Geniuses II (The Double “R” Prophecy Continues)….I’m working on the sequel to Geniuses right now!
Geniuses II (The Double “R” Prophecy Continues)….I’m working on the sequel to Geniuses right now!
How to order Geniuses
To order the novel, “Geniuses”:
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Geniuses-Neil-W-Flanzraich/dp/1491849525 , OR
Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/geniuses-neil-w-flanzraich/1118740441?ean=9781491849521
Neil Flanzraich’s List of the 33 known Geniuses who changed the World
Socrates (470 B.C – 399 B.C)
Plato (428 B.C – 347 B.C)
Aristotle (383 B.C – 321 B.C)
Alexander the Great (356 B.C – 323 B.C)
Euclid (~ 300 B.C)
Archimedes (287 B.C – 212 B.C)
Muhammad Ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi (780 B.C – 850 B.C)
Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122 – 1204)
Genghis Khan (1162 – 1227)
Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519)
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543)
Michelangelo (1475 – 1564)
Queen Elizabeth I (1533 – 1603)
William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616)
Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642)
Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650)
Isaac Newton (1643 – 1727)
Gottfried Leibniz (1646 – 1716)
Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790)
Catherine the Great (1729 – 1796)
George Washington (1732 – 1799)
Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 – 1821)
Madame Marie Curie (1867 – 1934)
Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865)
Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882)
Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939)
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948)
Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955)
Alan Turing (1912 – 1954)
Margaret Thatcher (1925 – 2013)
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968)
Potential Genius Candidates: Entrepreneurs, Bankers and Industrialists – We will need more time for the verdict of History as to whether these people should be considered Geniuses.
John D. Rockefeller Steve Jobs
Andrew Carnegie Mark Zuckerberg
Henry Ford Elon Musk
J.P. Morgan Steve Ells
Bill Gates
Sergey Brin
Larry Page
Neil has been selected as a featured author at this year’s Miami Book Fair
The Miami Book Fair International
http://www.miamibookfair.com/authors/neil_flanzraich.aspx
Sunday, November 23
12:00pm – 12:30pm
My Article is in Today’s Parent USA
My Article is in Today’s Parent USA
The Top 4 Ways Reading and Telling Stories to My Sons Brought Me Closer To Them
By the time my wife Kira and I had our first child I was a senior officer at a large public pharmaceutical company. This meant that I had to work extremely long hours and frequently travel away from home, often for days at a time. This was just as true three years later when our second son was born. I know this will sound like a cliché, but Kira and I wanted to make sure that the time I did have with the boys was quality time.
So whenever I was home for dinner, Kira urged me to lead the dinner conversation with our sons (which often included telling them a story). A few hours later, when they were in bed before going to sleep, I would read or tell them a fairy tale or other story. When they were very little, I certainly doubted that they understood much of what I was saying.
Way #1. It showed I loved and wanted to spend time with them, and be part of their lives, which is critical to building your relationship with them.
As my sons got a little older and their comprehension increased, I had to find ways to make the things I was reading to them more interesting. That wasn’t so easy, especially after they had heard most of the fairy tales and other stories so often that they could have told them to me. It wasn’t long before I felt I had to make up entirely new stories to keep their interest.
One day I created a breed of magical animal characters. They were about the size of a cow, were covered in wool, had large elephant-like ears and very long tails. They were remarkable animals. In addition to other powers, they could fly and speak all human languages. I named these animals “Woolymongers”©TM, a name I pulled out of the air. I explained that most people hadn’t heard about them because they lived on isolated mountain tops, and tried to hide from us.
Every night for the next few years, my sons would beg me to tell them another Woolymonger story. And somehow I would make up an entirely new story. I would even manage to build in a moral (which communicated Kira’s and my family values), such as: “respect your parents”, “do not lie or cheat”, “do not brag or boast” and “try to help those less fortunate”. After I’d finish telling a story, Kira and I would explain how important the lesson in that story was. These tales got my sons using their brains. They were eager to try to guess the end of the story, and what the moral would be.
Way #2. Children need and want mental stimulation, and a relationship that provides it connects parents even more closely to their children.
