Book Review: Hidden Habits of Genius

This book feels less like an original examination of genius and more like a well-researched but ultimately uninspired repackaging of familiar ideas. I can respect the effort it takes to compile this much material, but when the bulk of it is restating well-known events, it’s hard to find anything novel or truly insightful.

The core premise assumes that genius is inherent and largely independent of external factors, which, frankly, feels incomplete. To buy into the author’s argument, you’d have to accept a Hegelian notion that history is driven by a handful of extraordinary individuals. Personally, I’m not sold. This perspective overlooks the crucial roles that environment, timing, and broader social contexts play in shaping so-called geniuses.

At least three-quarters of the book seems devoted to retelling stories about historical figures—stories I’ve heard before—without adding much depth or new interpretation. It’s like reading a polished collection of Wikipedia entries, which is fine if you’re looking for a refresher but disappointing if you’re expecting fresh insights.

The author also tends to reduce genius to historical impact and novelty, as if those are the only meaningful criteria. There’s even a claim that “as political winds change, so does genius,” which seems to suggest that genius is entirely subjective. If that’s true, what’s the point of spending hundreds of pages trying to pin it down?

There are moments when the book tries to offer something actionable—traits or patterns that supposedly define genius—but it mostly comes across as a list of quirks and coincidences among successful people. The correlations between genius and things like mental health or rebelliousness might be interesting on paper, but without a stronger argument tying everything together, it all feels scattered and superficial.

In the end, this isn’t a guide to understanding genius. It’s a loosely connected series of observations about prominent figures, wrapped in a framework that doesn’t quite hold up. If you’re looking for depth, insight, or even a clear stance on what makes genius, you’re unlikely to find it here.