Accelerated Minds

“Neil Seeman courageously examines the excesses of forms of entrepreneurialism unmoored from historic conceptions of innovation for the greater good. He is the first to explain how entrepreneurs, artists, and risk-takers of all types can better manage the successive bursts of dopamine swooshing in their brains.” —Lord Anthony St John, Crossbench Member of the House of Lords     “This timely book amalgamates an autobiography, frank descriptions of mission-driven or profit-driven entrepreneurs, their anguished personal and professional risks, with conceivable underlying biological drivers.”  —Bertha K. Madras, PhD,  Professor of Psychobiology, Harvard Medical School    “Combining scholarly analysis with dramatic personal history, Neil Seeman clearly frames the mental challenges entrepreneurs face, and offers hope for the future. A real dopamine rush.” —Myles Druckman, MD, Senior Vice President and Global Medical Director, International SOS  “Accelerated Minds is a tour de force. Seeman offers no less than a treatise on entrepreneurship, a primer on dopamine in neuromodulation, and a touch of philosophy—and he makes it all gel elegantly.” —Frederick Lowy, OC, MD, FRCP, Former Dean of Medicine, University of Toronto, and Former President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University  “In Accelerated Minds, Neil Seeman boldly suggests a new way of thinking about mental health among entrepreneurs. These innovators or ‘wild spirits’ risk everything to turn their dreams into reality and are responsible for much of society’s economic growth. It’s a rough road, however. Seeman offers a broad and, fittingly, entrepreneurial discussion about how to support these important individuals.”  —Sonia Arrison, Author of 100 Plus, Board Director, The Theil Foundation   “If you are interested in what drives the entrepreneurial spirit, this book is for you. If you are entrepreneurial, it flags several warning signs for your business and mental health. If you think ‘phew I’m not like that,’ think again.” —Lawrence Spero, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology (retired), University of Toronto “Seeman’s personal, professional, and scientific threads resonate and make sense of the character types and biological underpinnings of entrepreneurial behavior.... Accelerated Minds also spotlights, in vivid detail, the true vulgarity of excess in today’s entrepreneurial sphere.” —George Tolomiczenko, PhD, Executive Director, Merkin Institute for Translational Research, California Institute of Technology (CALTECH)