Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It

From The Atlantic's bestselling author and host of BBC's The New Guru podcast, Helen Lewis, comes a timely and provocative analysis of the myth of genius, exploring the astonishing inventions, inspirations and distortions that elevate some lives to greatness while denying others. A book chosen by “The Guardian”, “Financial Times”, “New Statesman” and “GQ” newspapers as the best book of 2025. You can tell what a society values ​​by who they call a genius. You can also see who he excludes, who he enables, and what he is willing to overlook. In her book The Myth of Genius, Helen Lewis reveals how this word has shaped (and distorted) our ideas of success and achievement. Ultimately, Lewis argues, the modern concept of genius—a single supernaturally gifted individual, usually white and male, exempt from social norms, and sometimes even the law—has outlived its purpose. With her deeply researched style and trademark humor and wit, Lewis deconstructs models of genius in the West, both ancient and modern, revealing a deeper and more interesting picture of human creativity than conventional wisdom allows. She highlights a large group of overlooked wives and collaborators. You wonder if most inventions are inevitable. She wonders if the Beatles would be successful today. You also encounter the puzzling mystery of Elon Musk, the technology pioneer who portrays himself as a superhuman. The Myth of Genius is a smart, humorous, and thought-provoking book that will question your assumptions about creativity, productivity, and innovation, and will forever change your mental image of what a so-called “genius” is.