Unfortunately, children do grow-up (I say this knowing that it betrays how much I miss having little children), and the time did come when they considered themselves too grown-up for my Woolymonger stories. At this point, my sons began selecting and reading books they found in libraries, the children’s section of book stores and school. I encouraged them to read their favorite passages to me, and to tell me about the stories in the books they were reading. This gave them the ability to “lecture” their parents and educate us about what they had read. They found me and my wife an eager audience who were endlessly interested and impressed with their knowledge, and their ability to communicate clearly.
Way #3. When your growing children tell you about what they have read, their self-esteem increases, and your relationship with them matures, becoming even closer.
One day, my oldest son showed me the first Harry Potter novel, which Kira had bought for him. Derek asked me to read a few pages silently to myself. At first, what I was reading seemed rather odd, since it used made-up words like “muggles”. But, I wanted to support his interest in reading. So I asked him if I could read the book after he finished it, and we could then discuss it together. Derek was only 10, and I wasn’t sure if he’d really finish the book. After all, it was hundreds of pages long. But when he did, I was obliged to read it as well. I really enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as I enjoyed discussing it with him later.
WAY #4. Discussing books, both you and your children have read, and exchanging insights and opinions with them on those books makes children feel more equal with their parents, and helps to build an enduring relationship of mutual respect as they transition into adult life.
Recently, I wrote and self-published my own fantasy novel “Geniuses”. My sons encouraged and helped me to write this novel, and now they discuss their reactions to it with me. Their comments are truly fascinating. Books are still bringing us closer together, but any shared hobby can help do the same.
Neil Flanzraich is the author of the new novel “Geniuses.” He has a bachelor’s and law degree from Harvard University, is currently the chairman and CEO of a biotech company, and is a member of the board for two public companies. He currently resides with his wife in Coral Gables, Florida.
http://todaysparentusa.com/sites/?p=5921
Love is one of the main underlying themes in my novel.
Let me start with a reminder that “Geniuses” is a fun read. It has adventure, sci-fi, suspense, conflict and romance. But it also subtly reflects certain underlying values. In an earlier blog I discussed two of the novel’s important themes: liberty and respect for others. In this blog I deal with a number of other themes, but especially with the theme of love.
It may sound odd that love is one of my themes. Love is usually something that happens in a novel, but not a fundamental theme. But love plays a critically important part in the human condition. It helps fulfill and empower us.
Please keep in mind that the Geniuses in my novel are human beings. They may be distant outliers on the bell-shaped distribution curve of human intelligence, but otherwise they are ordinary people with the same feelings and issues that we all have.
Let’s start with family love. In my novel Roger, Rebecca and Roxanne Reynolds (good Western Geniuses) are a very loving family. In contrast, the evil Geniuses think of family love as a weakness. They intend to take advantage of that weakness, by threatening the lives of Roger’s wife and daughter. Roger’s love for Rebecca and Roxanne will drive him to do all he possibly can to save them.
Please forgive me for a short scientific (or pseudoscientific) digression. Human babies are born helpless. They cannot walk or provide for themselves. The survival of our species requires nurturing parents to care for and educate the young. This is made easier by the natural bonding that takes place between parents and among parents and children. (Biologically speaking, some of these “loving” feelings are encouraged by the release during and after childbirth of the hormone Oxytocin.) So family love evolved with, and is inherent in, our humanity. The evil geniuses’ contempt for family love makes them seem unnatural and inhuman.
I could be wrong, but I think children observing parents who love each other may incline them to similar relationships. If this is so, family love may also lead to romantic love in the next generation. In any case, romantic love is also a part of who we are. There is the love story between Roger and Rebecca, and the teenage romance between Roxanne Reynolds and the Eastern Genius Andor Lysenko. Since Roxanne and Andor are from opposing groups, their growing relationship is somewhat reminiscent of Romeo and Juliette.
The story of the teenagers, Roxanne and Andor, are a major part of my novel. We see them assert their independence and discover who they really are. With the story of Roxanne and Andor, the novel reflects the challenges facing teenagers today.
The novel also describes, and provides insights into, some of their teenage classmates, including Roxanne’s closest friends. It also shows her being mercilessly bullied by a group of girls that are threatened by her beauty. Other teenage challenges are reflected when a group of armed teenagers, under the influence of drugs, attacks the students and teachers in Roxanne’s high school.
