The nature of artistic creativity and its relationship with ‘difference' has intrigued people for centuries. The Genesis of Artistic Creativity is a revealing exploration of the lives of 21 famous writers, philosophers, musicians and painters including George Orwell, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Andy Warhol and many others, in light of the recognized criteria for diagnosis of high-functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

Having diagnosed hundreds of individuals with Asperger's Syndrome during his professional career, Professor Fitzgerald examines here the social behaviour, language, humour, and obsessive interests and routines that accompanied creative genius in the past four centuries.

From Herman Melville's eccentric breakfast habits and Simone Weil's intense dislike of being touched by other people to Ludwig van Beethoven's inappropriate marriage proposals and Vincent van Gogh's inability to form satisfying relationships with others, the author offers compelling insights into the association between creativity and autism spectrum disorders. >from *The Genesis of Artistic Creativity. Asperger's Syndrome and the Arts* by Michael Fitzgerald.

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> 'missing link' between madness and genius. 'people with asperger's can have exceptional artistic creativity, as well as mathematical genius.' june 11, 2005
> mirror neurons. 'a faulty mirror-neuron system could represent the neural underpinnings of the social deficits characteristic of autism.' march 11, 2005
> a genius explains. 'savants can't usually tell us how they do what they do. it just comes to them. daniel tammet can. he describes what he sees in his head. he could be the rosetta stone.' february 12, 2005
> intelligence in men and women. 'women and men use different brain areas to achieve similar iq results.' february 4, 2005
> low latent inhibition: one of the biological bases of creativity. 'low levels of latent inhibition and exceptional flexibility in thought might predispose to mental illness under some conditions and to creative accomplishment under others.' october 13, 2003
> costs of intelligence. october 10, 2003

imago
> genius creativity: difference or disorder?