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Learner Reviews & Feedback for The Nature of Genius by Yale University

4.8
stars
147 ratings

About the Course

Today "genius" is all around us. Celebrities, athletes, child prodigies, even your local Apple employees, all are referred to as geniuses. But are they? And if not these individuals then who? In this course, Henry L. and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Music Emeritus and author of The Hidden Habits of Genius, Craig Wright, will begin by giving you his definition and prerequisites for true genius and challenge you to come up with your own. From there we'll look at examples of geniuses both historical and modern to try to identify the threads that bind them together and understand what separates the true genius from the wannabe... We’ll explore where creativity, curiosity and passion originate and how geniuses are able to discover, cultivate and apply their prodigious stores of each so as to fashion world changing ideas and inventions. Specific topics covered in the course include: Genius and Gender Genius and Money Whether or not celebrities and athletes can be considered geniuses Where and when genius happen The morality of genius Genius and inequality And dozens more While this course almost assuredly will not turn anyone into a genius, we hope it will serve to inspire you to cultivate your own creativity, explore your own curiosity, and pursue your own passion....

Top reviews

WM

Nov 2, 2022

An amazingly eye opening class that I will gladly recommend anyone should take. For our universe to function the best way it was designed, there must be synergy between human and economic capital.

PM

Feb 18, 2023

A very well structured & presented course.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Covers all aspects of the Genius category from Historical recognition to present day recognition of this entity.

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1 - 25 of 72 Reviews for The Nature of Genius

By Jan G

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Mar 28, 2023

I have taken online courses thru Coursera for close to 12 years. Many I have completed...some I haven't. However, there are only two completed courses that are my favourites: "Archaeology's Dirty Little Secrets" and "Learning to Learn." To this list I am adding "The Nature of Genius."

Professor Graig Wright both engages and informs so it is effortless to follow, understand, and unravel the mystery of genius. You will not be bored!

I did get behind in the course but that is the professor's fault. It was due to his recommended reading. How does one only read two chapters of "Narrative of the Life of Frederik Douglass." Written in 1845 he shares his life as a slave. Also two chapters of Angela Duckworth's book "Grit." She explains Grit as "working on something you care about so much that you are willing to stay loyal to it. It's doing what you love and staying in love." I was able to Google them without a fee and have read to completion.

Thank You Professor Wright, you've left me with a lot to think about.

By Wale M

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Nov 2, 2022

An amazingly eye opening class that I will gladly recommend anyone should take. For our universe to function the best way it was designed, there must be synergy between human and economic capital.

By Pradip M

•

Feb 19, 2023

A very well structured & presented course.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Covers all aspects of the Genius category from Historical recognition to present day recognition of this entity.

By Shirley L

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Nov 9, 2022

It is a wonderful course! I thought I would learn some music history and some musicians or other genius' name in this class. However, it offers viewpoints and knowledge beyond history. It evoked lots of ideas and thoughts about the definition of genius, the features of genius, the relationship between genius and money and morality, and finally, the grand vision of cultivating genius.

The best thing of this course to offer is the stimulation of your intelligence.

the second best thing is to learn from the perspective of genius and maybe help us move forward our studies and career.

By Sudha M

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Oct 21, 2022

Thank you for the information and insights Dr Wright. Such a well put together course !

Now that I know that the nature of genius has no cookie cutter answer makes me admire genius even more. How were they so far seeing ? How did they do so much with what they had ?

As a mother and sometimes as a teacher, I have to then say that "perfect storm" could happen in anyones life and that one should "pamper ones own passion". Wonder if you agree !

Thanks once again.

By Sorina C S

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Oct 12, 2022

Engaging information, well researched, eloquestly shared by professor Wright, good pace and testing system. There were some discrepancies between the course material and corect answers in tests. After a few faulty ones, I stopped clicking the wrong answer judt for receiving 100% on exams. They are many of them ~ 10, I might say. Thank you for the opportunity. I'll surely enter my creative space next time with a slighly different perspective and expectation.

