The Socrates Express

Weiner is an affable tour guide and a lively, witty writer in the style of Bill Bryson; the connections he makes between places of genius are sharp and sometime unexpected. - Booklist Why do certain places produce a spontaneous eruption of creativity? What made Athens and Florence and Silicon Valley? This witty and fun book has an insight in every paragraph. It's a charming mix of history and wisdom cloaked as a rollicking travelogue filled with colorful characters. - Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of The Innovators and Steve Jobs An entertaining and thought-provoking book, a combination of history and travelogue... Part of the book's charm stems from the pure joy of experiencing these places alongside a narrator like Weiner... His wry wit shines through as he drinks sublime tea in China and contemplates a coffin collar in an Edinburgh museum; as he interviews figures such as Jack Ma, a Hangzhou native who founded multibillion dollar company Alibaba; and as he wanders the Ringstrasse of Vienna and the strip malls of Silicon Valley, pondering the conditions that lead to genius. - Christian Science Monitor Eric Weiner has single-handedly invented a new nonfiction genre in which a brilliant and hilarious writer leaves his home and family to circle the globe in search of the answer to a timeless question. The Geography of Genius is an intellectual odyssey, a traveler's diary, and a comic novel all rolled into one. Smart, original, and utterly delightful, this is Weiner's best book yet. - Daniel Gilbert, Harvard professor and bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness It's rare to read a book that makes you laugh and learn, but Eric Weiner has done it again. This witty, wise explorer offers fascinating insights on how culture has inspired creativity across the ages-ripe for chats at water coolers and cocktail parties-and offers a practical map for how we can all become a bit more inventive. - Adam Grant, Wharton professor and bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals The Geography of Genius is witty, informative, and compulsively readable. Whether you're getting genius tips from Freud in Vienna or hearing the secrets of high-tech powerhouses in Silicon Valley, you'll emerge smarter after reading this delightful travelogue of ingenuity. - Daniel H. Pink, bestselling author of To Sell Is Human and Drive A global odyssey that seeks to discover why geniuses gather in certain places during certain eras and why these hot spots burn out, often after a half-century of grand achievements. Weiner is a superb travel guide: funny, knowledgeable, self-deprecating and always up for sharing a bottle of wine. - Washington Post There are some writers whose company is worth keeping, whatever the subject... And Mr. Weiner is blessed with this gift. He is a prober and questioner, a big-hearted humanist who will always take a colorful, contradictory reality over some unfounded certainty. - Wall Street Journal Praise for The Geography of Genius: A witty, entertaining romp. Weiner's vivid descriptions of modern-day life in each locale make the spots feel like must-visit destinations. - The New York Times Book Review Such a globe-trotting tour of philosophy can only be as good as its guide, and Weiner proves to be a curious, sincere, and generous companion. His good cheer alone serves as a model for how to live, and many readers will appreciate his method of taking what's useful for him and leaving what's not. . . . 'The world needs more philosophical enthusiasts,' Weiner writes. This book is sure to generate its share. -Kirkus Reviews