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The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (A Little) Craziness and (A Lot of) Success in America
Why is America so rich and powerful? The answer lies in our genes, according to psychologist John Gartner.
Hypomania, a genetically based mild form of mania, endows many of us with unusual energy, creativity, enthusiasm, and a propensity for taking risks. America has an extraordinarily high number of hypomanics -- grandiose types who leap on every wacky idea that occurs to them, utterly convinced it will change the world. Market bubbles and ill-considered messianic crusades can be the downside. But there is an enormous upside in terms of spectacular entrepreneurial zeal, drive for innovation, and material success. Americans may have a lot of crazy ideas, but some of them lead to brilliant inventions.
Why is America so hypomanic? It is populated primarily by immigrants. This self-selection process is the boldest natural experiment ever conducted. Those who had the will, optimism, and daring to take the leap into the unknown have passed those traits on to their descendants.
Bringing his audacious and persuasive thesis to life, Gartner offers case histories of some famous Americans who represent this phenomenon of hypomania. These are the real stories you never learned in school about some of those men who made America: Columbus, who discovered the continent, thought he was the messiah. John Winthrop, who settled and defined it, believed Americans were God's new chosen people. Alexander Hamilton, the indispensable founder who envisioned America's economic future, self-destructed because of pride and impulsive behavior. Andrew Carnegie, who began America's industrial revolution, was sure that he was destined personally to speed up human evolution and bring world peace. The Mayer and Selznick families helped create the peculiarly American art form of the Hollywood film, but familial bipolar disorders led to the fall of their empires. Craig Venter decoded the human genome, yet his arrogance made him despised by most of his scientific colleagues, even as he spurred them on to make great discoveries.
While these men are extraordinary examples, Gartner argues that many Americans have inherited the genes that have made them the most successful citizens in the world.
Hypomania, a genetically based mild form of mania, endows many of us with unusual energy, creativity, enthusiasm, and a propensity for taking risks. America has an extraordinarily high number of hypomanics -- grandiose types who leap on every wacky idea that occurs to them, utterly convinced it will change the world. Market bubbles and ill-considered messianic crusades can be the downside. But there is an enormous upside in terms of spectacular entrepreneurial zeal, drive for innovation, and material success. Americans may have a lot of crazy ideas, but some of them lead to brilliant inventions.
Why is America so hypomanic? It is populated primarily by immigrants. This self-selection process is the boldest natural experiment ever conducted. Those who had the will, optimism, and daring to take the leap into the unknown have passed those traits on to their descendants.
Bringing his audacious and persuasive thesis to life, Gartner offers case histories of some famous Americans who represent this phenomenon of hypomania. These are the real stories you never learned in school about some of those men who made America: Columbus, who discovered the continent, thought he was the messiah. John Winthrop, who settled and defined it, believed Americans were God's new chosen people. Alexander Hamilton, the indispensable founder who envisioned America's economic future, self-destructed because of pride and impulsive behavior. Andrew Carnegie, who began America's industrial revolution, was sure that he was destined personally to speed up human evolution and bring world peace. The Mayer and Selznick families helped create the peculiarly American art form of the Hollywood film, but familial bipolar disorders led to the fall of their empires. Craig Venter decoded the human genome, yet his arrogance made him despised by most of his scientific colleagues, even as he spurred them on to make great discoveries.
While these men are extraordinary examples, Gartner argues that many Americans have inherited the genes that have made them the most successful citizens in the world.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 20, 2009
READ THIS BOOK!
The content of this book was no surprise to me. A first generation immigrant, my father was the founder and CEO of what became the tenth largest residential construction company in the USA. He could have jumped directly from Gartner's book. So could all his business buddies. Being born and raised in what became Silicon Valley, what Gartner says is somewhat old hat to me. It's true! Not only that, I've heard a number of psychiatrists say they known it for ages. So, what should we hope for? A good dose of hypomania? The ability to look through society and see it's pathology? The realization that being crazy (a little crazy) can be a good thing? Yes. All of the above. When I was getting my MA in counseling, my profs pointed out that business leaders can be highly intuitive, just as mystics can. Interesting. I actually was rather annoyed with Gartner for bringing out his book. My new novel, coming out in early spring, 2009, hinges on Gartner's thesis. He beat my time. But there's room in this conversation for more than one.
