Creating Minds: An Anatomy Of Creativity As Seen Through The Lives Of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, And Gandhi

Gardner's theories are groundbreaking and this book is a great introduction, but also don't miss his seminal work in this area (Multiple Intelligence). I have had two children that have participated in multiple intelligence programs in school, and the results of those programs have been outstanding. I truly believe that if the concept that his work explored were deployed throughout our educational institutions that we would have many more "learners" as opposed to students.

As the author of Aha! - 10 Ways To Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas, I was deeply influenced by Gardner's work. I believe that anyone who wants a better understanding of how learning styles and can impact the creativity of an individual will gain much from "Creating Minds."

This is the approach he takes when analyzing the lives and achievements of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, and Gandhi. Throughout the book, Gardner makes brilliant use of both exposition (e.g. analysis, comparison and contrast) and narration (especially when examining causal relationships of special significance) to reveal, explain, and evaluate each of the seven geniuses.

Gardner sets for himself several specific objectives:

* "First, I seek to enter into the worlds that each of the seven figures occupied during the period under investigation -- roughly speaking, the half century from 1885 to 1935."

* "In so doing, I hope to illuminate the nature of their own particular, often peculiar, intellectual capacities, personality configurations, social arrangements, and creative agendas, struggles and accomplishments."

* Also, "I seek conclusions about the nature of the Creative Enterprise writ large. I believe that if we can better understand the breakthroughs achieved by the individuals deliberately drawn from diverse domains, we should be able to tease out the principles that govern creative human activity, wherever it arises."

* Finally, "I seek conclusions about the sparkling, if often troubled, handful of decades that I term `the modern era'...Such a selection [of the seven during the half-century period] allows me to comment not only on [their] particular achievemnents...but also on the times that formed them, and that they in turn helped to define."

Gardner achieves all of these objectives while somehow maintaining a delicate balance between respecting (indeed celebrating) individual genius and explaining the relevance (to each of the seven) of three relationships which are common to them all: the relationship between what he calls the "child" and the "master" throughout human development; the relationship between an individual and the work in which he or she is engaged; and finally, the relationship between the individual and other persons in his or her world.

Of special interest to me is Gardner's acknowledgment that two themes emerged during the course of his research for this book which he had not anticipated when he began. Citing a "confidant" relationship with Fleiss from whom Freud received "sustenance" when he needed it most, Gardner gradually realized that a relationship of this kind, "far from being an isolated case," represents the "norm" among the other six. Besso played much the same role for Einstein, Braque for Picasso, the Diaghilev circle for Stravinsky, Pound for Eliot, Horst for Graham, and Anasyra Sarabhai for Gandhi.

Gardner cites what he calls "the Faustian bargain" as the second theme which emerged unexpectedly during his research. This subject is much too complicated to be summarized in a review such as this. Suffice to note now that inorder to maintain their gifts and continue their work, the seven creators "went through behaviors or practices of a fundamentally superstitious, irrational, or compulsive nature," thereby sacrificing normal relationships with family members and friends. "The kind of bargain may vary, but the tenacity with which it is maintained seems consistent." I intend to keep these two themes in mind when I re-read this extraordinary book.

Here, Gardner wanted to show similarities or differences the Modern Era (1885-1935) had on seven popular figures in the world of art, science, world affairs. Each of these folks came to thier idea(s) in their chosen fields of endeavor because each field had apparently bottomed, exhausted, became the same stuff warmed over and new forms of said fields had been created by these folks by destroying and or simplifying old tenets, and the well worn rules. Gardner also pursues how characteristics of these 7 folks (ill-defined probably in the sense that not many of the contemporaries of that time or the so called normal folks could detect anything nessesarily unusual about these guys and gal) came to gel into the genius we all know and love.