The book also has a not too subtle message about virtue. Integrity, loyalty, courage and the desire to help those in need are important virtues. All the good Western Geniuses have those virtues, but those virtues are conspicuously absent from the characters of the villains.
I’ll end where I began this blog. I believe that “Geniuses” is an enjoyable read. Please let me know if you agree.
Two Important Underlying Themes in “Geniuses”: Liberty and Respect for Others
I believe that liberty is a fundamental right and need. However, liberty never comes without a struggle, and it can easily be lost or taken away. Threats to independence and liberty can take various forms. For example, one person may try to exert excessive control over others. A country ruled by a dictator may seek to control and dominate its citizens. Also the government of one country may try to take control of another country and its people.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog, my parents were both from Eastern Europe, and lived in countries which were ruled by the Czar. They personally experienced oppression and tyranny. My wife immigrated to America as a refugee from the Soviet Union’s totalitarian regime. Hearing their experiences has made me even more passionate about freedom and liberty.
The issue of independence and liberty is dealt with in a number of ways in my novel. On an individual level, Roxanne Reynolds, the teenage heroine, feels that her parents are to some extent infringing her liberty, and she pushes back as many teenagers do to assert their independence. Evil Eastern Geniuses try to control the mind of Andor Lysenko, the Eastern Genius teenager, who transferred into Roxanne’s school. On a national and global level, evil Eastern Geniuses have caused the country Slavistan to use armed aggression against its neighbors in Eastern Europe, as the first step on their way to world domination and control. The evil Geniuses also arrange a plane high jacking and plan to manipulate the financial markets using the chaos resulting from their act of terrorism. In this way, they also seek to gain financial control of the world.
Another of my novel’s themes concerns respect for others. I believe that lack of such respect is a growing problem in our society. Respect for those who are different from us (whether those differences relate to race, religion, culture, country of origin, politics, sexual orientation or even to our varying abilities) is critically important for our society. Without it the dialogue between different groups breaks down, and division and polarization grow.
I passionately believe that we are made stronger and greatly benefit as a society from our diversity. But without mutual respect for each other, a diverse society will cease to function effectively. Throughout my life, I have lived in international cities like New York, San Francisco and Miami where the citizens’ lives and experiences are enriched by association with people of diverse backgrounds and interests.
In “Geniuses” I deal with respect for others by showing the way evil Eastern Geniuses disrespect ordinary people. Those Geniuses believe that ordinary people are not capable of controlling their own lives. Western Geniuses by contrast respect ordinary people, and try to defend their ability to determine their own destinies.
While talking about differing IQs, I’m really dealing with issues of diversity and respect far more generally.
I hope I have managed to deal with these important themes while still writing a novel which is fun to read. I’d really like to hear whether or not you think I have accomplished this.
The Geniuses in my novel “Geniuses”
Why did I write the novel “Geniuses”? Well, I noticed that today in popular culture (books, TV and movies) the heroes and villains often have extraordinary powers, like Superman, Spiderman, X-Men, etc. I decided to make my characters super intelligent. Why? Because, our intelligence is the most important distinguishing characteristic of our species. I’ll discuss my Geniuses in a second. But first, let me tell you about human intelligence in general.
On the bell-shaped distribution curve of human intelligence, most of us by definition have average intelligence, with IQs between 85 and 115. Some authorities define genius as an IQ above 140. Others say, above 160. But most agree that over 200 is really getting there.
We can observe great intelligence all around us, from today’s electronic gadgets to the ancient Pyramids.
We’re very curious about these extraordinary accomplishments and the minds that achieved them. We study Aristotle, Galileo, da Vinci, Newton and, of course, Einstein. His brain was removed soon after he died, and it’s been analyzed for years trying to figure out what gave him such amazing mathematical and spatial abilities.
Despite the Einsteins in our history (the geniuses who do come along every hundred years or so), some people believe that our ancestors could not by themselves have built the Pyramids or the other wonders of the ancient world. They think there had to be some agency external to our species. Some even speculate that aliens from outer space contributed to our advances.
My novel is a fantasy, and I provide in it a different explanation. A small group of people with IQs of over 1,000 have lived among us since the beginning of time. They call themselves “Geniuses”, with an upper case “G”. They have concealed their abilities, fearing what we would do to them. Still they have secretly guided us through the ages. They were, for example, instrumental in the construction of the Pyramids.
