by David Shenk
First published 2010
David Shenk takes aim at the widespread belief that genes determine our abilities and limits. He argues that recent scientific discoveries from cognitive science, genetics, biology, and child development reveal a different truth about human capability. The research shows that DNA does not function as a fixed blueprint that grants some people exceptional abilities while condemning others to average performance. Instead, our potential emerges from ongoing interactions between our genes and environmental factors. Shenk contends that IQ tests and assumptions about inborn talent have created unnecessarily negative views of what people can achieve. This pessimism has shaped misguided educational policies and personal expectations. The author presents evidence for what he calls latent talent abundance rather than talent scarcity. He demonstrates how individuals and parents can influence the dynamic relationship between genetics and external stimuli. The book offers readers a new framework for understanding their own capabilities and those of their children.
Genres: psychology, education, non-fiction, biology, genetics, academic
Vibes: informative, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic, scientific-research
320 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday