The Price of Greatness: Resolving the Creativity and Madness Controversy

by Arnold M. Ludwig

Book Overview

Exploring the lives and achievements of over 1,000 extraordinary men and women, this book offers answers to the age-old questions about the relationship between mental illness and greatness, and also reveals factors that predict creative achievement. The book is filled with colorful stories about many of the most eminent artists, scientists, social activists, politicians, soldiers, and business people of our time.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0898628393
• ISBN13: 9780898628395
• Release Date: March 1995
• Publisher: Guilford Publications
• Length: 310 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

amazing synthesis of a mountain of information

Great book that the author poured heart and soul into through ten years of research. He states in the Preface that he spent this time investigating the link between mental illness and exceptional creative achievement. However, it's also about the characteristics--life histories, personality traits, etc--of people who achieve historical eminence in general. What are the characteristics of those who achieve the highest level of eminence? I'll name just two of them and not spoil the rest of it for you: the personality trait of contrariness, and the tendency to be a loner. What's most impressive about this book is the sheer volume of biographical information that the author read through in order to write this. He read extensively on about 1000 eminent people who lived in the 20th century, and then summarized the information in a concise and highly readable fashion. Overall, a great read for anyone remotely interested in the subjects of creativity, mental illness, and high achievement, as well as their relationship to one another. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

A fascinating book....one of the Best books on the subject!!

A very detailed book, the best I have read on the subject and one of the best books I've Ever read. It was very hard to put down. An Incredible book!