The content of this book was no surprise to me. A first generation immigrant, my father was the founder and CEO of what became the tenth largest residential construction company in the USA. He could have jumped directly from Gartner's book. So could all his business buddies. Being born and raised in what became Silicon Valley, what Gartner says is somewhat old hat to me. It's true! Not only that, I've heard a number of psychiatrists say they known it for ages. So, what should we hope for? A good dose of hypomania? The ability to look through society and see it's pathology? The realization that being crazy (a little crazy) can be a good thing? Yes. All of the above. When I was getting my MA in counseling, my profs pointed out that business leaders can be highly intuitive, just as mystics can. Interesting. I actually was rather annoyed with Gartner for bringing out his book. My new novel, coming out in early spring, 2009, hinges on Gartner's thesis. He beat my time. But there's room in this conversation for more than one.
June 8, 2017
Not what you expect
While this book briefly touches on hypomania....i was very disappointed that a majority of the book was biography of historical figures that may or may not have been hypomanic. I would not recommend this book
While this book briefly touches on hypomania....i was very disappointed that a majority of the book was biography of historical figures that may or may not have been hypomanic. I would not recommend this book
February 29, 2008
More readable, I think, than the more scholarly Exuberance (by Kay Redfield Jamison), John D. Gartner's The Hypomanic Edge is a very accessible explanation of the enthusiastic personality temperament correctly termed hyperthymia (and which Jamison is not incorrect in calling exuberance). Hypomania describes a relatively temporary elevation of mood rather than the long-term personality trait, and Gartner, a therapist, should have known better. Also, this work is not a rigorous scientific defense of his thesis that immigrants with a higher proportion of hyperthymian than those who stayed in the Old World have been a significant factor in American culture. However, his descriptions of well-known immigrants with the propensity to be high on life and to risk so much that they tend either to fail dramatically or to succeed beyond their wild expectations are fun to read and painted a picture that resonated with my own hyperthymia. A fun read!
July 1, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up. In the Hypomanic Edge, clinical psychologist specializing in bipolar disorder John Gartner writes extended vignettes about famous historical figures who he believed had -- drumroll please -- bipolar disorder. The book's title refers to hypomania, a high mood, high energy state characterized by decreased need for sleep, intense focus, creativity, impulsivity, hypersexuality, and grandiosity in their ideas and self-perceptions. Hypomania is not as severe as mania (which is characterized by a major deficit in social and occupational functioning and generally requires medication and often inpatient hospitalization) but is also not in the normal repertoire of moods of people without certain types of bipolar disorder, see image below:
As a healthcare provider (but not a psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, etc.), I generally feel uncomfortable at the notion of retrospectively or armchair diagnosing historical figures, the deceased, and people who haven't disclosed their diagnosis and whom you aren't personally being asked to diagnose with mental illness. Mental illness still carries a stigma, so many don't wish to disclose their diagnosis publicly and may face negative personal, social, or professional consequences for having or being speculated to have such a diagnosis. Most of the figures Gartner profiled are deceased, often long deceased, with the exception of his final profile, biotech entrepreneur Craig Venter, whom he interviewed extensively (though notably Venter doesn't seem to have publicly announced a mental illness diagnosis). For the deceased figures, it's clear Gartner did research by talking to biographers, living relatives who knew the individual, etc., rather than just relying on his own hypotheses; however it's clear the questions he asked those he interviewed were quite leading ("here's a list of traits of hypomanic behaviors, how strongly do you think your subject aligns with them?).
Gartner's hypothesis is that people who experience hypomanic episodes are evolutionarily selected for and have had a crucial role in American society, being leaders, entrepreneurs, daredevils, moguls, and innovators. The people who he profiles (all men) to support his hypothesis are:
- Christopher Columbus
- John Winthrop, Roger Williams and William Penn
- Alexander Hamilton
- Andrew Carnegie
- certain male members of the Selznick and the Mayer Hollywood families
- Craig Venter
I found the vignettes informative and well-presented, with the caveats described above. The book would have been more interesting had it included vignettes of famous women with possible hypomanic tendencies, as hypomania is not an exclusively male mental state.
My statistics:
Book 138 for 2024
Book 1741 cumulatively
As a healthcare provider (but not a psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, etc.), I generally feel uncomfortable at the notion of retrospectively or armchair diagnosing historical figures, the deceased, and people who haven't disclosed their diagnosis and whom you aren't personally being asked to diagnose with mental illness. Mental illness still carries a stigma, so many don't wish to disclose their diagnosis publicly and may face negative personal, social, or professional consequences for having or being speculated to have such a diagnosis. Most of the figures Gartner profiled are deceased, often long deceased, with the exception of his final profile, biotech entrepreneur Craig Venter, whom he interviewed extensively (though notably Venter doesn't seem to have publicly announced a mental illness diagnosis). For the deceased figures, it's clear Gartner did research by talking to biographers, living relatives who knew the individual, etc., rather than just relying on his own hypotheses; however it's clear the questions he asked those he interviewed were quite leading ("here's a list of traits of hypomanic behaviors, how strongly do you think your subject aligns with them?).
