Official Review: Finding Yourself in the Town of Geniuses
Posted: 03 May 2017, 16:31
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Finding Yourself in the Town of Geniuses" by Valentina Knurova.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Finding Yourself in the Town of Geniuses by Valentina Knurova is more than just a book – it is an entire experience – one that fully takes advantage of our modern technological access to media and information. It is a surreal, genre-bending hybrid of fiction and non-fiction, ripe with life lessons and metaphor as well as actual educational information. This is the type of book one could read a dozen times, taking away something new each time.
As we first encounter our narrator, Sophie, she is enveloped in a mysterious fog that escorts her to the Town of Geniuses. This fictional town and Sophie’s quest for her own source of genius is the framework for the rest of the book, which is essentially a compilation of the life stories of many famous (real-life) figures. We are invited, along with Sophie, to examine the patterns among the lives of these famous geniuses, and to draw our own conclusions about the ultimate meaning of genius itself.
As Sophie explores the town, entering metaphorical buildings that appear and disappear, she encounters residents of the Town of Geniuses that aid in her search, as well as fellow seekers. We follow along with her quest, gradually learning more and more about the lives of famous historical geniuses like Einstein, Mozart, Pavarotti, Da Vinci, Newton, and others. Their lives are presented in an easily-digestible summary format, and the book contains inlaid photos and quotations which give life to what might otherwise be dry history. Furthermore, our reading experience is enhanced by the fact that the author has included hyperlinks within the text of the book, linking the reader to online archives of famous speeches, musical pieces, and theatrical performances. This allows us to experience genius as we read, creating a self-driven multimedia experience tailored to the reader’s interests. Each performance linked within the text serves as one piece of the puzzle, assisting the reader in a philosophical exploration of the general concept of genius.
Some of the questions and themes explored in the text include the definition of success (whether, for example, it pertains to a certain end goal or to an entire lifetime), the concept of inherent vs. cultivated genius, the role of fortune and choice, and the relationship between genius and happiness. Through the exploration of dozens of life stories of well-known geniuses, the author demonstrates that genius can appear in a variety of ways, during wildly different times of life, and can be developed through markedly varied pathways. Through the musings of the narrator, the author explores three essential elements of genius: an idea, devoted labor, and mastery (or “perfection”) of skill. The role of creativity is emphasized, as is the role of motivation and devotion to proper calling.
The author did a number of fascinating things with this book. For one, the format in which it was written allows for the reader to digest large amounts of facts without being overly bogged down in information. Though the historical accounts were numerous and brief, it was relatively easy to remember each one and to recall the previous information presented about a certain individual when that person was mentioned again later in the text. Had the author spent the entire text simply discussing an abstract idea of “genius”, the text could become very dry and difficult to follow, but framing it within the fictional account of a physical visitation to the Town of Geniuses allowed the reader to assimilate each new piece of information as it was presented. It was almost as if the information presented in the text was given to us with its own mnemonic device, breaking up the pieces into easily digestible and memorable chunks. The pace is quick enough to move through the concept without dwelling unnecessarily on any one aspect of it, without being so brief as to feel incomplete. Having access to the multimedia archives also brought to life many of the figures being discussed, as well as their accomplishments, allowing the reader to truly experience genius in its raw form.
This book would be an excellent choice for someone looking to learn more about iconic historical figures through a non-traditional format. Interestingly, this book could also serve well as a motivational text, as it talks at length about the role of dedication to hard work as well as the concept of creativity. Anyone seeking to develop their talents into a form of genius could benefit from the concepts in this book. There were not many negatives aside from a few basic grammar and punctuation errors, and a few instances of inconsistent tense use. The book focuses largely on Western “geniuses” and could be better rounded out by including well-known figures from other regions of the world, but the individuals that were included were chosen wisely. I did detect a slight anti-religious slant in the work, since the concept of religion was mentioned more than once in less than favorable terms – this may be off-putting to some readers, though it is not a significant portion of the text. In all, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Finding Yourself in the Town of Geniuses
View: on Bookshelves
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3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Finding Yourself in the Town of Geniuses by Valentina Knurova is more than just a book – it is an entire experience – one that fully takes advantage of our modern technological access to media and information. It is a surreal, genre-bending hybrid of fiction and non-fiction, ripe with life lessons and metaphor as well as actual educational information. This is the type of book one could read a dozen times, taking away something new each time.
