Reviewed by Leonard Smuts for Readers' Favorite

Raising Genius: Mozart, Einstein, Jobs: The Price of Brilliance by Nam Nguyen reminds readers that genius alone is not enough. Parenting, culture, and ambition are among the many factors that shape brilliant minds. The author has chosen three fascinating subjects who came from different backgrounds and were born in different eras. The common threads include the expectations of parents, single-mindedness, and pushing boundaries. Success and the fame that followed came at a price, imposing a burden that distorted family relationships. Wolfgang Mozart was a child prodigy driven by his father’s relentless ambition, becoming a commodity who performed at the behest of the aristocracy and impresarios, and who died young. Albert Einstein, the reluctant scholar, had dreams or was lost in thought. His driving mother tried to keep him on track through structure and discipline, although his father was more understanding. His undistinguished early career was characterized by a troubled marriage and a child, with a mind that would “vanish into notebooks” as he formulated his award-winning theories that rewrote physics. As an adopted child, Steve Jobs sought perfection. School was too dull, and he was bored and disruptive. He challenged authority and broke rules in a world that was too small for him. At times, he was abrasive and intolerant, sharing innovation with ambition. From his experimenting in the family garage at home, Apple Computers was born. Success followed, overshadowed by the birth of a daughter he would not acknowledge.

Nam Nguyen points out that genius does not emerge in isolation. It must be nurtured with persistence, and at times can be overwhelming to a young mind. Genius will not flourish without the support of parents. It comes at a cost to both parent and child, as does fame and the expectations that follow. The question becomes whether the price is too high, and whether genius is a gift or a burden. Apart from the biographical details, this work is a study in parenting, exploring the pitfalls and triumphs. Raising Genius: Mozart, Einstein, Jobs is a factual account, although the dialogue and interaction between those involved are of necessity left to the author to reconstruct. In this, he succeeds admirably. The writing flows smoothly, much like the music of Mozart, and exudes warmth, conjuring up images of days gone by and of those more recent. Written in the style of a novel, it provides a deeply personal glimpse into three very different personalities. But are their stories really so different? It is poignant, evocative, and triumphant, in varying proportions. In particular, the chapters on Mozart shine through. This is an extraordinarily charming piece of writing that will delight the reader.