Charles Murray's inventory of human achievement in the arts and sciences — using historiometric methods to identify the most significant contributors across history and examine what conditions produced them.
Historiometrics applied to genius: Murray constructed databases of references to historical figures in encyclopedias, histories, and reference works to identify the most significant contributors to human accomplishment in art, literature, music, mathematics, and science. Findings: accomplishment is concentrated in a few people (Pareto distribution), European civilization dominated scientific and artistic achievement from 1400-1950, and the conditions for accomplishment (religious worldview, small-city culture, purpose-driven institutions) may be declining. Controversial for its cultural and civilizational claims.
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