Genius Book

Genius: Your Illustrated & Actionable Guide to Doing Great Things Written by Bob Duggan and Colin Taufer Illustrated by Jeff Snow

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as per- mitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission contact hello@geniusworld.com

ISBN xxx-x-xxxxxxx-x-x Printed in xx/xx/2023 First edition

Written by Bob Duggan and Colin Taufer Illustrated by Jeff Snow

GLOSSARY – Genius: Your Illustrated & Actionable Guide to Doing Great Things

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD.......................................................................... 6

INTRODUCTION.................................................................. 10

A MORE GENIUS WORLD IS ON ITS WAY............................... 12

YOUR GENIUS POTENTIAL....................................................13

THE 24 GENIUS CHARACTERISTICS......................................22

DEDICATION . .................................................................... 27

1 THE DRIVE OF NOAH WEBSTER.......................................... 21

2 THE COURAGE OF CHARLES GOODYEAR............................33

3 THE DEVOTION TO GOALS OF BESSIE COLEMAN................ 45

4 THE KNOWLEDGE OF SOR JUANA INÉZ. ............................. 57

5 THE HONESTY OF LUZ LONG.............................................69

6 THE OPTIMISM OF HELEN KELLER..................................... 81

7 THE ABILITY TO JUDGE OF ANNIE JUMP CANNON...............95

8 THE ENTHUSIASM OF DOUGLAS ENGELBART...................107

9 THE WILLINGNESS TO TAKE CHANCES OF NORMAN BORLAUG . .119

10 THE DYNAMIC ENERGY OF BABE DIDRIKSON...................131

11 THE ENTERPRISE OF ANNIE MALONE...............................143

12 THE PERSUASION OF MARIAN ANDERSON.....................155

13 THE OUTGOINGNESS OF ALOHA WANDERWELL...............167

14 THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE OF ELEANOR ROOSEVELT.....179

15 THE PATIENCE OF MARY ANNING....................................191

16 THE PERCEPTION OF ANTONIE VAN LEEUWENHOEK.......203

17 THE PERFECTIONISM OF JOSEPH WITHWORTH................215

18 THE SENSE OF HUMOR OF BUSTER KEATON...................227

19 THE VERSATILITY OF AUGUSTE PICCARD.......................239

20 THE ADAPTABILITY OF LOUISE BRAILLE.........................251

21 THE CURIOSITY OF WILLIAM KAMKWAMBA................... 261

22 THE INDIVIDUALISM OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG................ 273

23 THE IDEALISM OF SIMON BOLIVAR...............................285

24 THE IMAGINATION OF WALT DISNEY.............................297

BEN FRANKLIN AND HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS BOOKS.............................................................................XXX

THE SURPRISING AND RICH HISTORY OF GENIUS. .............XXX

GLOSSARY ...................................................................... 314

TAKE ACTION! .................................................................. 325

BIOS ............................................................................... 326

FOREWORD GEN-: to bring about, to produce -IUS: containing that which

How the word genius came to describe the highest levels of intel- ligence, elite performance, and the demonstration of incredible ability resident in only an EXCLUSIVE few, is a story in need of explanation. As important as this is to understand, it is not our mission to explain this at this time. We will leave it to others to fully explore. We have something even more exciting to share with you! The popular and well-known idea that genius is EXCLUSIVE to a lucky few is about to be swept aside. Swept aside, one person at a time, as individual after individual comes to realize that they, along with all others, possess genius-level operating potential. This dawning truth, that genius is INCLUSIVE, holds potential to bring about meaningful outcomes that are prosurvival – outcomes that brighten and improve the lives of all human beings. It also brings about prosurvival solutions to the many serious challenges we all face in present time. Examining the history and the definition of the word genius is quite revelatory. Gen- is the prefix of genius which means “to bring about, to produce.” -Ius is the suffix of genius which

means “that which contains.” Thus, a genius is an individual in possession of the ability to bring about change as well as to produce effects. Yes, it is a noun but it embraces action, doingness! Genius understood reveals how to accomplish the most basic urge across all of life. Namely, how can one mean- ingfully contribute to bringing about a better life for all involved. Unleashing the immense power of genius commences and occurs once the word genius is understood properly, fully, completely.

We acknowledge that some dictionary definitions of genius fall short of our observations. But empirical evidence – evidence you can see with your own eyes – greatly favors the potential of genius being universal and INCLUSIVE rather than scarce and EXCLUSIVE. It is noteworthy that the origin of the definition of a word never precedes the concept described. But in practice, defi- nitions come after awareness of the concept itself. Definitions are intended to be dynamic. Modernly, some dictionaries define genius as; “exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music, etc.” Upon deep inspection it has been seen that some very unlikely individuals have, from very unlikely starting points, become amazing and able geniuses. The beautiful truth is you can find full-fledged geniuses and geniuses in the making, all around you. We owe a debt of gratitude to several men and women that care- fully observed and studied the word and concept of genius. Several of them noted that certain characteristics and certain traits were found in common amongst the world top geniuses. Latino clinical psychologist Dr. Alfred Barrios was one of those people. He wrote, “Most people have the mistaken idea that geni- uses are born, not made. But if you look at the lives of the world’s greatest geniuses you discover they all had 24 personality traits in common. These are traits that anyone can develop. It makes no dif- ference how old you are, how much education you have, or what you have accomplished to date. Adopting (through observation, study and practice) these personality characteristics enables you to operate on a genius level”. When you adopt these characteristics you make them your own by observing them in action, studying them, working hard at them, and practicing them regularly. The authors of Genius: Your Illustrated & Actionable Guide to Doing Great Things chose Barrios’s explanation of genius because he correctly indicated that genius POTENTIAL was innate, embod- ied, and inherent in every single human being.