Gartner's hypothesis is that people who experience hypomanic episodes are evolutionarily selected for and have had a crucial role in American society, being leaders, entrepreneurs, daredevils, moguls, and innovators. The people who he profiles (all men) to support his hypothesis are:
- Christopher Columbus
- John Winthrop, Roger Williams and William Penn
- Alexander Hamilton
- Andrew Carnegie
- certain male members of the Selznick and the Mayer Hollywood families
- Craig Venter
I found the vignettes informative and well-presented, with the caveats described above. The book would have been more interesting had it included vignettes of famous women with possible hypomanic tendencies, as hypomania is not an exclusively male mental state.
My statistics:
Book 138 for 2024
Book 1741 cumulatively
July 20, 2019
Hypomania In Many Ways Gives You An Unfair Advantage in Life,
If You're Able To Manifest It In Productive Ways of Course!
Don't Let People Tag You With Terms Like "Hyper-Active" / "OCD" So on...
Instead Thank God With What He Blessed You With.
If You're Able To Manifest It In Productive Ways of Course!
Don't Let People Tag You With Terms Like "Hyper-Active" / "OCD" So on...
Instead Thank God With What He Blessed You With.
July 7, 2019
This is a great book! In each chapter Gartner, a clinical psychologist, writes a biography for a different influential person of America's history. He writes about their life stories and ties in how their hypomanic tendencies led to their successes and failures. Even though this book was published in 2005, it still feels relevant for our world today. Five stars
February 25, 2020
Well written 👌👌👌👌
July 25, 2023
I liked the book. It explained what it was trying to explain in a really good way. Me personally, I don't really think that a hypomanic edge is that good. From the many examples that the book gives, it seemed to me that being hypomanic had more downsides than upsides. That's why I don't rate the book so highly.
July 14, 2011
Much to like here, particularly (for me) the author's perspective on Alexander Hamilton. Gartner's no writer and his chapters end on annoying, flowery notes. But the work is solid; sharper writing would have given it another star, but I still recommend it, given that caveat, to anyone.
March 10, 2024
Book was great. I am noticing how I am embodying most of these within my life
Watch my come up, my vision will change the worlds course for teenagers
Watch my come up, my vision will change the worlds course for teenagers
October 4, 2026
The Hypomanic Edge is a fascinating and deliberately provocative book. John Gartner’s central argument is that many of the characteristics associated with hypomania can provide what he calls a “hypomanic edge.”
Gartner applies this particularly to America. His theory is that immigration effectively selected for people willing to take enormous risks: leaving their homes, crossing oceans and believing they could build a better life somewhere unknown. Over generations, he argues, this helped create an unusually entrepreneurial, restless and optimistic culture.
I found the concept compelling, although I’m less convinced by the suggestion that this is something uniquely American. Looking further back through history, similar characteristics seem visible in expansionist and exploratory European cultures. The Romans demonstrated extraordinary ambition, competitiveness and appetite for conquest, while the Vikings took remarkable physical and economic risks in travelling, trading, settling and raiding across huge distances. You could easily describe both through Gartner’s language of energy, confidence, ambition and risk-taking.
But that also raises the most interesting question prompted by the book: is the hypomanic edge necessarily a good thing?
The same traits can have dramatically different outcomes. Confidence can become grandiosity. Optimism can become unrealistic judgment. Risk-taking can produce exploration and entrepreneurship, but also recklessness. Extraordinary ambition can build companies, discover continents or create great works but, combined with power and the wrong circumstances, it can also contribute to conquest and destruction.
That is ultimately what I took from the book. Hypomanic traits are perhaps best thought of as an accelerator rather than a moral quality. They may increase the intensity, energy and conviction with which someone pursues a goal, without determining whether that goal is beneficial.
There are important weaknesses in Gartner’s thesis. Retrospectively diagnosing historical figures is inherently speculative, and the idea that immigrant populations became genetically enriched for hypomanic characteristics is an intriguing hypothesis rather than established psychiatric genetics. Culture, institutions and circumstances can also encourage exactly the behaviours Gartner attributes to temperament.
