6. This quote directly shows the connection between the major ideas in this books and the small stories and pieces of text that are found within this book. In this quote, the author writes, “We are at our most perfect when we have something to push against.” This sentence relates to the bigger idea in the book that competition is a prerequisite to genius. When you are competing for something, you are always at full capacity because you have a desire to do something, something to work for. When you are in this state, genius has to have a better chance of popping through because genius is a showing of the best and brightest ideas that we have to offer and these ideas can really only be unlocked when we are putting forth our best effort, which is triggered by competition. Weiner explains this idea perfectly with the story of Brunelleschi and Ghiberti who were both contenders to make the bronze doors on the Baptistery of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. When they tied in the competition, Brunelleschi did not want to work …show more content…
Weiner writes, “Something about Vienna brought out the best in him...More than that, Vienna Vienna created the sort of happy collisions, possibilities of coincidence, that spawn creativity.” (Weiner 222). This quote shows the impact of your setting on your capabilities of being a genius. The book is referring to Mozart's choice in setting and how it provides opportunities to unlock the genius that he has inside of him. Mozart would have never became the composer that we knew today if he were born in a different time period or had lived in a different city that supported music and creativity. Mozart’s setting drove his career and without the acceptance of creativity by his city, he would have never became well known. Mozart’s setting played a key part in making him and genius so I would say that Weiner has shown convincing evidence towards the fact that setting is connected to