The ever-present evidence in support of the INCLUSIVITY of genius potential across all human beings is as compelling as is today’s pop- ular opinion that would have you believe otherwise. The opinions of others are respected and important, but opinion of others is in no way as important as is what is true for you. What is true for you should be based upon what you observe, what you see, what you have evaluated, what you have experienced– free of all prejudice. Genius: Your Illustrated & Actionable Guide to Doing Great Things provides the basis for exercising your innate curiosity in your own potential to operate at a genius level. Genius: Your Illustrated & Actionable Guide to Doing Great Things offers a collection of real-life examples demonstrating how the twenty-four characteristics serve and support the productivity of one and all, when put to work.

The twenty-four traits of genius assist every individual to be increas- ingly competent, more able, more confident, less self-critical, and in possession of excellent self-esteem.

Upon inspection, you will see the char- acteristics of genius are at work and in play to various degrees in everyone you encounter. By stimulating greater awareness and deeper understanding of how the twenty-four characteris- tics leverage and enhance one another, it becomes very natural to put these traits to use in daily living and that is our goal for you. Namely, use genius traits broadly across all of life. Others do, it can be done. Awareness of the importance of operating at the genius level has commenced. Understanding genius fully sheds light on our native ability and brings dynamic energy to each of us. Genius traits applied are a source of recurring happiness. Application of twenty-four characteristics of

genius can bring about happiness. One for one, productive, help- ful, constructive people are happy people. You know happiness when you feel it. Happiness is universally sought. Your joy will become palpable, others may follow your lead. Engage others to bring about a better life. Others will do the same. A happier world is possible, we need to make it so. Throughout the ages women and men, young and not-so-young have been intrigued with geniuses. Can I be one? How did others come to operate at the genius level? Be curious, be adventurous, accept the challenge of discovering what you could be. Read Genius: Your Illustrated & Actionable Guide to Doing Great Things , it might unlock the potential you have, and assist you in realizing that by adopting (fully owning and being responsible for) the twenty-four characteristics you can gracefully operate at the genius level. Reach for genius, reach for happiness. You can uncover it. It is possible! It is our sincere hope that you avail yourself of this valuable infor- mation, study it carefully, apply it generously and thereby improve the quality of life for all living beings.

Bob Duggan

INTRODUCTION In Genius: Your Illustrated & Actionable Guide to Doing Great Things , you will be introduced to geniuses who did extraordinary things. You will learn about what each one did and how they did it. But, just as importantly, you will find that you too have the poten- tial to achieve great things, as you read and enjoy their stories you will find many characteristics in common with each one of them. Their stories showcase the 24 characteristics that all geniuses have in common. You will realize that each one of the characteris- tics is a natural part of who you are and can be developed. At the end of each story, you will find questions that will inspire you to take action and become increasingly more genius. A marathon is traveled one step at a time. And then another. And another. Before you get to the stories, we’d like to introduce you to three of the geniuses from our book. Consider it a sneak peek of what’s to come. As you’ll see, there is something to be learned from each of them that will help you get the most out of their stories. So say hello to Sor Juana Ines, William Kamkwamba, and Noah Webster. As you’ll find out, Sor Juana was one of the most knowledgeable people of her time. From her, we can learn that having an innate desire to know and understand the world may be your most valu- able trait. So, as you make your way through each person’s story, ask yourself what you can learn from them. Constant curiosity is what drove William to greatness. He needed a solution to his family’s problem and found the answers in sci- ence books from the library. When he read, if he came across a word he didn’t understand, he defined it in a dictionary. And if dic- tionaries weren’t enough, he would study pictures. He also used whatever he had around him to create his own experiments. In these ways, he taught himself how to solve a problem for not just his family but his country as well, and people across the world. Be curious about what you read. If something doesn’t make sense, take the time to understand it until you are satisfied you’ve got it.

Use a dictionary, find pictures, work it out until it’s clear. When it comes to communication, it was words that mattered most to Noah. More than anyone ever had, he wrote about words and their exact meanings, where they came from, and the differ- ent ways they are used. With Noah in mind, we’ve tried to make the stories in this book easy to understand with carefully chosen words supported by realistic and lively illustrations. The geniuses in our book studied stars, designed computers, and dug up fossils. So every now and then, we used uncommon words. That’s why we included a glossary in the back. Use it well, and you’ll learn more about farming and machines and much more. Best of all, you will learn that it is possible to become a genius. In the process, may you exceed even your own expectations and never be the same again.

