Geography of Genius Explores How Surroundings Influence Ideas

"When Eric Weiner sat down to write his new book he had to tackle a big question first: How do you define genius?"

"'That's not as easy as it sounds,' he tells NPR's Rachel Martin. 'I have a slightly unusual definition ... that a genius is someone we all agree on is a genius. It's a social verdict.'"

"Weiner traveled all over the world — to Greece, Italy, Scotland and Silicon Valley — to investigate how genius takes root and grows. His book The Geography of Genius is an exploration of how great thinkers are affected by the places and times in which they live."