Overview

Shakespeare's tragic plays, Mozart's sublime symphonies, Einstein's revolutionary theories-how did these geniuses create such magnificent and highly original works? Were their brains different from those of ordinary people? Using modern neuroscience together with first-person accounts of creative breakthroughs from artists and scientists such as Mozart, Henri Poincare, and Neil Simon, The Creative Brain illuminates where extraordinary creativity comes from. Acclaimed brain scientist Nancy Andreasen proposes that, due to enriched connections between certain areas of the brain, geniuses are able to tap into the unconscious mind in ways that most of us can't. She also explores the link between creativity and mental illness, and she shows how all of us can enhance our creative potential through mental exercises. Clearly and accessibly written, The Creative Brain is a fascinating investigation into the mystery of human genius.

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9780452287815

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Reviews

Neuroscientists, until recently, shied away from the big questions--such as 'what is consciousness, ' 'what is abstract thinking, ' or (the topic of this book) 'what is creativity'--as being empirically unapproachable. Nancy Andreasen's book comes as a welcome antidote to this inherent conservatism and shows us how creativity can be approached scientifically. In a market flooded with 'new age' books on creativity, Dr. Andreasen's meticulously researched contribution comes as a breath of fresh air. --V.S. Ramachandran, MD, Director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California-San Diego, and author of A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness

Neuroscientists, until recently, shied away from the big questions--such as 'what is consciousness, ' 'what is abstract thinking, ' or (the topic of this book) 'what is creativity'--as being empirically unapproachable. Nancy Andreasen's book comes as a welcome antidote to this inherent conservatism and shows us how creativity can be approached scientifically. In a market flooded with 'new age' books on creativity, Dr. Andreasen's meticulously researched contribution comes as a breath of fresh air. --V.S. Ramachandran, MD, Director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California-San Diego, and author of A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness Our leading authority on creativity reveals herself with this splendid book. --Kurt Vonnegut Expert analysis of the connections between extraordinary creativity, mental illness, intelligence, and the social environment... Andreasen leaves us with hope that the potential exists to enhance the creative capacity in our children and ourselves. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) Andreasen writes with clarity and ease... She makes wonderful connections between the arts and the sciences. --Nature Expert analysis of the connections between extraordinary creativity, mental illness, intelligence, and the social environment Andreasen leaves us with hope that the potential exists to enhance the creative capacity in our children and ourselves. Publishers Weekly (starred review) Andreasen writes with clarity and ease She makes wonderful connections between the arts and the sciences. Nature Expert analysis of the connections between extraordinary creativity, mental illness, intelligence, and the social environment... Andreasen leaves us with hope that the potential exists to enhance the creative capacity in our children and ourselves. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) Andreasen writes with clarity and ease... She makes wonderful connections between the arts and the sciences. --Nature

Expert analysis of the connections between extraordinary creativity, mental illness, intelligence, and the social environment Andreasen leaves us with hope that the potential exists to enhance the creative capacity in our children and ourselves. Publishers Weekly (starred review) Andreasen writes with clarity and ease She makes wonderful connections between the arts and the sciences. Nature

Expert analysis of the connections between extraordinary creativity, mental illness, intelligence, and the social environment... Andreasen leaves us with hope that the potential exists to enhance the creative capacity in our children and ourselves. --Publishers Weekly (starred review)<br><br><br><br> Andreasen writes with clarity and ease... She makes wonderful connections between the arts and the sciences. --Nature<br><br>

Author Information

Nancy Andreasen is the Andrew H. Woods Chair of Psychiatry and director of the Mental Health Clinical Research Center at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. She served for twelve years as the editor in chief of the American Journal of Psychiatry and has authored or edited fifteen books, including The Broken Brain and Brave New Brain. She was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Clinton.

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