Read by the author

Tag along on this romp as Eric Winer travels the world, from Athens to Silicon Valley-and back through history, too-to show how creative genius flourishes in specific places at specific times. In this novel, acclaimed travel writer Weiner sets out to examine the connection between our surroundings and our most innovative ideas. He explores the history of places like Vienna of 1900, Renaissance Florence, ancient Athens, Song Dynasty Hangzhou, and Silicon Valley to show how certain urban settings are conducive to ingenuity. He walks the same paths as the geniuses who flourished in these settings to see if the spirit of what inspired figures like Socrates, Michelangelo, and Leonardo remains. In these places, Weiner asks, 'What was in the air, and can we bottle it'?

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