Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined

Let me start off by saying that this book is something that every educator, administrator and parent should read.

I've always kind of felt the same way as the author, I just don't have the research or education to back it up and that is: we all have our own intelligences.

Since the beginning of the 1900s the word Intelligence has been linked to the IQ score. As I've grown older, I've come across many people who probably didn't do well in school, probably didn't get labeles with a high IQ score, but were really intelligent. It is the author's goal to try and help us see things like this and redefine what is intelligence. The author's life is just such a story. He goes from being in "special ed" classes to getting his PhD while studying show more at Cambridge and Ivy League schools.

The author reviews several groups of people from "normal" people, highly gifted scientists, performers and athletes to people with things such as autism, and tries to identify what qualities about them make them appear highly gifted, or allow them to excel in ways that make them seem miles better than the average person.

I won't go into all of the research the author gives because I want you to read the book. But it boils down to this: rarely are people just born gifted. There are lots of circumstances that get them there. Lots of techniques that they use - knowingly or not - that get them to high levels of performance, and just because a person doesn't score high on an IQ test, or placement exam, doesn't make them ungifted. show less

An impressive general description of what "intelligence" might include. Well researched, well written.

I am somewhat surprised that this site would include a review of the type provided by jimocracy. It is a personal criticism of the author rather than a comment on the subject of his book.

This read like a revenge piece. The author comes off like a bratty little boy who didn't like that he wasn't given the "gifted" label. So what?