Each were standoff-ish folks who Gardner defines as "marginal personalities"...or people who knew how to marginalise thier out put in order to get to something different and original. This I found was akin to the theory artist having to go thru suffering in order to produce their works. Each had at least one magnum opus--Eliot, "The Waste Land"; Einstein, the Special Theory of Relativity; Picasso, Guernica; Stravinsky, "The Firebird Suite", and so on. Each had at least one friendly foe--Eliot had Pound,
Picasso had Braque, Einstien had Pauli, and so forth. Each made what can be described as a Faustian Bargain. (Hmmmm...) Each person is highlighted by a great biography/history put together in easily accessible writing and stunning detail. Meaning that the bios ain't just dry textbook style writing. This, if for nothing else, is in my opinion why this text will become a valuable addition to anyones library. However, I am left unconvinced that the advent of the Modern Era had much to do with these creative folk create. In spite of his compelling summary and final chapters...but, maybe there is something to the Faustian Bargain making.

My overall impression has always been that in some kind of some mass destruction like say for instance, war and plague and poverty and drug infestation and the like, someone arises from the rubble to either voice human concerns or create that voice that touches on the universal concern. That is one great reason why these folks are compelled to create what they do end up creating.

There is also the Factor Unwritten that is unique to each but cannot and will not be easily defined. Whether this is part of the Bargain, I, of course, cannot say.

And although the era Gardner speaks of seems like a fertile time, history may show that people rising from the dregs to create the divinely inspired creation occurs more than is let on. (Maybe that is another reason why this is an important work, who's to say?) My opinion, and this is to no way belittle or deny the greatness of any of these creators and creations, the best creators have yet to be born. Gardner here, however, has put together a very good study of creators and creative mind. Get it and refer to it often. (By the way, I stumbled on it because I am a big TS Eliot person and the bio section was recommended to me by a professor in these parts.)

Here, Gardener wanted to show similarities or differences the Modern Era (1885-1935) had on seven popular figures in the world of art, science, world affairs. Each of these folks came to thier idea(s) in their chosen fields of endeavor because each field had apparently bottomed, exhausted, became the same stuff warmed over and new forms of said fields had been created by these folks by destroying and or simplifying old tenets, and the well worn rules. Gardener also pursues how ill-defined characteristics of these 7 folks (ill-defined probably in the sense that not namy of the contemporaries of that time or the so called normal folks could detect anything nessesarily unusual about these guys and gal) came to gel into the genius we all know and love.

Each were standoff-ish folks who Gardner defines as "marginal personalities"...or people who knew how to marginalise thier out put in order to get to something differen and original. This I found was akin to the artist having to go thru suferring in order to produce their works. Each had at least one magnum opus--
Eliot, "The Waste Land"; Einstein, the Special Theory of Relativity; Picasso, Guernica; Stravinsky, "The Firebird Suite", and so on. Each had at least one friendly foe--Eliot had Pound,
Picasso had Braque, Einstien had Pauli, and so forth. Each person are highlighted by a great biography/history put together in easily accessible writing and stunning detail. Meaning that the bios ain't just dry textbook style writing. This, if for nothing else, is in my opinion why this text will become a valuable addition to anyones library. However, I am left unconvinced that the advent of the Modern Era had much to do with these creative folk create. In spite of his compelling summary and final chapters.

My impression is that in some kind of some mass destruction like say for instance, war and plague and drug infestation and the like, someone arises from the rubble to either voice human concerns or create that voice that touches on the univeral concern. That is kinda why these folks were compelled to do what they have done. There is still the Factor Unwritten that is unique to each but cannot be easily defined. And although this era Gardner speaks of seems like a fertile time, history may show that this occurs more than is let on. (Maybe that is another reason why this is an important work, who's to say?) My opinion, and this is to no way belittle or deny the greatness of any of these creators and creations, the best creators have yet to be born. Gardner here, however, has put together a very good study of creators and creative mind. Get it and refer to it often. (By the way, I stumbled on it becuase I am a big TS Eliot person and the bio section was recommended to me by a professor in these parts.)