Book Blurbs

“What we refer to as a great and special talent usually implies superiority that is expeditious rather than qualitative. In other words, it simply means doing quickly and with brilliant success what ordinary intellects carry out slowly but well. Instead of distinguishing between mediocre and great minds, it would be preferable and more correct in most instances to classify them as slow and facile. The latter are certainly more brilliant and stimulating–there is no substitute for them in conversation, oratory, and journalism, that is in all lines of work where time is a decisive factor. However, in scientific undertakings the slow prove to be as useful as the fast because scientists like artists are judged by the quality of what they produce, not by the speed of production. I would even venture to add that as a very common compensation slow brains have great endurance for prolonged concentration. They open wide, deep furrows in problems, whereas facile brains often tire quickly after scarcely clearing the land. There are, however, many exceptions to this generalization: Newton, Davy, Pasteur, Virchow, and others who were active minds who left a broad, luminoous wake.” (p. 24)