By Susan H

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Nov 2, 2022

I found this course fascinating. The ideas put forward were interesting and thought provoking. Cannot get on board with the idea of Kanye West as a genius but otherwise found the propositions put forward by Professor Wright to be interesting and definitely gave me food for thought. It also added a few books to my list and has given me a few people to go away and read more about.

Thanks for an entertaining and informative course.

By michael p

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Nov 10, 2022

Professor Wright is an excellent instructor and I highly recommend both of his Coursera courses. In each case he presents material that has been developed for many years at Yale and it is clear that both topics are very dear to his heart. Also it is obvious that he loves teaching and believes in the MOOC concept.

By Richard

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Jun 20, 2023

As usual, Professor Wright has hit a home run with this course! Not only did he provide valuable factual information, but he stimulated thoughts and ideas through delving into controversial issues related to course topics. He skillfully handled this by allowing students to express their own thoughts as well.

By Theresa D

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Aug 11, 2023

A very interesting course. It really made me think about things in different ways. It also taught me a lot about some of history’s most prominent artists and scientists. The discussion of Bezos, Musk, and Jobs were eye-opening. I enjoyed listening to Professor Wright as well. Highly recommend.

By Joe B

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Nov 13, 2022

I found all of the videos interesting and engaging. I liked the true historical perspective presented in reference to popular and celebrity geniuses. I found the entire course very educational. I definitely felt like a learned a lot that is going to spur my interest in other types of knowledge.

By Tshepo M

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Feb 18, 2023

Great lesson with so many take away. I have learned that my children should be left to explore and learn as much as they can from various sources. They should not chase good grades with the idea that they will one day be regarded as geniuses.

By Anne J

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May 27, 2023

I really enjoyed this course. It gave me new insights into what "genius" is and is not. I like the way that the information that was presented contradicted some of my past notions about geniuses and opened my mind to new ways of looking at them.

By Mark K

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Dec 30, 2022

I have found Dr. Wright's teaching style in both this and his introduction to classical music course to be well organized, insightful, intellectually challenging, and most of all, fun! Thank you for your work - I have learned a lot from you.

By Thomas S

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Feb 12, 2023

Great course! Opened my eyes to what are common traits in geniuses and many of the societal problems hindering the potential for future geniuses. There should be equality for all to explore their potential and perhaps greatness.

By Michael

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Oct 31, 2022

I really enjoyed the course. The professor did a great job organizing information on an inherently qualitative topic and presenting it in a way that I found logical, engaging and relevant to contemporary topics.

By Nikolay L

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May 31, 2023

Thank you very much professor, this is a very interesting course, let me understand how to distinguish the difference between a genius and a celebrity, this allows me to see the essence of things.

By Doina M

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Jun 8, 2023

A wonderful course, well-prepared, thorough and unexpectedly interesting. Thank you for the opportunity to discover the marvelous world of genius in a very pleasant, educated and challenging way.

By Michelle B

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Oct 30, 2022

I especially loved the very last part, and the way it tied to the earlier guest lecture by Dr. Jennings on how we need genius to fix things. Such a simple idea but so true.

By Bobby S

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Oct 11, 2022

Good research work across cultures and histories. It offers great insights on both the internal and external factors impacting on the development of geniuses.

By Jasmine P

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Apr 26, 2023

It's an interesting course. It not only encourages thinking about the meaning one's life and meaning, but also provides valuable information for parenting.

By Johann L

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Dec 22, 2022

Unbelievable courses and a delicate arrangement of content solved my questions for years.

Maybe 'To genius, or not to genius, that is the question.'

By Carolina A

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Nov 9, 2022

Excellent analysis from Prof Wright on the nature of genius. I feel richer from the understanding and knowledge that I have acquired. Thank you

By Amin M a K a A M G

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Nov 22, 2022

The Nature of Genius was an interesting course and I would recommend it if you want to learn more about genius and its various machinations.