Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This book has a deceptive title that suggests that it is objectively focusing on the concept of genius. I think that if you were to ask the average person to start naming the smartest people in the world, you would end up with names like Einstein and Mozart, Michelangelo and Bobby Fischer. Even given that Landrum was going for people who have displayed genius in the last forty years, I'm sure that there are people who rate higher on an IQ test than the thirteen men Landrum has chosen.
And so, this book is much more a measure and study of what goes into business success than it is a blueprint for genius. By identifying thirteen men and thirteen characteristics that can be emulated for financial gain, Landrum is giving business advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, and I wish that the title of the book reflected that.
Aside from that, I'm not sure that the book does a good job of identifying thirteen separate personality traits that drive success. For one thing, many of the traits seem to overlap or even seem somewhat synonymous. The personality traits of being competitive, driven, and passionate are extremely similar, if not identical. For another thing, all of the personality traits are described in glowing, positive terms. Where are the traits of ruthlessness, greed, and insecurity that also drive some of the market forces that drive success?
I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade, and I realize that this book can serve the valuable function of inspiring those who undertake the very difficult job of being an entrepreneur. I started and ran my own business for seven years, and realize that there is some sound business advice in this book that can help someone to make their own dreams come true.
But I don't want anyone to think that this book is something that it's not. It's not a book about genius, nor is it a scientifically sound piece of research. I'd recommend it to business owners or inventors, but not to those who are truly interested in the nature of the human mind.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Profiles of Genius: Thirteen Creative Men Who Changed the World
The story of creative and innovative behaviour is about change", says author Gene N Landrum. "In this case it is about thirteen iconoclastic individuals who have demonstrated a unique ability to deal with change in the world and redefine it for their own purposes."Landrum calls these individuals the "change masters," entrepreneurial geniuses whose innovations have had a profound influence on modern society: Steven Jobs (Apple Computer), Fred Smith (Federal Express), Tom Monaghan (Domino's Pizza), Nolan Bushnell (Atari), William Gates III (Microsoft), Marcel Bich (Bic), Solomon Price (The Price Club), Howard Head (Head Ski), William Lear (Lear Jet), Soichiro Honda (Honda), Akio Morita (Sony), Arthur Jones (Nautilus), and Ted Turner (CNN). Each of these business giants was motivated by what Landrum describes as an "innovisionary personality", which drove them to follow a unique inner vision of success and gave them an inviolable belief in themselves."Profiles of Genius" demonstrates, through thirteen dynamic examples, that future entrepreneurial success in a global marketplace will depend on technological innovation, adaptability to change, intelligent risk-taking, and competitive drive.
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