Acclaimed travel writer and the bestselling author of The Geography of Bliss examines the link between the power of place and the influence of culture on creativity. In The Geography of Genius, Weiner sets out to examine the connection between our surroundings and our most innovative ideas. He relates 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. In these places, Weiner asks, “What was in the air, and can we bottle it?”