OTHERS DO IT. YOU CAN DO IT. IT CAN BE DONE. GENIUS AWAITS.

A MORE GENIUS WORLD IS ON ITS WAY We’d like to see a more genius world where awareness, under- standing, and daily use of genius is available to everyone. It can happen. We can make it happen. What does that mean? It means a world where each of us is more genius. All of us. Your family, friends, associates. You. It means we’re all a little more courageous, perceptive, imaginative, opti- mistic, knowledgeable. It means more of everything that makes it easier to achieve great things for ourselves, our organizations, and the entire human species. Whatever a more genius world looks like to you, that’s what is possible. When we look at the origin of the word, we see that genius means an inborn, inherent characteristic. The first part of the word gen- is defined as “the capacity to bring things, anything, into existence” — as in the word gene , that which makes the body. The last part of the word -ius means “made of or belonging to or that which contains.”

So, genius can be understood to be that which is the source of creation. You. We like to think gene refers to the material embodiment and genius refers to our animating force or spiritual embodiment.

GENIUS IS THE INHERENT, INNATE POTENTIAL WITHIN ALL PEOPLE TO DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS.

YOUR GENIUS POTENTIAL Too often, you have been taught that to be a genius, you had to be a superhero or be born with supernatural gifts. Or, perhaps you read about a very high achiever and thought to yourself, “What a genius! What a lucky person.” But there is a way to develop, and use your natural potential to do extraordinary things. It is possible that genius is one of the most important and at the same time underappreciated words in our lan- guage. You may be surprised to find out that what makes a genius a genius is a handful — okay, two hands full — of natural human traits you already have and can develop and expand upon day in and day out. Great care has been taken to define and clarify each of these traits in the hopes that you will learn something new about them — and perhaps yourself. Genius: Your Illustrated & Actionable Guide to Doing Great Things will show you what these characteristics are and how geniuses of history used them to improve their abilities, their confi- dence, and their lives to bring change for the betterment of the world around them. › Whose willingness to take chances saved billions from starvation? › Whose enthusiasm made your computer easier to use? › Whose persuasion inspired a nation to be more tolerant? › Whose honesty may have cost him an Olympic gold medal? In Genius: Your Illustrated & Actionable Guide to Doing Great Things , you will discover you possess the potential to think like they think and can do great things just like them. It will show you that potential geniuses are plentiful, and you have the potential to be one too.

The 24 Genius Characteristics

gen

ius

“that which brings about” or “that which produces”

“that which contains”

“ Most people have the mistaken idea that geniuses are born, not made. But if you look at the lives of the world’s greatest geni- uses you discover they all had 24 personality traits in common. These are traits that anyone can develop. It makes no difference how old you are, how much education you have, or what you have accomplished to date. Adopting * these personality characteristics enables you to operate on a genius level.” -Dr. Alfred Barrios

* Adopting : choosing to accept for your use

1. DRIVE Geniuses have a strong desire to work hard and long. They’re willing to give all they’ve got to a project. Develop your drive by focusing on your future success, and keep going.

2. COURAGE It takes courage to do things others consider impossible. Stop worrying what people will think if you are different.

3. DEVOTION TO GOALS Geniuses know what they want and go after it. Get con- trol of your life and schedule. Have something specific to accomplish each day. 4. KNOWLEDGE Geniuses continually accumulate information. Never go to sleep at night without having learned at least one new thing that day. Read. And question people who know. 5. HONESTY Geniuses are frank, forthright and honest. Take the responsibility for things that go wrong. Be willing to admit, ‘I goofed,’ and learn from your mistakes.

6. OPTIMISM Geniuses never doubt they will succeed. Deliberately focus your mind on something good coming up.

THE 24 GENIUS CHARACTERISTICS – Genius: Your Illustrated & Actionable Guide to Doing Great Things

7. ABILITY TO JUDGE Try to understand the facts of a situation before you judge. Evaluate things on an open-minded, unpreju- diced basis and be willing to change your mind. 8. ENTHUSIASM Geniuses are so excited about what they are doing, it encourages others to cooperate with them. Really believe that things will turn out well. Don’t hold back. 9. WILLINGNESS TO TAKE CHANCES Overcome your fear of failure. You won’t be afraid to take chances once you realize you can learn from your mistakes.

10. DYNAMIC ENERGY Don’t sit on your butt waiting for something good to happen. Be determined to make it happen.

11. ENTERPRISE Geniuses are opportunity seekers. Be willing to take on jobs others won’t touch. Never be afraid to try the unknown. 12. PERSUASION Geniuses know how to motivate people to help them get ahead. You’ll find it easy to be persuasive if you believe in what you’re doing.