Nevertheless, the book succeeds because it makes you think differently about the boundary between psychological illness and advantageous personality traits. There may be a sweet spot where characteristics related to hypomania contribute to exceptional productivity, creativity and achievement, while beyond that point the same characteristics become destructive.
Perhaps “hyperthymic temperament” is ultimately a better description of much of what Gartner calls the hypomanic edge: people who are persistently energetic, optimistic, confident, sociable, ambitious and driven without necessarily experiencing clinical hypomania.
I don’t accept all of Gartner’s conclusions, but I found myself thinking about his central idea long after finishing the book. For me, that makes it a very worthwhile read.
Gartner applies this particularly to America. His theory is that immigration effectively selected for people willing to take enormous risks: leaving their homes, crossing oceans and believing they could build a better life somewhere unknown. Over generations, he argues, this helped create an unusually entrepreneurial, restless and optimistic culture.
I found the concept compelling, although I’m less convinced by the suggestion that this is something uniquely American. Looking further back through history, similar characteristics seem visible in expansionist and exploratory European cultures. The Romans demonstrated extraordinary ambition, competitiveness and appetite for conquest, while the Vikings took remarkable physical and economic risks in travelling, trading, settling and raiding across huge distances. You could easily describe both through Gartner’s language of energy, confidence, ambition and risk-taking.
But that also raises the most interesting question prompted by the book: is the hypomanic edge necessarily a good thing?
The same traits can have dramatically different outcomes. Confidence can become grandiosity. Optimism can become unrealistic judgment. Risk-taking can produce exploration and entrepreneurship, but also recklessness. Extraordinary ambition can build companies, discover continents or create great works but, combined with power and the wrong circumstances, it can also contribute to conquest and destruction.
That is ultimately what I took from the book. Hypomanic traits are perhaps best thought of as an accelerator rather than a moral quality. They may increase the intensity, energy and conviction with which someone pursues a goal, without determining whether that goal is beneficial.
There are important weaknesses in Gartner’s thesis. Retrospectively diagnosing historical figures is inherently speculative, and the idea that immigrant populations became genetically enriched for hypomanic characteristics is an intriguing hypothesis rather than established psychiatric genetics. Culture, institutions and circumstances can also encourage exactly the behaviours Gartner attributes to temperament.
Nevertheless, the book succeeds because it makes you think differently about the boundary between psychological illness and advantageous personality traits. There may be a sweet spot where characteristics related to hypomania contribute to exceptional productivity, creativity and achievement, while beyond that point the same characteristics become destructive.
Perhaps “hyperthymic temperament” is ultimately a better description of much of what Gartner calls the hypomanic edge: people who are persistently energetic, optimistic, confident, sociable, ambitious and driven without necessarily experiencing clinical hypomania.
I don’t accept all of Gartner’s conclusions, but I found myself thinking about his central idea long after finishing the book. For me, that makes it a very worthwhile read.
February 25, 2018
4,5/5
Hypomania = Hypomania is a mild form of mania, often found in the relatives of manic depressives. Hypomanics are brimming with infectious energy, irrational confidence, and really big ideas. They think, talk, move, and make decisions quickly. Anyone who slows them down with questions ”just doesn’t get it”. Hypomanics are not crazy, but ”normal” is not the first word that comes to mind when describing them. Hypomanics live on the edge, between normal and abnormal. P.2
"Yet without their irrational confidence, ambitious vision, and unstoppable zeal, these outrageous captains would never have sailed into unknown Waters, never discovered new Worlds, never changed the course of our history."
Examples in the book:
• Columbus; discovered America
• Prophets (Wintrop, Williams, Penn); populated it
• Alexander Hamilton; national future and economic potential
• Andrew Carnegie; industrial revolution and mass production
• Selznick and Mayer; Hollywood , media and a national self-image
• Craig Venter; cracked our genetic code
General points:
• About 5-10% hypomanic in a population
• Hypomania can give an edge over the competition, income, occupational achievement and creativity.
• Americans change residences every five years
• Americans frequently change jobs
• Americans work more hours than other people in the world
• Top three countries with the most manics: America, New Zealand and Canada – all nations of immigrants
• Hypomanics are suited to become immigrants because it requires a lot of energy, entails a lot of risk, and may seem daunting if you thought about it too much
• ”America has drawn hypomanics like a magnet.”
Entrepreneurial traits:
• Filled with energy
• Flooded with ideas
• Driven, restless, and unable to keep still
• Channels energy into the achievement of wildly grand ambitions
• Feels brilliant, special, chosen, perhaps even destined to change the world
• Euphoric
• Risk taker
• Little sleep
• Overspends
• Acts out sexually
• Sometimes impulsive with poor judgement in ways that can have painful consequences
• Fast-talking
• Witty and gregarious
• Confidence makes charismatic and persuasive
• Prone to making enemies and feelings of persecution by those who do not accept the mission and vision
DSM – IV (mania + hypomania):
A: A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting at least one week.
B: And at least three of the following:
1. Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
2. Decreased need for sleep
3. More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
4. Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
5. Distractibility
6. Increase in goal-directed activities/psychomotor agitation
7. Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences
Hypomania = Hypomania is a mild form of mania, often found in the relatives of manic depressives. Hypomanics are brimming with infectious energy, irrational confidence, and really big ideas. They think, talk, move, and make decisions quickly. Anyone who slows them down with questions ”just doesn’t get it”. Hypomanics are not crazy, but ”normal” is not the first word that comes to mind when describing them. Hypomanics live on the edge, between normal and abnormal. P.2
"Yet without their irrational confidence, ambitious vision, and unstoppable zeal, these outrageous captains would never have sailed into unknown Waters, never discovered new Worlds, never changed the course of our history."
Examples in the book:
• Columbus; discovered America
• Prophets (Wintrop, Williams, Penn); populated it
• Alexander Hamilton; national future and economic potential
• Andrew Carnegie; industrial revolution and mass production
• Selznick and Mayer; Hollywood , media and a national self-image
• Craig Venter; cracked our genetic code
General points:
• About 5-10% hypomanic in a population
• Hypomania can give an edge over the competition, income, occupational achievement and creativity.
• Americans change residences every five years
• Americans frequently change jobs
• Americans work more hours than other people in the world
• Top three countries with the most manics: America, New Zealand and Canada – all nations of immigrants
• Hypomanics are suited to become immigrants because it requires a lot of energy, entails a lot of risk, and may seem daunting if you thought about it too much
• ”America has drawn hypomanics like a magnet.”
Entrepreneurial traits:
• Filled with energy
• Flooded with ideas
• Driven, restless, and unable to keep still
• Channels energy into the achievement of wildly grand ambitions
• Feels brilliant, special, chosen, perhaps even destined to change the world
• Euphoric
• Risk taker
• Little sleep
• Overspends
• Acts out sexually
• Sometimes impulsive with poor judgement in ways that can have painful consequences
• Fast-talking
• Witty and gregarious
• Confidence makes charismatic and persuasive
• Prone to making enemies and feelings of persecution by those who do not accept the mission and vision
DSM – IV (mania + hypomania):
A: A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting at least one week.
B: And at least three of the following:
1. Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
2. Decreased need for sleep
3. More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
4. Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
5. Distractibility
6. Increase in goal-directed activities/psychomotor agitation
7. Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences
February 8, 2025
I thought the book was a good portrayal of how many entrepreneurs, especially those in the U.S., have a hypomanic edge to them. Always not an "exact" medical prognosis of these individuals, we can interpret that they did have a lot of energy and motivation towards their ambitions and objectives.
The case of Andrew Carnegie was the one I found the most fascinating and relevant. I did shed a tear when it was discussed how his father, uprooted from his home in Scotland, struggled to achieve the success he once had in Scotland. The day that Andrew came back from work to showcase his work promotion and pay raise, a raise that would be enough to lift the family out of poverty and into more comfortable livings. His father shed a tear in that moment, and always said to his son how proud he was of him until he passed. Andrew stated that this moment was the proudest of his life and I can agree. The reaction was one I never expected to hear, and made a emotional impact on me thinking of how he must've felt getting that from his father.
The collection of stories was a good one, and I generally felt receptive to the author's argument that the United States, born of a place where immigrants are seeking a better life, natural creates a entrepreneurial spirit and allows the U.S. to exceed beyond other economies in terms of innovation and development. However, I do feel that this book was one born of its era (the early 2000's), where the damages and criticisms of globalism and challenges to U.S. global authority weren't yet fully in force. With that being said, the rose-colored glasses of what the United States can provide rubbed me the wrong way in consideration of current events.
The case of Andrew Carnegie was the one I found the most fascinating and relevant. I did shed a tear when it was discussed how his father, uprooted from his home in Scotland, struggled to achieve the success he once had in Scotland. The day that Andrew came back from work to showcase his work promotion and pay raise, a raise that would be enough to lift the family out of poverty and into more comfortable livings. His father shed a tear in that moment, and always said to his son how proud he was of him until he passed. Andrew stated that this moment was the proudest of his life and I can agree. The reaction was one I never expected to hear, and made a emotional impact on me thinking of how he must've felt getting that from his father.
The collection of stories was a good one, and I generally felt receptive to the author's argument that the United States, born of a place where immigrants are seeking a better life, natural creates a entrepreneurial spirit and allows the U.S. to exceed beyond other economies in terms of innovation and development. However, I do feel that this book was one born of its era (the early 2000's), where the damages and criticisms of globalism and challenges to U.S. global authority weren't yet fully in force. With that being said, the rose-colored glasses of what the United States can provide rubbed me the wrong way in consideration of current events.
September 22, 2024
The title of this book is fascinating, but the execution is flawed. A glance at the table of contents shows that the bulk of it is a clinical psychologist moonlighting as a biographer. Many pages read as a biography of less than a dozen different characters, some of whom were not interesting enough to merit the amount of space dedicated to them. To boil down "success in America" to the temperaments of these few people and claim it generalizes is to cherry-pick. There's even editorial mistakes, like "betweeen", on the second page. And I don't think he profiled a signal woman or person of color.
There's also plenty of people who achieved extraordinary success and never sought the limelight, probably because they had milder temperaments than the folks in this book. I typically expect psychologists to be well versed in statistics. How would the author account for this when trying to substantiate his claim? Of course high energy, drive, lots of ideas and the ability to technically execute the best ones are prerequisites for high achievement. Can we just call it a day there, or do we still need this book?
Nevertheless, I did thoroughly enjoy certain chapters. The introduction and conclusion are provocative, and the profile of Craig Venter made me glad I stuck around. But I had to speed read through a lot and almost put it down. It's simply a flawed way to try to demonstrate the premise. I wish the author would have stuck more to psychology, and included far more character studies to make his point.
There's also plenty of people who achieved extraordinary success and never sought the limelight, probably because they had milder temperaments than the folks in this book. I typically expect psychologists to be well versed in statistics. How would the author account for this when trying to substantiate his claim? Of course high energy, drive, lots of ideas and the ability to technically execute the best ones are prerequisites for high achievement. Can we just call it a day there, or do we still need this book?
Nevertheless, I did thoroughly enjoy certain chapters. The introduction and conclusion are provocative, and the profile of Craig Venter made me glad I stuck around. But I had to speed read through a lot and almost put it down. It's simply a flawed way to try to demonstrate the premise. I wish the author would have stuck more to psychology, and included far more character studies to make his point.
August 19, 2025
Very interesting premise, and I largely agree with much of the book. I particularly liked the chapter on Alexander Hamilton, as, during my reading of Chernow's biography last year, I had very similar thoughts. Despite this, there are quite a lot of absolute statements I disagree with like "there is no doubt that Hamilton was a bipolar type II". Bipolar II Disorder has relatively poor interrater reliability among current psychiatrists who see and evaluate patients in person, and I can't imagine the accuracy of giving a retrospective diagnosis to a historical figure would reach that standard of confidence. The author also mentions that Napoleon and Hitler were the only historical figures crazy enough to invade Russia. Ummm... Charles XII? And the Mongols under Subutai (who actually won the campaign)?
I would also amend his use of "hypomania" or "hypomanic", which are characteristically episodic, to "hyperthymic". In fact, many of the historical figures he reviews were probably of a "hyperthymic temperament". There is a current validated scale for this - the TEMPS-A Scale: https://psychiatryletter.com/temps-sc...
Overall, a very entertaining read! 4/5
I would also amend his use of "hypomania" or "hypomanic", which are characteristically episodic, to "hyperthymic". In fact, many of the historical figures he reviews were probably of a "hyperthymic temperament". There is a current validated scale for this - the TEMPS-A Scale: https://psychiatryletter.com/temps-sc...
Overall, a very entertaining read! 4/5
October 9, 2024
I'm not sure I completely agree with his thesis, which is that America naturally attracts hypomanic people to its shores, and it's because of this we are industrious. There are a lot of people who are very successful and exhibit none of the hypomanic traits described within this book. His point is also contradicted further when a lot of people through history who immigrated to America did so because they were facing total poverty at home, and needed a new beginning. Often entire towns would leave home and come to America out of need, not exactly a strange want that could be tied to 'hypomania,' though that is the case with a few of his examples.
