Some Reflections on Genius and Other Essays

Russell Brain, now Lord Brain, has a name to conjure with, and one which for a neurologist surely would have pleased Dickens. Brain is a dominant medical figure in Britain today. Lord Brain, whose title should give lesser men pause, has reflected upon genius and occasionally has genuflected before genius. It is difficult to look upon somebody else dealing with one's personal favorites without prejudice or established preconceptions. We may look upon these tales as an effort to crowd, into a busy life, time for selected observations on many historic characters about whom an enormous amount of knowledge has been provided by professionals. I look upon this book as the remarkable production of the "spare time" of a man with many full-time occupations. Nonetheless, whether scholar or journeyman tinkerer, Brain has brought charming reflections to very deep and complex subjects. This collection of essays entitled Some Reflections on Genius gives