13. OUTGOINGNESS I’ve found geniuses able to make friends easily and be easy on their friends. Be a ‘booster,’ not someone who puts others down. That attitude will win you many valuable friends. 14. ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE Geniuses are able to effectively get their ideas across to others. Take every opportunity to explain your ideas to others. 15. PATIENCE Be patient with others most of the time, but always be impatient with yourself. Expect far more of yourself than of others. 16. PERCEPTION Geniuses have their mental radar working full time. Think more of others’ needs and wants than you do of your own. 17. PERFECTIONISM Geniuses cannot tolerate mediocrity, particularly in themselves. Never be easily satisfied with yourself. Always strive to do better.

18. SENSE OF HUMOR Be willing to laugh at your own expense. Don’t take offense when the joke is on you.

THE 24 GENIUS CHARACTERISTICS – Genius: Your Illustrated & Actionable Guide to Doing Great Things

19. VERSATILITY The more things you learn to accomplish, the more confi- dence you will develop. Don’t shy away from new endeavors.

20. ADAPTABILITY Being flexible enables you to adapt to changing circum- stances readily. Resist doing things the same old way. Be willing to consider new options. 21. CURIOSITY An inquisitive, curious mind will help you seek out new information. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know it all. Always ask questions about things you don’t understand.

22. INDIVIDUALISM Do things the way you think they should be done, with- out fearing somebody’s disapproval.

23. IDEALISM Keep your feet on the ground—but have your head in the clouds. Strive to achieve great things, not just for your- self, but for the betterment of mankind. 24. IMAGINATION Geniuses know how to think in new combinations, see things from a different perspective, than anyone else. Unclutter your mental environment to develop this type of imagina- tion. Give yourself time each day to daydream, to fantasize, to drift into a dreamy inner life the way you did as a child.

DEDICATION This book is dedicated to Dr. Alfred Barrios who authored the “24 Qualities That Geniuses Have in Common” article that this book is based on. This article was published in the National Enquirer in 1980 and is used with his permission. These qualities were earlier described in the 1950s by Earl Nightingale, a motivational speaker best known for his spoken word record The Strangest Secret recorded in 1956. In 1978, Dr. Barrios published his most influen- tial book, Towards Greater Freedom and Happiness , in which he discussed this topic in more detail in a section titled We Are All Potential Geniuses.

We couldn’t agree more.

THE DRIVE OF NOAH WEBSTER

Geniuses have a strong desire to work hard and long. They’re willing to give all they’ve got to a project. Develop your drive by focusing on your future success, and keep going. DRIVE

DEFINITION Drive is the energy and determination you have to achieve things, coupled with your strong desire for success. Drive also includes having the power to act or take charge like

many others do. WORD ORIGIN

The word drive comes from the Old English drifan , mean- ing “to urge (a person or animal) to go forward.” Work comes from an Old English word weorc , which had the same meaning today: “using intention and effort to achieve something.” Energy comes from the Greek word energos , meaning “active, working.” 21

The Drive of Noah Webster

Noah Webster started with the letter A. He dipped his feather pen in the inkwell, placed it on his notebook, and began writing: “A is the first letter of the Alphabet in most of the known languages on earth.” He continued by describing A as a letter, a word, and a prefix. He explained its application as a musical term and its usage throughout the centuries. He ended with a complete account of its relationship to Greek and Latin and its use on an ancient Roman calendar. By the time he was done, some seven hundred words later, the first definition of his masterpiece, An American Dictionary of the English Language , was complete. He had seventy thousand more definitions to write. It was a project he was willing to work long and hard for.

Writing textbooks was nothing new to Noah. During the twen- ty-five years before he began writing the American Dictionary , he published books on spelling, grammar, reading, and a four-vol- ume series covering the history, animals, and geography of the United States. One of his texts, The American Speller , more com- monly known as The Blue-Backed Speller, was printed nearly one hundred million times. From the time of its first release in 1783 through the late 1800s, it helped teach millions of school- children to spell, read, and pronounce words. It also helped create and popularize spelling bees. This is how Noah became known as America’s schoolmaster.

1. DRIVE – The Drive of Noah Webster

Writing textbooks on specific subjects was one thing. Writing a dictionary and defining every word in the English language was quite another. As Noah saw it, understanding and using the cor- rect definitions of words was no small thing. When words are misunderstood or misused, they cause problems far beyond the classroom. “The evils proceeding from the improper use of words,” he wrote, “are greater than men generally suppose. It is believed that a misapplication of terms, or the use of indefinite terms, some- times leads to serious mistakes both in religion and government.” Noah began writing his dictionary not long after America won its independence from the British. At this time, his newly formed nation was figuring out its new identity and how it would govern itself. Its citizens and founders were debating these issues at length. Although they didn’t always agree on the best solutions, they all agreed on one thing: they were done with the British iden- tity and government. They were Americans! Many felt a new national language would go a long way toward forging a new national identity. Noah agreed, writ-

ing “As an independent nation, our honor requires us to have a system of our own language as well as in government.”

