NEW!
Spark: How Genius Ignites, From Child Prodigies to Late Bloomers
(National Geographic Books: April 27, 2021)
What propels some individuals to reach extraordinary creative heights in the earliest years of life while others achieve greatness decades later? Is a prodigy born or made? What role does purpose play in the evolution of midlifers and late bloomers? And how do personality and luck play into the arc of discovery and the legacy left behind?
These questions sent journalist Claudia Kalb on a years-long journey to explore moments of inspiration in the lives of 13 star achievers who cross centuries and subject areas—from Pablo Picasso, Yo-Yo Ma and Isaac Newton to Julia Child, Maya Angelou and Eleanor Roosevelt.
In Spark, Claudia spotlights landmarks of ingenuity she visited to illuminate her reporting: Leonardo da Vinci’s birthplace in the hills of Tuscany; Newton’s bedroom looking over his famed apple garden in the English countryside; Alexander Fleming’s lab, where he discovered penicillin; the busy town square of Málaga, Spain, where a young Picasso drew his first pictures in the dust; and Roosevelt’s favorite walking path in the woods outside Val-Kill, her home in Hyde Park, N.Y. Claudia interviewed Bill Gates and Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, and shares exclusive excerpts from conversations she had with Yo-Yo Ma while profiling him for National Geographic. A number of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Picasso, Shirley Temple, Roosevelt, and Grandma Moses talked with Claudia about their memories.
Spark unravels the relationship between the mind and human potential though storytelling and science. “My hope is that these profiles will not only illuminate the many junctures at which discovery can happen,” Claudia writes, “but will also inspire those who are still searching for fulfillment."
Praise for Spark:
“With insight and fluidity, the great Claudia Kalb plumbs the dimensions and dynamics of genius in a sparkling book that illuminates and inspires. This is a wonderful achievement.” —Jon Meacham, historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author
“Spark is an intelligent, condensed history of humanity. In a book that constantly surprises and delights, Claudia Kalb studies brilliantly the origin and nature of creativity—from innate abilities to environmental influences—to provide an overall pictures of this fascinating area.” —Diana Widmaier Picasso, art historian, curator, and granddaughter of Pablo Picasso
“Claudia Kalb is a masterful storyteller who weaves science with biography to reveal new insights into how passion and purpose emerge. Rigorously and thoroughly readable, Spark is both captivating and enlightening.” —Richard Kogan, concert pianist and clinical professor of psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College
Q&A’s: Read more about Claudia’s experience reporting and writing Spark:
TV, Virtual & Radio Interviews with Claudia:
Politics & Prose Bookstore Event Video: In Conversation with Ann McDaniel
Think, KERA Radio/Podcast: In Conversation with Host Krys Boyd
Publicist, National Geographic Books: Ann Day (Ann.Day@natgeo.com)
New York Times Bestseller!
Andy Warhol was a Hoarder: Inside the Minds of History’s Great Personalities
Why did Andy Warhol fill hundreds of boxes with old postcards, medical bills, and pizza dough? What made Marilyn Monroe overdose on sedatives? Why did Charles Darwin suffer from stomachaches, and Howard Hughes insist on turning doorknobs with Kleenex?
What drives creative genius, intellectual brilliance, and ingenious leadership? And what lies beneath?
These are some of the questions that launched this book: a journey into the wonder and anguish of the mind as told through the lives of 12 celebrated figures who reshaped the world. Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity transformed our understanding of time and space. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves. George Gershwin’s “Summertime” intoxicated the soul. Almost all of these characters were enormously accomplished in science, business, politics or the arts—but every one of them also exhibited behaviors associated with a mental health condition like autism, depression, anxiety, addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Their psyches reveal characteristics that many of us will recognize in our spouses, children, friends—even ourselves.
In her meticulously researched book, Claudia delves into historical data, interviews with leading mental health experts, and cutting-edge brain research to illuminate the intricacies of the brain and human behavior. Packed with revelations and vivid storytelling, this narrative provides a new perspective on 12 remarkable individuals. By learning more about them, we discover a greater appreciation for the depths of human experience—and gain a great understanding of ourselves.
Praise for Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder
“With keen insight and a writerly flair, Claudia Kalb, one of the nation's preeminent science journalists, has written a book that is at once profound and a great deal of fun. She takes us on an engrossing and original journey into the minds (and, yes, the madnesses) of some of history's most intriguing figures. Kalb explores nothing less than the mysteries of genius and individuality.” —Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize winning author of American Lion
“A brilliant and fascinating journey into the perils that so often accompany genius. Spell-binding.” —Edward Hallowell, M.D., co-author of Driven to Distraction
“With a sharp eye but forgiving, deep-seated sense of humanity, Claudia Kalb takes us into the netherworld where emotions make (and break) extraordinary figures, from Marilyn Monroe to Albert Einstein. Compelling, intriguing, surprising, and fun." —Evan Thomas, author of Being Nixon
Andy Warhol is not only a fun and engaging read. It also reminds us of something that can't be said enough: even people of great accomplishment, who are adored and admired by the world, who experience great joy, and who feel immense satisfaction in their contributions to humankind can nevertheless suffer from a devastating mental disorder. With the stigma attached to mental illness still keeping people from seeking help, this is an immensely important message. —Sharon Begley, Senior Science Writer, STAT
“Claudia Kalb uses insights about the great men and women of history to animate today’s most gripping mental health headlines … A wonderful book.” —Robin Marantz Henig, New York Times Magazine contributing writer and President, National Association of Science Writers
