Posit a galactic field that reduced our ability to think. We develop our intelligence & technology under the influence of that field & then we move out from under its influence. Suddenly everyone on the planet doubles their IQ. What would happen to our civilization, to the everyday people? That's the basis that Anderson uses for this book & it's well done. ( )

I have to say I love Poul Anderson. He takes an interesting concept, makes a really quick novel out of it, and ends the book at just the right point to prevent the concept from becoming tired. In this book, we learn that Earth has been traveling through a field that inhibits electrical reactions by a slight amount, for the past 60 million years. As we move out of the field electrical reactions speed up- it's little, but enough that sensitive equipment is disrupted, in particular our brains. Overnight everyone on Earth, including animals, becomes many times as smart as they were. What if animals no longer desired to wallow in the mud and produce food for us? What if everyone was so smart, they deemed the manual labor society relies on beneath them? Is being superintelligent really all that good... what happens when you get bored? Fun book. ( )

A cosmic event causes the co-inhabitants of planet earth to leap suddenly forward in intelligence. Everyone is suddenly stratspherically smarter, even the animals.

How would society cope if everyone were suddenly a genius, and the dumb beasts of burden no longer dumb. Would society as you know it tear itself apart and descend into anarchy. . . . can there be any future for a world of super-intelligent beings?

The writing style has dated somewhat, however this remains a fascinating classic of science fiction. ( )

One of my favorite stories of all time. Read it as a teenager. Re-read it with a girlfriend I wanted to share it with a decade later. I want to re-read it again just thinking about it -- soon. I wish there were a sequel that went into more depth with some of the characters (both human and animal). ( )

There was so much potential here that never quite came to be. For instance, the animal intelligence could have been played out more. Also, transitions were almost non-existent. You would follow one character, then go onto another, then come back to the first at a later time with no explanation of whatever came of the previous scenario. The concept was interesting enough that It kept my attention, which is hard to do these days. ( )