A fascinating look at the personal and creative lives of four major talents tormented by manic-depression (Dickens, Newton, Beethoven, and Van Gogh), probing the stereotype of the mad genius and the role depression has often played in turning talent into genius. Explains how the disorder can be used as a positive factor in the creative artist's life, and suggests ways to alleviate the extreme highs and lows of the disorder. For general readers. No index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.