The Man of Genius (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Nineteenth-Century Study of Genius, Madness, Psychiatry, and the Medicalization of CreativityBy Cesare Lombroso
Length10h 58m
About this audiobook
In The Man of Genius, Cesare Lombroso advances one of the nineteenth century's most provocative attempts to classify creativity through the methods of positivist science. Blending psychiatric case history, anthropometry, anecdote, and literary biography, the book argues that genius stands in close relation to madness, epilepsy, and hereditary degeneration. Its style is encyclopedic and polemical, moving from poets, artists, and philosophers to criminals and patients, and it belongs firmly to the fin-de-siècle context in which medicine, evolutionism, and social theory sought to explain exceptional human behavior. Lombroso, the Italian physician and founder of criminal anthropology, wrote from within a career devoted to locating biological signs of deviance and abnormality. His work with soldiers, prisoners, and psychiatric patients shaped his conviction that character and intellect could be read through bodily and mental symptoms. The Man of Genius extends these theories from the criminal to the creative mind, revealing both his scientific ambition and the limitations of his determinist assumptions. This book is recommended to readers interested in the history of psychiatry, criminology, aesthetics, and theories of creativity. Though its conclusions are now deeply contested, it remains an indispensable document of modernity's effort to medicalize genius.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★ 3.4 (148)
Includes Goodreads
GenrePsychology
Length10 hrs 58 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 30, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Man of Genius (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5PART I. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GENIUS.
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6CHAPTER I. History of the Problem.
7CHAPTER II. Genius and Degeneration.
8CHAPTER III. Latent Forms of Neurosis and Insanity in Genius.
9CHAPTER IV. Genius and Insanity.
10PART II. THE CAUSES OF GENIUS.
11CHAPTER I. Meteorological Influences on Genius.
12CHAPTER II. Climatic Influences on Genius.
13CHAPTER III. The Influence of Race and Heredity on Genius and Insanity.
14CHAPTER IV. The Influence of Disease on Genius.
15CHAPTER V. The Influence of Civilization and of Opportunity.
16PART III. GENIUS IN THE INSANE.
17CHAPTER I. Insane Genius in Literature.
18CHAPTER II. Art in the Insane.
19CHAPTER III. Literary and Artistic Mattoids.
20CHAPTER IV. Political and Religious Lunatics and Mattoids.
21PART IV. SYNTHESIS. THE DEGENERATIVE PSYCHOSIS OF GENIUS.
22CHAPTER I. Characteristics of Insane Men of Genius.
23CHAPTER II. Analogy of Sane to Insane Genius.
24CHAPTER III. The Epileptoid Nature of Genius.
25CHAPTER IV. Sane Men of Genius.
26CHAPTER V.
27CONCLUSIONS.
28APPENDIX. POETRY AND THE INSANE.
29INDEX.
30Analysis
31Reflection
32Memorable Quotes
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