An American in Pennsylvania might speak German, one in New York knew nothing but Dutch, and a citizen of Illinois used French exclusively. Some suggested German be the national tongue, while others suggested Hebrew. There was even a push to rename the English spoken in America as Columbian. Not only would a uniform language help secure an American identity; Noah knew it would smooth the way for its new govern- ment, “It is obvious to my mind, that popular errors proceeding from a misunderstanding of words are among the efficient causes of political disorders,” he said. With future success in mind, Noah had a goal: a wordbook cre- ated by a patriotic American for all Americans which defined all the words of the new country. He was focused on writing “a dic- tionary, which shall exhibit a far more correct state of the language than any work of this kind.”

1. DRIVE – The Drive of Noah Webster

Noah turned his second-floor study into his dictionary room. The main feature of his workspace was a circular table on which he neatly arranged grammars and dictionaries of all available lan- guages. He worked standing up from the first light of morning until the daylight grew dim. For each word, he started at the same place at the table with the same dictionaries and began making notes. He would next make his way through every grammar and diction- ary, book by book, around the table, carefully studying the word’s various definitions in each text, adding more notes every step of the way.

He familiarized himself with over twenty languages, including Latin and Arabic, to figure out the etymology of words — their origin, and historical development. He collected dozens of for- eign language dictionaries and arranged them side by side. For each word chosen, he would find it in the first text and trace it back through time, book by book, to its earliest source. He would then summarize his findings into a written record from its first use forward. To Noah, word origins were much more than simple histories. They were “the history of the progress of ideas and the human intellect,” he wrote.

Finally, in late January 1825, after nearly eighteen years of digging endlessly through dictionaries and composing tens of thousands of definitions, Noah dipped his feather pen into the inkwell for one last word: zygomatic (having to do with the cheekbone in the skull). Forty-two words later, his pen tip touched the paper once, leaving a tiny dot as the final period. His dictionary was complete.

1. DRIVE – The Drive of Noah Webster

Of its seventy thousand entries, some thirty-five thousand had never before appeared in a dictionary. True to his goal, Noah included many new American words such as skunk and apple- sauce . Each definition was a well-written mini-essay that included an example for use. Most impressively, Noah did all this work alone, giving all he had to the project Three years later, when Noah was 70 years old, his dictionary was published in two volumes. It sold out within a year and, some- what surprisingly, sold more copies in England than in his own country. Praise for his great book poured in from the United States and Europe. Today, nearly two hundred years later, the name Webster is synonymous with a dictionary. Noah was driven by a desire to make the English language easier for everyone to use and understand, from the child learning to read to the statesman inspiring his fellow citizens. For him, cor- rectly defined words not only made clear communication possible but also helped make studies more perfectly learned and useful. He knew what was needed for everyone was “practical knowledge; that which they are to use in their occupations, in their daily social interactions, and in their moral duties; for on such knowledge depend chiefly their prosperity, their reputation, and their value as citizens, and their everlasting happiness.”

DRIVE

1. DRIVE – The Drive of Noah Webster

AFTERWORD Noah showed us what innate drive is all about. He had a strong desire to work long and hard to complete what he set out to do, even if it meant decades of daily labor. He focused on his future successes and kept going. More than just drive, he demonstrated other genius traits. He showed his natural optimism knowing he would create the first American English dictionary. Using his inborn ability to communicate meant he could learn twenty-six lan- guages. In fact, like all geniuses, he exhibited many of his inborn and innate genius characteristics. Read through the story again and see if you can find them: idealism, dynamic energy, curiosity , and more. He certainly demonstrated great courage which you will learn about in the next story.

“ Energy and persistence conquer all things.”

– Benjamin Franklin

TO BE A GENIUS What project did Noah work long and hard for? What are some examples of how he gave it his all to this project? What future success was he focused on? What important projects are you willing to work long and hard for? What future successes will you have? And remember, keep going!

It takes courage to do things others consider impossible. Stop worrying what people will think if you are different COURAGE

DEFINITION Courage is your ability to face difficulty, danger, or pain without fear. It is bravery. Doing the right thing when met with opposition or discouragement is using your courage. WORD ORIGIN The word comes from the Old French word corage , mean- ing “the source of one’s innermost feelings,” which comes from the Latin word cor , meaning “heart.”

The Courage of Charles Goodyear

It was the early 1830s when rubber fever hit America. No one had ever seen anything like it. It was stretchy and waterproof and came from the mysterious jungles of South America. Everyone from New York to California wanted rubber shoes, rubber boots, and rubber jack- ets. Factories popped up to meet the rising demand and great fortunes were made. Excitement quickly turned to disappointment when the shoes, boots, and jackets froze solid in the winter and turned gooey in the summer. To make matters worse, when rubber melted, it stank. Refunds were given, factories were shut down, and fortunes were lost. And just like that, rubber fever turned into the great rubber crash of 1834. Everyone gave up on rubber — everyone except Charles Goodyear

Charles and his father owned a hardware store in Philadelphia. After years of success, their business ran into financial trouble in 1833, leaving the Goodyears in considerable debt and bank- ruptcy. This led Charles to decide to put his versatility (#19) to use and become a professional inventor. He went on to create such things as new faucets and button-making machines. But none of his creations made money, and the Goodyears stayed in debt.

2. COURAGE – The Courage of Sarah Emma Edmonds

However, one invention, air valves, led him to what would become his lifelong focus. While visiting New York City, he found a store selling inflatable life preservers. Upon examining them, he found their air valves very poor quality. Knowing he could solve what others found unsolvable, he returned to Philadelphia, deter- mined to devise a better valve. Months later, he returned with an improved valve and presented it to the store clerk. Charles was told he should instead focus on the rubber itself because every one of the store’s life preservers had melted into sticky, stinky blobs. He returned home, ready to do what no one had ever done before, his mind focused on rubber. Upon arriving, he was arrested and locked into a debtors’ prison . This setback did not diminish his confidence that he would find the solution no one else had. His devotion to goals (#3) remained strong. He brought a few samples of rubber and his wife’s rolling pin to his cell and spent his days pressing, folding, and stretching the rubber to figure out its secrets.

After his stay in debtor’s prison, Charles returned to his loving family without a cent to his name. He sold many of his family’s pos- sessions to put food on the table. Still, he remained focused on the seemingly impossible rubber problem: how to make it stay strong and stretchy no matter the temperature. For the next many years, despite hardships that would break most — moving his family from home to home, endless debt, con- stant charity, more time in debtors’ prisons, and nearly fatally poisoning himself in the lab — Charles never doubted he would succeed. That is to say, he applied his optimism (#6).

2. COURAGE – The Courage of Sarah Emma Edmonds

Twenty-year-old Sarah Emma Edmonds was certain it was the right thing to do. She read the headlines on every newspaper’s front page: President Lincoln needed 75,000 men to serve in the military and help maintain the young nation’s existence. Just three days earlier, the American Civil War began when troops from the newly formed Confederate States of America bombarded and took over Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Sarah was determined, “ I felt called to go and do what I could for defense of the right .” Courage was nothing new to Sarah. Five years earlier, at the age of 15, she ran away from her home in the wilds of New Brunswick, Canada, leaving behind five older siblings, a loving mother, and a cruel father. She left behind the family farm’s hard work, days filled with plowing land, and chopping wood. She left behind the joys of Finally, after years of ignoring what others considered unachiev- able, Charles’s determination paid off. He was mixing rubber sap with sulfur and accidentally dropped the mixture onto a hot stove. When he removed the blob from the heated surface, it felt leath- ery and stretchable. He tested it in both cold and heat, and it stayed strong. He had done it! Without a doubt, his darkest days were in 1836 when William, his only son, passed away when he was just a toddler, becoming the third of Charles’s and Clarissa’s children to pass away in early child- hood. During this period, he remained focused and brave, writing, “My anticipations of ultimate success never changed, nor were my hopes for a moment depressed.”

Unfortunately, he didn’t understand what happened exactly. What was the temperature of the stove? How long did the process take? How much sulfur was the right amount? For many days, he tried to recreate the process without success. These unsuccessful experiments stretched on for weeks and then months. When he ran out of fuel to burn at home, he found local blacksmiths willing to lend their furnaces to him at the end of their workdays. When fur- naces weren’t available, he turned his wife’s kitchen into a lab. He baked rubber in bread pans, dangled it over steaming teapots, and toasted it in the oven. He used his willingness to take chances (#9) and enterprise (#11) to the fullest. Finally, he perfected the process after learning from all his mis- takes and applying his honesty (#5). Then, on June 15, 1844, five years after his accidental discovery, Goodyear was awarded the US patent for his rubber-making process, later known as vulcanization — named after the Roman god of fire.

2. COURAGE – The Courage of Sarah Emma Edmonds

the wilderness: swimming, climbing, canoeing, and hunting. She brought with her equal parts confidence and skills, filled with a spirit of adventure and a sense of right. She could just as easily shoot a shotgun as she could recite the Bible – chapter, and verse. She ran far from home to the town of Moncton, where she found a job as a milliner — a maker and seller of women’s hats. But as the months passed, it became clear to Sarah that this was not the job for her. Her desire for more led her to a new job in a new city, Saint John. It also set her on a path where her courage would be tested and strengthened for the rest of her days. He spent the next many years creating various everyday items out of rubber: small household items, furniture, medical instruments, and more. Applying his idealism (#23) may have pleased Goodyear the most, writing, “I have taken great satisfaction in trying to invent and improve articles of necessity and convenience for the use of man.” He showed off his creations in a grand display he called the “Goodyear Vulcanite Court” and took it to the world’s biggest fairs: London 1851, Paris 1855. These events won him great praise and awards: The Great Council Medal in London, The Grand Medal of Honor in Paris, and the Cross of the Legion of Honor — presented to him by the Emperor of France — in recognition of his services as a public benefactor . The first steps down this path took her to her new employer, a book publisher. Her job was selling Bibles door-to-door. But instead of peddling God’s Word as Sarah Emma Edmonds, she Because Goodyear dared to do what others considered impossible, rubber makes the world go round: from the tires on millions of cars to the soles on billions of shoes to the covers of trillions of wires.

CDOR IUVREA G E

2. COURAGE – The Courage of Sarah Emma Edmonds

AFTERWORD Charles showed us what innate courage is all about. He had the bravery to do something others considered impossible. He didn’t worry what others thought about his methods and stayed focused on solving the rubber problem. More than just courage, he demon- strated other genius traits. He showed his natural optimism , knowing he could create a better rubber. He used his enterprise to test countless formulas until he found the right one. He knew his inborn willingness to take chances meant he could learn from his many mistakes. In fact, like all geniuses, he exhibited many of the inborn genius characteristics that are in all of us. Reread the story and see if you can find them: idealism, dynamic energy, curiosity, and more. He definitely demonstrated extraordinary devotion to goals , which you will learn about in the following story

“ Courage is the greatest of all virtues, because if you haven’t any courage, you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others.” – Samuel Johnson

TO BE A GENIUS What did Charles do that others considered impossible? What did he accomplish by being different? What are the most courageous things you’ve done? If you stopped worrying about what others thought, what cou- rageous things would you do today? Using this innate trait, go for it!

THE DEVOTION TO GOALS OF BESSIE COLEMAN

DEVOTION TO GOALS

Geniuses know what they want and go after it. Get con- trol of your life and schedule. Have something specific to accomplish each day.

DEFINITION Devotion is the act of fully committing yourself to a cause or activity. When you are devoted, you are enthusiastically determined, and you give it all you’ve got. A goal is what you are trying to do or achieve. It is what you are aiming for and intending to reach. WORD ORIGIN Devotion comes from Latin devotus “dedicate by a vow, promise seriously.” Goal comes from Middle English gol “boundary, limit,” from Old English gāl “obstacle, barrier, marker.”

The Devotion to Goals of Bessie Coleman

As a child, Bessie Coleman always knew she was going to amount to something. She knew there had to be more to life than picking cotton with her parents and twelve siblings in rural Waxahachie, Texas. She knew that being a sharecropper like her parents, which meant grow- ing cotton on someone else’s land for little money, was not for her. When Bessie set her mind to something, she made it happen. When she was 12, her church held a fundraiser. She was deter- mined to sell the most tickets and raise the most money, and that’s exactly what Bessie did, surpassing everyone in her congregation. On school days, when she wasn’t working in the fields, she walked four miles to her one-room schoolhouse, where she stud- ied hard to become a star pupil who excelled in reading and math. At night she entertained her family by reading aloud from books her mother borrowed from the wagon library. In 1915, twenty-three-year-old Bessie decided to leave Waxahachie for the opportunities of big city life in Chicago. There she moved in with her brother and set her mind to becoming a beautician. Within a year,

she became recognized as one of the best after winning a contest to discover the best and fastest man- icurist in Black Chicago. Despite her success, Bessie knew she could be more than just a great beauty specialist. As a result, she set the big- gest goal of her life and went after it — she was going to be a pilot!

3. DEVOTION TO GOALS – The Devotion to Goals of Bessie Coleman

To become an aviator, Bessie would have to overcome many disadvantages. She was a young African-American woman with limited schooling and little money, who lived in a segregated soci- ety and worked in a barbershop. She didn’t know any pilots, and the ones she read about were white. With one goal in mind, she worked hard and saved her money. She found pilots and asked them to be her teacher, but all of them refused. She applied to aviation schools, but none would admit her because of her race and gender. She kept looking and was soon happy to discover there were avi- ation schools in Paris that would teach anyone how to fly. So she saved more money, took French lessons, and sailed for Europe on November 20, 1920. She wasn’t going to take no for an answer. In Paris, she devoted herself to becoming a pilot. Every day, rain or shine, she walked nine miles from her room to the airfield to learn how to inspect and care for airplanes, to steer a plane with a stick in her hands and pedals under her feet, to stop after landings by digging the tail of the plane into the dirt. Finally, after seven months of lessons, Bessie achieved her goal. She earned her pilot’s license, a license that qualified her to fly airplanes anywhere in the world.

Stepping off the ship on her return to the United States, she was met by reporters who wanted to know her story. Bessie told them about her journey from Texas to Chicago to Paris and everything she did to become a pilot. Her attitude was clear, “I made up my mind to try. I tried and was successful.” Now that she was home, she decided the best way to make a living was to be a barnstormer, a stunt pilot who performs tricks and thrills audiences at fairs and festivals. But no one in Chicago would teach her such tricks. Undeterred and driven, she earned more money and sailed back to Europe for more lessons and knowledge. This is where Bessie went from a qualified pilot to a fearless daredevil.

3. DEVOTION TO GOALS – The Devotion to Goals of Bessie Coleman

For the next five years, Bessie performed dangerous spins, soar- ing loops, spiraling barrel rolls, and dizzying figure eights in front of crowds as big as 10,000 across America. She appeared on the front pages of newspapers, kept company with celebrities, and met mayors and governors. This was when Bessie Coleman became Queen Bess, the world’s greatest woman flyer.

As her fame grew, so did her motivation for more. It wasn’t enough that she was a flier. The way Bessie saw it, every African- American with a desire to fly should be able to live that dream, especially women. When asked why she wanted to fly, she said, “Do you know you have never lived until you have flown? Of course, it takes one with courage, nerve, and ambition.” It also required a school.

3. DEVOTION TO GOALS – The Devotion to Goals of Bessie Coleman

Knowing this, Bessie made her next goal her boldest one yet: the opening of her own aviation school. For this, she worked even harder: performed more exhibitions; delighted more crowds; spoke at more churches, theaters, and schools; and saved more money. Through her efforts, she motivated an entire generation to look to the skies and dream. In 1929, her bold vision was realized when World War I veteran and African-American pioneer aviator Lieutenant William J. Powell established the Bessie Coleman Aero Club in Los Angeles. His inspiration was clear, “Because of Bessie Coleman, we have over- come that which was worse than racial barriers. We have overcome the barriers within ourselves and dared to dream.”

DEVOTION TO GOALS

3. DEVOTION TO GOALS – The Devotion to Goals of Bessie Coleman

AFTERWORD From selling the most raffle tickets to becoming the best manicurist to turning herself into a top daredevil pilot, Bessie had versatility and stayed devoted to her goals. No matter her successes, she was not easily satisfied with herself and always strived to do better. This was her perfectionism , a characteristic you also have. She could overcome her fear of failure and, just as importantly, didn’t worry about what other people thought if she was different. These two qualities are courage and willingness to take chances , ones you can adopt and develop. Like you, Bessie had imagination and could think in new combinations and see things from a different perspective. Read the last few pages again and you will find her idealism in full display. To achieve her goal of being a pilot, Bessie continually accumulated new information by reading and ques- tioning people who know. This is the characteristic of knowledge , a trait you have and will learn more about in the next story. “ Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer to your goal.” – Elbert Hubbard TO BE A GENIUS How did Bessie go after what she wanted? How did she get control of her life and schedule? How did her daily accomplishments help her reach her biggest goals? What is one of your most important goals? What action could you take towards it today? Make the decision and go for it. It can be done! You can do it.

THE KNOWLEDGE OF SOR JUANA INÉZ

Geniuses continually accumulate information. Never go to sleep at night without having learned at least one new thing that day. Read. And question people who know. KNOWLEDGE

DEFINITION Knowledge is the facts someone knows about a subject. What you know is what you observe with certainty and understand clearly. To know is to discover truth, facts, or anything that actually exists. WORD ORIGIN The word comes from Old English cnāwan , “recognize, identify.”

The Knowledge of Sor Juana Inés

Sor Juana Inés snuck away from her mother at a very young age and secretly followed her older sister to school. There, Juana stood to the side and watched eagerly as the teacher taught the lessons to the older girls. Fascinated by what she saw, Juana stepped forward and sat amongst the students. She convinced the teacher that her mother wanted her to be in school, so the lessons continued. Day after day, Juana found her way back to the school and the classes. By the time her mother found out what she was doing, Juana had learned how to read, much to her mother’s delight. Years later, Juana said this was when she “caught fire with the desire to learn.”

The school was known as an amiga , a house where a few girls were instructed by a townswoman who taught her pupils good manners and reading using the Bible. Not much more was taught beyond those few things. Juana’s amiga was in her village of San

Miguel Nepantla outside of Mexico City. The year was 1650 when Mexico was a colony of Spain under the king’s rule.

4. KNOWLEDGE – The Knowledge of Sor Juana Inés

Once she learned how to read, Juana grew determined to know more than just the Bible. She spent countless hours in her grand- father’s library reading books on all sorts of subjects, and the more she read, the more her curiosity (#21) increased. By age five, she learned to read and write Latin and do accounting. At eight, she was writing holy poems. Everything interested her. She once observed two young girls playing with a top and watched how the toy danced across the floor. This event left her with ques- tions. To answer them, she spread flour on the floor and spun a top across it. She watched as the toy twirled and left behind a trail of curved lines in the powder. From this, she figured the top traveled in circles at high speeds but, as it slowed, went into spirals before coming to a complete stop. This is one way she used her perception (#16) to improve her knowledge.

She was happy to find out that in Mexico City there were universities and schools where students could study the sciences. Unfortunately, she also dis- covered that these academies of learning were for boys and men only. No matter how much she begged, she could not convince her mother to send her to these schools.

She continued her studies in private. As a young teenager, she mastered Greek logic, taught Latin to young children, and learned the language of the Aztecs, the people who populated Mexico before Europeans arrived. The more she applied her versatility (#19) , the more she learned. With an ever-present smile and quick wit, Juana’s reputation as a young genius grew, eventually gaining the attention of the viceroy — the king’s representative — living in Mexico City. By royal invi- tation, she became the lady-in-waiting, or personal assistant, to the viceroy and his wife and quickly became a favorite of the court. Much to her pleasure, this new arrangement gave Juana access to many more books on even more topics, all of which she read with her growing enthusiasm (#8) : mythology, philosophy, his- tory, and more.

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