoyable read.
With that said, Shekerjian is a good enough writer and the subject material (though dated) is interesting enough to make this a tolerable, quick, and occasionally enjoyable read.
February 16, 2011
Virtuous: Five Stars. The people interviewed and the author are all interested in becoming better people. There are a few times where the author quotes one of the interviewees when they cuss. I don't remember any of it being terribly offensive though.
Lovely: Five Stars. So Interesting! The book is a quest to better understand creativity by asking those who should know: the receptors of the MacArthur award.
Of Good Report: Five Stars. My husband recommended it to me.
Praiseworthy: Five Stars. The author does an excellent job of writing in a lively, organized manner.
Worth Seeking After? Absolutely!
Lovely: Five Stars. So Interesting! The book is a quest to better understand creativity by asking those who should know: the receptors of the MacArthur award.
Of Good Report: Five Stars. My husband recommended it to me.
Praiseworthy: Five Stars. The author does an excellent job of writing in a lively, organized manner.
Worth Seeking After? Absolutely!
June 6, 2012
Fascinating book on creativity based on extensive interviewing of 40 winners of the MacArthur award.
Compared with so many quick-fix books on idea generation and creative thinking, this book investigates the actual work and workings of creative people. The writing is clever, engaging and insightful. Plenty to learn in there.
In the movies, a person sits down to write a book one night, there's a 30-second montage during which the candle burns down, and in the morning voila, there is the finished manuscript. This book is the realist's antidote.
Compared with so many quick-fix books on idea generation and creative thinking, this book investigates the actual work and workings of creative people. The writing is clever, engaging and insightful. Plenty to learn in there.
In the movies, a person sits down to write a book one night, there's a 30-second montage during which the candle burns down, and in the morning voila, there is the finished manuscript. This book is the realist's antidote.
December 31, 2015
Fascinating vignettes of MacArthur Geniuses. Occasionally overwritten and pretentious (the italicized sections between chapters where the author discusses what they wanted to cut from the book, while mentioning it anyway, is a good example). You won't walk away with lots of actionable steps to improve your life. But the book delivers a great window into the hugely diverse processes and lives of brilliantly creative people. The author also does an excellent job showing how difficult creative pursuits can be emotionally. Creative genius is earned and grown.
January 31, 2014
Generally fascinating, occasionally pretentious. The author explores various aspects of creativity through interviews with 40 MacArthur fellows. One thing I found really interesting was the range of people who receive these "genius grants." A clown, a woodworker, a journalist. And they have all had varying levels of success in life, with some embraced by the mainstream in their fields and others definitely on the fringes.
January 17, 2017
I appreciated the premise of this book, and initially enjoyed it, but my enthusiasm faded as it progressed and I eventually found it a bit of a slog. Some of this was due to interviews that were less insightful, where I could not even ascertain the spark in their work that led to their recognition by MacArthur. Some aspects of the writing style have not held up well, and come across as somewhat sexist or culturally tone-deaf.
Read
June 26, 2007A different, more strategic look at how people are creative in all kinds of fields. From science to music, to business and environmentalists, they all have certain reoccurring traits that aren't bad places to start when you have trouble jump starting your own projects.
October 25, 2013
I really liked it! I never really thought of creativity as something you could control until I read this book. I recommend it for anyone who wishes to increase their own creativity! It's very well-written and even a little comical.
January 20, 2008
I love these stories of a handful of MacArthur winners. find your inner genius!
July 10, 2008
Teaches you about creativity and purpose through the lives of fascinating people.
February 9, 2009
excellent! very inspiring! my friend has asked for it back and I am hesitant to give it back!
Currently reading
June 25, 2009I am excited about this book. I haven't delved into the actual meat and cheese of the book yet, but the prologue has made me very hopeful.
December 31, 2009
I loved meeting the 40 MacArthur Grant Winners who talked about creativity and learn about their work. An interesting read about interesting people.
September 9, 2012
I would have preferred it if he had just published the interviews. He makes a lot of general statements and then backs them up with one or two of the fellows (out of 40) that he interviewed.
February 9, 2011
This book made me want to do some thing great with my life unfortunate it felt a bit dated and presented very little new info.
April 19, 2009
Geniuses are always interesting.
Read
March 2, 2015one of my top five favorite books.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews