Struck by Genius

Struck by Genius
Author: Jason Padgett
Publisher: HMH
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2014-04-22
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0544045645

From head trauma to scientific wonder—a “deeply absorbing . . . fascinating” true story of acquired savant syndrome (Entertainment Weekly). Twelve years ago, Jason Padgett had never made it past pre-algebra. But a violent mugging forever altered the way his brain worked. It turned an ordinary math-averse student into an extraordinary young man with a unique gift to see the world as no one else does: water pours from the faucet in crystalline patterns, numbers call to mind distinct geometric shapes, and intricate fractal patterns emerge from the movement of tree branches, revealing the intrinsic mathematical designs hidden in the objects around us. As his ability to understand physics skyrocketed, the “accidental genius” developed the astonishing ability to draw the complex geometric shapes he saw everywhere. Overcoming huge setbacks and embracing his new mind, Padgett “gained a vision of the world that is as beautiful as it is challenging.” Along the way he fell in love, found joy in numbers, and spent plenty of time having his head examined (The New York Times Book Review). Illustrated with Jason’s stunning, mathematically precise artwork, his singular story reveals the wondrous potential of the human brain, and “an incredible phenomenon which points toward dormant potential—a little Rain Man perhaps—within us all” (Darold A. Treffert, MD, author of Islands of Genius: The Bountiful Mind of the Autistic, Acquired, and Sudden Savant). “A tale worthy of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! . . . This memoir sends a hopeful message to families touched by brain injury, autism, or neurological damage from strokes.” —Booklist “How extraordinary it is to contemplate the bizarre gifts that might lie within all of us.” —People

Sudden Genius?

Sudden Genius?
Author: Andrew Robinson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 408
Release: 2010-09-16
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0199569959

Genius and breakthroughs appear to involve something magical. Andrew Robinson looks at what science does, and does not, know about exceptional creativity, and applied it to the stories of ten breakthroughs in the arts and sciences, including Curie's discovery of radium and Mozart's composing of The Marriage of Figaro.

Islands of Genius

Islands of Genius
Author: Darold A. Treffert
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Total Pages: 330
Release: 2011-10-12
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1849058733

In this fascinating book, Dr. Treffert looks at what we know about savant syndrome, and at new discoveries that raise interesting questions about the hidden brain potential within us all. He looks both at how savant skills can be nurtured, and how they can help the person who has them, particularly if that person is on the autism spectrum.

Genius of the People

Genius of the People
Author: Charles L. Mee Jr.
Publisher: New Word City
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2014-08-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 161230740X

"Charles Mee has recreated the vivid drama of 1787 . . . Genius of the People is an absorbing look at the incomparable personalities who brought us our Constitution." - Michael Beschloss Genius of the People is a timely account of the birth of America's national government during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Charles L. Mee Jr. vividly describes the personalities, issues, conflicts, compromises, and implications of an epoch-making meeting of brilliant and not-so-brilliant political leaders, whose vision and shortsightedness still direct our lives today.

The Superhuman Mind

The Superhuman Mind
Author: Berit Brogaard, PhD
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2015-08-25
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 069819036X

Did you know your brain has superpowers? Berit Brogaard, PhD, and Kristian Marlow, MA, study people with astonishing talents—memory champions, human echolocators, musical virtuosos, math geniuses, and synesthetes who taste colors and hear faces. But as amazing as these abilities are, they are not mysterious. Our brains constantly process a huge amount of information below our awareness, and what these gifted individuals have in common is that through practice, injury, an innate brain disorder, or even more unusual circumstances, they have managed to gain a degree of conscious access to this potent processing power. The Superhuman Mind takes us inside the lives and brains of geniuses, savants, virtuosos, and a wide variety of ordinary people who have acquired truly extraordinary talents, one way or another. Delving into the neurological underpinnings of these abilities, the authors even reveal how we can acquire some of them ourselves—from perfect pitch and lightning fast math skills to supercharged creativity. The Superhuman Mind is a book full of the fascinating science readers look for from the likes of Oliver Sacks, combined with the exhilarating promise of Moonwalking with Einstein.

Hoop Genius

Hoop Genius
Author: John Coy
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books ®
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2013-11-01
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1467737852

Taking over a rowdy gym class right before winter vacation is not something James Naismith wants to do at all. The last two teachers of this class quit in frustration. The students—a bunch of energetic young men—are bored with all the regular games and activities. Naismith needs something new, exciting, and fast to keep the class happy—or someone's going to get hurt. Saving this class is going to take a genius. Discover the true story of how Naismith invented basketball in 1891 at a school in Springfield, Massachusetts.

When Lightnin' Struck

When Lightnin' Struck
Author: Betsy R. Rosenthal
Publisher: Lerner + ORM
Total Pages: 187
Release: 2022-02-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1728452139

It’s 1928 in Odessa, Texas, and eleven-year-old James is struggling to find his purpose in life and to uncover a family secret. With his father struck dead by lightning and his mother in jail, he is taken in by his grandparents. Treated as a pariah at school, James is taunted as being cursed by his family’s bad luck. But he finds a friend in Paul, a Russian immigrant, who is also treated as an outcast, and together, they battle the school bully. But James's life is turned upside-down yet again when he uncovers a family secret involving his beloved grandmother. His discovery leads him to find the sense of purpose he's been seeking.

Story Genius

Story Genius
Author: Lisa Cron
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2016-08-09
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1607748894

Following on the heels of Lisa Cron's breakout first book, Wired for Story, this writing guide reveals how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a riveting story. It’s every novelist’s greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page one rewrite. The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot). Story coach Lisa Cron has spent her career discovering why these methods don’t work and coming up with a powerful alternative, based on the science behind what our brains are wired to crave in every story we read (and it’s not what you think). In Story Genius Cron takes you, step-by-step, through the creation of a novel from the first glimmer of an idea, to a complete multilayered blueprint—including fully realized scenes—that evolves into a first draft with the authority, richness, and command of a riveting sixth or seventh draft.

Practical Genius

Practical Genius
Author: Gina Amaro Rudan
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2013-01-08
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1451626053

An Inc. Magazine business book bestseller: “Positive, insightful, and generous, this book will go a long way in helping you realize that genius is a choice” (Seth Godin). WHAT’S YOUR GENIUS? Forget what you think you know about genius. It’s not a magical, elusive gift — a “lightning bolt from the gods” that strikes people like Einstein or Mozart, but not the rest of us. Everyone’s got genius, but it’s up to you to find it, put it to work, and watch it change your life. This book will show you how to: IDENTIFY YOUR GENIUS Where do your passions and your talents meet? EXPRESS YOUR GENIUS What’s your story, and how do you share it with others? SURROUND YOUR SELF WITH GENIUS Who do you need in your tribe? SUSTAIN YOUR GENIUS How do you feed and care for your genius? MARKET YOUR GENIUS Why are your contradictions actually your largest competitive advantage? The outcome is a profound revelation: You have the tools and ability to realize greatness both in and out of the workplace.

The Genius Within

The Genius Within
Author: David Adam
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Total Pages: 243
Release: 2018-02-08
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1509805044

Witty, sharp and enlightening . . . This book will make you smarter' – Adam Rutherford, author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived What if you have more intelligence than you realize? What if there is a genius inside you, just waiting to be released? And what if the route to better brain power is not hard work or thousands of hours of practice but to simply swallow a pill? In The Genius Within, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Man Who Couldn't Stop, David Adam, explores the ground-breaking neuroscience of cognitive enhancement that is changing the way the brain and the mind works – to make it better, sharper, more focused and, yes, more intelligent. Sharing his own experiments with revolutionary smart drugs and electrical brain stimulation, he delves into the sinister history of intelligence tests, meets savants and brain hackers and reveals how he boosted his own IQ to cheat his way into Mensa. Are you ready to challenge your perception of intelligence and start your adventure of cognitive expansion? Unmask the genius within you with this compelling dive into cognitive neuroscience and the human mind's immense potential.