I do recommend this book for the mere fact it is well written, and he treats his subjects with great care. It's a quick snapshot into the titans of America's past. I went in knowing little to nothing about Andrew Carnegie, Alexander Hamilton, and Jared Roach. They are fascinating individuals, and their personalities are oddly similar, which is the whole point of the book, I guess.
I do recommend this book for the mere fact it is well written, and he treats his subjects with great care. It's a quick snapshot into the titans of America's past. I went in knowing little to nothing about Andrew Carnegie, Alexander Hamilton, and Jared Roach. They are fascinating individuals, and their personalities are oddly similar, which is the whole point of the book, I guess.
October 3, 2022
This book is more biography than its title promises. Don't get me wrong -- the biographies of successful hypomanics are compelling. But they are more historical than analytical. This is one of those non-fiction books that could be complete in fifty pages but was made 300 pages, presumably so it looked better on the shelf. There was a very poignant observation at the very end though, which brought together the information the author learned in writing the Craig Venter biography with the concept that hypomanic people can be very successful in part because of their hypomania. When it becomes possible for parents to alter the genetics of a child before birth, will it be wise to do so, particularly to eliminate the genes that cause hypomanic disorder? Would societies advance without hypomanic people like Christopher Columbus, James Hamilton, and Andrew Carnegie? We have some philosophical work that needs to be done soon.
September 3, 2023
Having the will—to change the world. Gartner works the edges of manic-depressive disorder to explore a lesser-known syndrome: hypomania, “a mild form of mania, often found in the relatives of manic depressives.” Hypomanics are full of ideas, energy, and sometimes insufferable self-confidence; they make decisions quickly, seldom look back, and generally view those who don’t get them as enemies or, at best, mere hindrances. They’re not mentally ill, but they’re close.
We have a higher percentage of them than other countries because we are a nation of immigrants who were willing to take the risk to move to an unknown country and make better lives for themselves and their families.
Hypomanics are an important group in our society who spark an unusual level of creativity and productivity. American culture is unique in the world because ours is the only culture that encourages and accepts failure as necessary to achieve success.
We have a higher percentage of them than other countries because we are a nation of immigrants who were willing to take the risk to move to an unknown country and make better lives for themselves and their families.
Hypomanics are an important group in our society who spark an unusual level of creativity and productivity. American culture is unique in the world because ours is the only culture that encourages and accepts failure as necessary to achieve success.
July 25, 2023
Het boek een vrij interessante basis. Het legt goed uit waar "hypomania" voor staat en gebruikt ook goede bekende voorbeelden. Door alle verhalen vond ik het lastig om de pespectief van te schrijven te zien en achter zijn mening te komen. Ook vond ik dat er bepaalde voorbeelden te lang duurden.
Deze lange voorbeelden zorgen er wel weer voor dat je de ervaring van dat persoon meekrijgt waar je veel uit kan halen. Zelf ben ik hier geen fan van, waarschijnlijk ook omdat ik nooit zulke boeken lees.
Ter conclusie, heb ik niet echt een duidelijk mening over het boek. Het ligt echt aan of je gewend bent om zulke verhalen te lezen, dus zou ik het niet per se kunnen aanraden aan iedereen. You love it or you hate it. Vrij neutraal dus 3 sterren
Deze lange voorbeelden zorgen er wel weer voor dat je de ervaring van dat persoon meekrijgt waar je veel uit kan halen. Zelf ben ik hier geen fan van, waarschijnlijk ook omdat ik nooit zulke boeken lees.
Ter conclusie, heb ik niet echt een duidelijk mening over het boek. Het ligt echt aan of je gewend bent om zulke verhalen te lezen, dus zou ik het niet per se kunnen aanraden aan iedereen. You love it or you hate it. Vrij neutraal dus 3 sterren
July 2, 2024
Het boek een vrij interessante basis. Het legt goed uit waar "hypomania" voor staat en gebruikt ook goede bekende voorbeelden. Door alle verhalen vond ik het lastig om de pespectief van te schrijven te zien en achter zijn mening te komen. Ook vond ik dat er bepaalde voorbeelden te lang duurden.
Deze lange voorbeelden zorgen er wel weer voor dat je de ervaring van dat persoon meekrijgt waar je veel uit kan halen. Zelf ben ik hier geen fan van, waarschijnlijk ook omdat ik nooit zulke boeken lees.
