7 Questions With an Author: Greg Wientjes, Ph.D.

This is my weekly series titled 7 Questions With an Author... where I pose seven questions to an author and then share their unedited answers here.

Today's author is a Standford University Ph.D. holder, Greg Wientjes. Greg currently conducts research in the area of collaborative teaching and learning in online digital environments.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Greg is also the cofounder and CEO of University Post, Inc., an Internet content company focused on college campuses.

Pretty impressive credentials, I know. His new book Creative Genius in Technology is a collection of 14 essays based on interviews that Greg conducted with various "geniuses." Here's an excerpt description.

"...In these stories, you will discover that these geniuses are not so different than you. With hard work, the right type of education and a bit of happenstance, you too can achieve the massive levels of creativity and impact on the world these geniuses attained.

Change the world! Make a difference! Listen to the stories within this book and discover your own genius within just waiting to escape and shine for the world."

Here's 7 Questions With an Author: Greg Wientjes, Ph.D.
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1. Tell us about your book?
Creative Genius in Technology is a book version of my doctoral dissertation. In this book I have interviewed some of the the world’s most famous geniuses. These individuals are known for their achievements and perfect strategies in their careers, including Tim Berners-Lee (Father of the World Wide Web, MIT Professor); Doug Osheroff (Nobel Prize in Physics, Stanford Professor of Physics); Bob Metcalfe (Father of the Ethernet, National Medal of Technology) as well as several others.

2. What led you to write it?
I wanted to share my knowledge and experience of talking to some of the world's most intelligent people with those who would not normally have such access. I have included those interviews within my Ph.D. thesis, which is not publicly available - so the book affords that opportunity.

3. Who is a writer that inspires you and why?
My mentors at Stanford University are the people who were (and continue to be) the source of inspiration for me to research and compile those findings into a book.

4. What was the biggest challenge you faced writing this book?
Well, the biggest challenge is letting people know that this resource exists and that it's not restricted to college classrooms. This is a book that everyone should read, who's every wondered about how geniuses live and think. It's pretty fascinating.

5. What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
Be confident and write whatever you think is worth writing.

6. Where do you get your ideas?
By Brainstorming.

7. Anything that you'd like readers to know that I haven't asked?
I would like readers to know that every human being has some hidden potentials. The only thing which is required,  is to discover what those are and then polish them to make them brighter and more evident for others to see. This book helps show how others have done just that, providing a resource for others who want to blaze a trail of their own.

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Deepest thanks to Greg Wientjes for sharing insights into his book. If you're interested in more of Greg's work, he has written and published other papers. You can view summaries of those articles by clicking HERE.

Question: What trail would you like to blaze? What's holding you back?