Extraordinary Minds: Portraits of 4 Exceptional Individuals and an Examination of Our Own Extraordinariness

By Howard Gardner

Book Overview

Fifteen years ago, psychologist and educator Howard Gardner introduced the idea of multiple intelligences, challenging the presumption that intelligence consists of verbal or analytic abilities only -- those intelligences that schools tend to measure. He argued for a broader understanding of the intelligent mind, one that embraces creation in the arts and music, spatial reasoning, and the ability to understand ourselves and others. Today, Gardner's ideas have become widely accepted -- indeed, they have changed how we think about intelligence, genius, creativity, and even leadership, and he is widely regarded as one of the most important voices writing on these subjects. Now, in Extraordinary Minds, a book as riveting as it is new, Gardner poses an important question: Is there a set of traits shared by all truly great achievers -- those we deem extraordinary -- no matter their field or the time period within which they did their important work? In an attempt to answer this question, Gardner first examines how most of us mature into more or less competent adults. He then examines closely four persons who lived unquestionably extraordinary lives -- Mozart, Freud, Woolf, and Gandhi -- using each as an exemplar of a different kind of extraordinariness: Mozart as the master of a discipline, Freud as the innovative founder of a new discipline, Woolf as the great introspect or, and Gandhi as the influencer. What can we learn about ourselves from the experiences of the extraordinary? Interestingly, Gardner finds that an excess of raw power is not the most impressive characteristic shared by superachievers; rather, these extraordinary individuals all have had a special talent for identifying their own strengths and weaknesses, for accurately analyzing the events of their own lives, and for converting into future successes those inevitable setbacks that mark every life. Gardner provides answers to a number of provocative questions, among them: How do we explain extraordinary times -- Athens in the fifth century B.C., the T'ang Dynasty in the eighth century, Islamic Society in the late Middle Ages, and New York at the middle of the century? What is the relation among genius, creativity, fame, success, and moral extraordinariness? Does extraordinariness make for a happier, more fulfilling life, or does it simply create a special onus?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0465021255
• ISBN13: 9780465021253
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Fascinating Insights into the Minds of Great Leaders and Exceptional Individuals

Howard Gardner, as a professor of education at Harvard, and adjunct professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, is well equipped to analyze the minds of extraordinary people. In this work Gardner explores the lives, backgrounds, and traits of Wolfgang Mozart, Virginia Wolf, Sigmund Freud, and Mahatma Gandhi. After ten years of study, he concluded (p.xi) that there are four distinct varieties of extraordinary minds: 1). The Master. 2). The Maker. 3). The Introspector. 4). The Influencer. A Master (Mozart) is an individual (p.11) who gains complete mastery over one or more domains of accomplishment. This occurs with established practice. The Maker (Freud) is typically not satisfied (p.78) by a life working alongside others at the forefront of his domain, and moves regularly in new directions; confronting challenges that are invisible to, or resisted by others. The Introspector (Wolf, p. 96) must master a domain of communication- a public symbol system. Usually this is the written word, but there are also introspective dancers and painters. Wolf created a new domain; the Experimental Novel. The Influencer (Gandhi, p.111) often challenges authority and takes risks to achieve their goals. They create powerful stories and engage the minds and spirits of followers, and are thus able to convert power into influence. Gardner asserts that if we are to have a world civilization that strives toward fairness and peacefulness, we must understand as much as possible about individuals of unusual promise and achievement. For it is through this understanding, that insights will come to unite talent and a sense of responsibility. This is a very thought-provoking, interesting book, which seeks to inspire us to reach our own highest level of extraordinariness, and to use that achievement for the collective good. Gardner asserts that much of the good and bad in the world has been a result of the thoughts and actions of a few extraordinary individuals. I learned a lot about what makes a person a leader and an icon. Excellent and highly recommended reading by a brilliant researcher.

Excellent informative book

I first read this book in 1998 or 1999, and since have lost my copy, but I remember enjoying every page of it. I also remember identifying myself as a "Freud" - creating a new domain. Would recommend this to anyone who is interested in clarifying and expanding their consciousness, educational realm, and creating a rich learning context.

Marvellous Introduction to the Study of Genius

Howard Gardner gives us an excellent and accessible introduction to his work with this book. Though small, it contains several gems for those of us who would like to emulate the lives and practices of extraordinary individuals.

Extraordinary!

I am continually amazed at how Gardner always puts out original and thought-provoking books. This is such a great book for anyone who wants to know what makes leaders and creators extraordinary. Gardner discovers that most great people are not great in many areas, but know their skills and have worked hard to develop those skills way beyond their contemporaries. Those who enjoy this book would also enjoy Creating Minds and Leading Minds (my favorite Gardner book). Like this one, they are packed full of useful information on great men and women.

A good culminating read, after Gardner's others.

This book pulls together Gardner's cognitive theory on extraordinary individuals and leaders. He refines his framework for the study of extraordinary individuals of the 20th century by identfying four forms: the master, maker, introspector, and influencer. It builds upon elements from Creating Minds and Leading Minds. The one individual that ties all three books together is the life of Gandhi. A very interesting, fast read for those in leadership positions.