In addition to their great intelligence and creativity, the Geniuses in my novel may have other special aptitudes, such as: telepathy, the ability to create or erase memories, mind control, telekinesis, levitation, projection of laser-like pulses of energy as weapons, healing powers, and prophecy.
Great intelligence does not necessarily bring with it good judgment or virtue. The Geniuses in the Eastern Hemisphere try to use their abilities to control those they call “Ordinaries” and dominate the world. The Western Geniuses have always opposed this, trying to permit Ordinaries to control their own destinies. Many of the conflicts throughout world history have actually been clashes between Geniuses.
The good Western Geniuses include: Roxanne Reynolds, a beautiful Genius teenager and her powerful parents. The evil Geniuses include – the brothers Karl and Klaus Kleper. The Klepers have been fighting Roxanne’s father Roger for over a hundred years. Suspicions run high when Andor Lysenko, an Eastern Genius teenager, arrives at Roxanne’s high school as a transfer student.
As the battle heats up, Roxanne must learn not to misuse her special powers as she deals with bullies and what she thinks are overprotective parents. Even though warned that she has been targeted by the Eastern Geniuses, Roxanne seems to be falling in love with Andor. Roger was emotionally scarred by the murder of his parents when he was little. The evil Geniuses are exploiting this by threatening the lives of his deeply loved wife and daughter. Will Roger be able to save them and the world from the powerful evil Geniuses?
I’m not going to tell you what happens. You’ll have to read the book.
The Inspiration Behind ‘Geniuses’
When I was a young boy, I made up and told stories to my little sisters to help them go to sleep. One story involved a horse race in the “Blue Grass Shire of Kentuckily”. (I had heard that a lot of horse racing took place in the Blue Grass State of Kentucky). The climax of the story was the running of the big race. Sir Edward of Arcarilo (a reference to Eddie Arcaro, one of the most famous jockeys in history) won the big race, and won the princess’ hand. My sisters would love this story, and cheer every time I told it.
Later on, I tried my hand at poetry. It was not great poetry. I was no Shakespeare or Pushkin. Here’s a sample:
“A fly has fallen into a teacup,
Its wings are wet; it will never get up.
And yet it tries.
It starts, falls, hits the bottom, and there it lies.
But not for long. It soon starts another grueling ascent.
But it, too, is merely a vain attempt.
Dauntlessly, our little fly continues to strive.
An hour more, and it will cease to be alive.
Your struggles were in vain, no matter how you did try.
Mine may still be rewarded. I pity thee poor fly.”
©2014 Neil Flanzraich
My creative writing career ended quickly, perhaps because of the “quality” of my poetry. For several years after I became a lawyer, I wrote only legal contracts.
My wife and I had two sons, and I found myself reading fairytale books at night to put them to sleep. As they got a little older, and they already knew all the published fairytales, I began to make up new stories for them.
One night I made up a fantastic animal character that looked like a cow, but had a wooly coat, elephant ears, and a very long tail. I named this character the “Woolymonger”©2014 Neil Flanzraich. It could fly and could speak human languages. It also had various other amazing powers. My sons really liked that character, and for a long time I told them a different Woolymonger story every night.
A few years ago with my sons’ encouragement, I read all the Harry Potter books and enjoyed them. I began to think about writing a novel in a similar genre. I observed that often the heroes and villains in books and movies are people with extra-normal abilities. Perhaps it’s because many people fantasize about having special powers. However, it seemed to me that as readers we care more about such super beings the more human and vulnerable they are.
If I were to write such a book, I thought, I would give my heroes and villains an extraordinary level of our most important distinguishing characteristic, our intelligence. I thought I could write about brilliant people because I have known and been greatly influenced by quite a few of them. They were relatives, friends and some of the physicians and scientists with whom I’ve worked.
One day when I was on a long flight to Australia on business, I found myself bored with the Robert Ludlum novel I was reading. I thought I could do better. I threw down the novel, and pulled out a pad, and began writing a story which I thought my sons would enjoy. The story I wrote turned into the novel “Geniuses”.
Geniuses, a series 