As we first encounter our narrator, Sophie, she is enveloped in a mysterious fog that escorts her to the Town of Geniuses. This fictional town and Sophie’s quest for her own source of genius is the framework for the rest of the book, which is essentially a compilation of the life stories of many famous (real-life) figures. We are invited, along with Sophie, to examine the patterns among the lives of these famous geniuses, and to draw our own conclusions about the ultimate meaning of genius itself.
As Sophie explores the town, entering metaphorical buildings that appear and disappear, she encounters residents of the Town of Geniuses that aid in her search, as well as fellow seekers. We follow along with her quest, gradually learning more and more about the lives of famous historical geniuses like Einstein, Mozart, Pavarotti, Da Vinci, Newton, and others. Their lives are presented in an easily-digestible summary format, and the book contains inlaid photos and quotations which give life to what might otherwise be dry history. Furthermore, our reading experience is enhanced by the fact that the author has included hyperlinks within the text of the book, linking the reader to online archives of famous speeches, musical pieces, and theatrical performances. This allows us to experience genius as we read, creating a self-driven multimedia experience tailored to the reader’s interests. Each performance linked within the text serves as one piece of the puzzle, assisting the reader in a philosophical exploration of the general concept of genius.
Some of the questions and themes explored in the text include the definition of success (whether, for example, it pertains to a certain end goal or to an entire lifetime), the concept of inherent vs. cultivated genius, the role of fortune and choice, and the relationship between genius and happiness. Through the exploration of dozens of life stories of well-known geniuses, the author demonstrates that genius can appear in a variety of ways, during wildly different times of life, and can be developed through markedly varied pathways. Through the musings of the narrator, the author explores three essential elements of genius: an idea, devoted labor, and mastery (or “perfection”) of skill. The role of creativity is emphasized, as is the role of motivation and devotion to proper calling.
The author did a number of fascinating things with this book. For one, the format in which it was written allows for the reader to digest large amounts of facts without being overly bogged down in information. Though the historical accounts were numerous and brief, it was relatively easy to remember each one and to recall the previous information presented about a certain individual when that person was mentioned again later in the text. Had the author spent the entire text simply discussing an abstract idea of “genius”, the text could become very dry and difficult to follow, but framing it within the fictional account of a physical visitation to the Town of Geniuses allowed the reader to assimilate each new piece of information as it was presented. It was almost as if the information presented in the text was given to us with its own mnemonic device, breaking up the pieces into easily digestible and memorable chunks. The pace is quick enough to move through the concept without dwelling unnecessarily on any one aspect of it, without being so brief as to feel incomplete. Having access to the multimedia archives also brought to life many of the figures being discussed, as well as their accomplishments, allowing the reader to truly experience genius in its raw form.
This book would be an excellent choice for someone looking to learn more about iconic historical figures through a non-traditional format. Interestingly, this book could also serve well as a motivational text, as it talks at length about the role of dedication to hard work as well as the concept of creativity. Anyone seeking to develop their talents into a form of genius could benefit from the concepts in this book. There were not many negatives aside from a few basic grammar and punctuation errors, and a few instances of inconsistent tense use. The book focuses largely on Western “geniuses” and could be better rounded out by including well-known figures from other regions of the world, but the individuals that were included were chosen wisely. I did detect a slight anti-religious slant in the work, since the concept of religion was mentioned more than once in less than favorable terms – this may be off-putting to some readers, though it is not a significant portion of the text. In all, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Finding Yourself in the Town of Geniuses
View: on Bookshelves
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