Ter conclusie, heb ik niet echt een duidelijk mening over het boek. Het ligt echt aan of je gewend bent om zulke verhalen te lezen, dus zou ik het niet per se kunnen aanraden aan iedereen. You love it or you hate it. Vrij neutraal dus 3 sterren
Deze lange voorbeelden zorgen er wel weer voor dat je de ervaring van dat persoon meekrijgt waar je veel uit kan halen. Zelf ben ik hier geen fan van, waarschijnlijk ook omdat ik nooit zulke boeken lees.
Ter conclusie, heb ik niet echt een duidelijk mening over het boek. Het ligt echt aan of je gewend bent om zulke verhalen te lezen, dus zou ik het niet per se kunnen aanraden aan iedereen. You love it or you hate it. Vrij neutraal dus 3 sterren
February 28, 2023
Part psychology, part history, part self-help (for the brave of heart).
This ended up being a far more interesting book than I expected. It is essentially a case study of a few famous figures in American history who most likely had the Hypomanic condition. I hesitate to call it a disorder, but from the reading of this author's work it doesn't seem to far removed from manic-depressive disorder. That said, the world just wouldn't be the same without these hypomanic people. Sometimes, it takes that intense drive to pull humanity up to new heights.
Like many larger than life figures, it's often a love/hate relationship. But you can never call them boring. And neither was this book.
This ended up being a far more interesting book than I expected. It is essentially a case study of a few famous figures in American history who most likely had the Hypomanic condition. I hesitate to call it a disorder, but from the reading of this author's work it doesn't seem to far removed from manic-depressive disorder. That said, the world just wouldn't be the same without these hypomanic people. Sometimes, it takes that intense drive to pull humanity up to new heights.
Like many larger than life figures, it's often a love/hate relationship. But you can never call them boring. And neither was this book.
August 2, 2021
An awkwardly written book about primarily historical figures from a non-historian. Primarily consists of speculation about notable figures' mental health state. For me, there was a pretty steep drop-off in quality in the last two chapters and I wasn't sure how the collection of people profiled had been selected. Also contains dated gender pronouns about generic successful people/entrepreneurs in America - who are all "he/him/his"
July 24, 2023
This book felt a lot like a history lesson, because of all the historical examples that were given in the book. However i quite liked this way of narration, because you can really see what a true hypomanic is. The book is in itself true, as the statements that it makes can be observed in the real world. Having said that it opens a new world and makes you think more deeply instead of on surface level.
Overall the book was a success!
Overall the book was a success!
July 25, 2023
Het boek is een inspirerend boek dat je meeneemt op een reis door de wereld van succesvolle ondernemers/avonturiers. Het boek legt uit hoe hypomanie, een positieve en energieke mentaliteit, kan leiden tot creativiteit en initiatief. Het geeft voorbeelden van bekende mensen die vanuit deze positieve mentaliteit geweldige prestaties hebben geleverd. Met relevante verhalen motiveert "The Hypomanic Edge" je om je eigen ideeën in werkelijkheid te brengen.
August 13, 2023
Interesting read on various people who show evidence of Hypomania and how that affected them positively and negatively in their endeavors.
It has one person from each century of Westerners in America, starting with Columbus.
Interesting theory that Americans are different than those who didn't emigrate because of what it meant to be a person who wanted to emigrate.
It has one person from each century of Westerners in America, starting with Columbus.
Interesting theory that Americans are different than those who didn't emigrate because of what it meant to be a person who wanted to emigrate.
March 6, 2018
Shows that some „madness“ is essential for extraordinary results. Which makes logical sense, you can not expect different results than the masses if you act/ think the way they do. The introduction of the book pretty much sums the whole book up and saves you the time to read the whole thing.
January 19, 2025
Maybe some people are truly blessed, couple of paragraphs gave me revelations and smiles.
Great book if you want to understand yourself better, probably not that great if you can't relate to these people.
Great book if you want to understand yourself better, probably not that great if you can't relate to these people.
February 10, 2025
Read this purely for my friend who loves it because he thinks he's hypomanic and prob is. First few chapters drag, as well as the last chapter. I love the ones about Hamilton, Carnegie, and the Hollywood families.
July 17, 2026
Interesting, but ultimately unrelatable. People in manic states can sometimes overvalue content that resonates with or validates their current mindset. I was sold on the premise of this book by a manic entrepreneur, but unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with it in the same way.
November 2, 2017
America, the land of immigrants where we are almost all descendants of crazies (The Sensible People Stayed Home). A compelling story that explains a lot about who we are.
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