Genius Myth

A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea

By Helen Lewis | Publisher: Random House

About the book

'This is the book we need right now' CAROLINE CRIADO PEREZ

‘Lucid, funny and fascinating’ ADAM BUXTON

The tech disruptor. The tortured poet. The rebellious scientist. The monstrous artist.


You can tell what a society values by who it labels as a genius. You can also tell who it excludes, who it enables, and what it is prepared to tolerate.

Taking us from the Renaissance Florence of Leonardo da Vinci to the Floridian rocket launches of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Helen Lewis unravels a word that we all use — without really questioning what it means — and asks if the modern idea of genius is distorting our view of the world.

'Brilliant, timely and compulsively readable' OLIVER BURKEMAN

‘A provocative, witty book’ TLS

Editions of Genius Myth

Hardcover
ISBN 9781787333246
Paperback
ISBN 9781529967661
EBook
ISBN 9781529921694

Read an Excerpt

'This is the book we need right now' CAROLINE CRIADO PEREZ

‘Lucid, funny and fascinating’ ADAM BUXTON

The tech disruptor. The tortured poet. The rebellious scientist. The monstrous artist.


You can tell what a society values by who it labels as a genius. You can also tell who it excludes, who it enables, and what it is prepared to tolerate.

Taking us from the Renaissance Florence of Leonardo da Vinci to the Floridian rocket launches of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Helen Lewis unravels a word that we all use — without really questioning what it means — and asks if the modern idea of genius is distorting our view of the world.

'Brilliant, timely and compulsively readable' OLIVER BURKEMAN

‘A provocative, witty book’ TLS

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Genius Myth about?

'This is the book we need right now' CAROLINE CRIADO PEREZ

‘Lucid, funny and fascinating’ ADAM BUXTON

The tech disruptor. The tortured poet. The rebellious scientist. The monstrous artist.


You can tell what a society values by who it labels as a genius. You can also tell who it excludes, who it enables, and what it is prepared to tolerate.

Taking us from the Renaissance Florence of Leonardo da Vinci to the Floridian rocket launches of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Helen Lewis unravels a word that we all use — without really questioning what it means — and asks if the modern idea of genius is distorting our view of the world.

'Brilliant, timely and compulsively readable' OLIVER BURKEMAN

‘A provocative, witty book’ TLS

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Genius Myth?

History and Archaeology > History

Where can I read a sample of Genius Myth?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781787333246

Who is/are the Author/s of the book Genius Myth?

Helen Lewis

Who is the Publisher of the book Genius Myth?

Random House

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

Genius Myth is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781787333246) and paperback(ISBN 9781529967661) and ebook(ISBN 9781529921694)

Where can I buy Genius Myth online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy Genius Myth from below

Where can I buy Genius Myth?