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80th out of 130 books
—
72 voters
Intelligence and How to Get It: Why Schools and Cultures Count
Who are smarter, Asians or Westerners? Are there genetic explanations for racial differences in test scores? What makes some nationalities excel in engineering and others in music? Will math and science remain a largely male preserve. From the damning research of The Bell Curve to the more recent controversy surrounding geneticist James Watson's statements, one factor has...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
February 2nd 2009
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published January 8th 2009)
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This book was like a more meticulously researched version of Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers. Malcolm Gladwell is a better story teller but Richard Nisbett uses more scientific evidence to explain his conclusions. And he is very careful. He states several times that he believes X to be true based on these studies but there was some self-selection in this study and some other flaw in that study so there definitely isn’t enough evidence yet to definitely prove X yet.
One of the chapters I found fascina...more
One of the chapters I found fascina...more
Important on its own, but doubly so because it has had such an impact on the cognoscenti, in large part due to Nicholas Kristof's much discussed June 6 column in The New York Times. Malcolm Gladwell also acknowledged his debt to Nisbett's work in 'Outliers.' Will all the chatter about 'Outliers' and 'Intelligence' translate into change and an educational system where the assumption is that most children have the ability to be successful? I hope so.
Gladwell bemoans society's failure to make use...more
Gladwell bemoans society's failure to make use...more
Intelligence and How to Get It (Why Schools and Culture Matter) is a fascinating book about variation in intelligence and achievement, by one of the top experts in the field. I found it quite balanced and readable, with all of the techinical discussion and references in appendixes at the back of the book. Given that I was reading as a non-expert, it was easy to skip all of that.
It really wakes you up to the impact of environment (parents, schools) and attitude on both intelligence and achievemen...more
It really wakes you up to the impact of environment (parents, schools) and attitude on both intelligence and achievemen...more
This is a book everyone must read! If at least 50% of IQ is environmental, this has profound implications on how we educate our children and close the achievement gap between poor children and middle class ones. The book presents all the research on the effects of parenting styles and other low socio-economic factors on student achievement as well as differences in cultural mores. This book examines KIPP schools, vouchers, class size, teacher quality, praising for effort over ability, Asians, Eu...more
Author Richard E. Nisbett gives an easily accessible account of what intelligence is, the different types of intelligence, how you get intelligence, along with what works and doesn't work in acquiring and maintaining intelligence in children and adults. Nisbett's primary focus is on schools and cultures (race, nationality, socioeconomic status) and their influence over intelligence from the womb to adulthood. He provides ample evidence for his conclusions in the form of results from psychologica...more
My parents, who gave me this book, claimed that it dissuaded them from the strong hereditarian view of intelligence. I remain a strong hereditarian.
Nisbett's customary tactic is to admit what you might not be expected to, earning points with readers for honesty, and then proceed to argue as if you had never made the admission, hoping your readers have forgotten it. To judge by the critical reception of this book, they have.
Chapter Six, on race and IQ, in which Nesbitt says, without qualificatio...more
Nisbett's customary tactic is to admit what you might not be expected to, earning points with readers for honesty, and then proceed to argue as if you had never made the admission, hoping your readers have forgotten it. To judge by the critical reception of this book, they have.
Chapter Six, on race and IQ, in which Nesbitt says, without qualificatio...more
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A little dry in the beginning, but I'm looking forward to the part where he suggests how one's intelligence can actually be improved. I was under the impression that intelligence was genetically determined and not much could be done to change it up or down. FINISHED: Well it wasn’t as exciting as I expected, but there were particularly good sections worth reading. His principal argument is that the hereditarian or genetic determination of IQ argument is only partly true. In fact, to a great exte...more
OK book. He makes several claims that he gives no evidence for. For example, on multiple occasions he states that inner city teachers are worse than in wealthy suburban teachers. I have taught in two of the wealthiest school districts in the country, in Westchester, NY, and I have taught in two different NYC schools. I would say that the teachers in both were overall very good. However many of the suburban teachers would not make it a month in the city. As an inner city teacher you have to be a...more
Jan 05, 2013
Bruce
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who enjoy a good regression analysis
Recommended to Bruce by:
my trustworthy spouse
DISCLAIMER: Strap yourselves in, folks. This is going to be a long one. Please bear with me for a paragraph or two of nonrigorous noodling. This is not a peer-reviewed essay and I ain't no neuroscience expert. I won't be citing (m)any sources, so feel free to use the comments to challenge any assertion I make that you have evidence to debunk. (I've also put an extra paragraph there, to save space.) I live for guided learning. And I'll get to Nisbett in short order.
We know a lot about the brain....more
We know a lot about the brain....more
The example offers (at least) two distinct forms of input/output: sudden compression of nerve endings, bone, and flesh in the foot -> experience of pain -> translation of pain and association with other pre-existing data about oafs in general or the stepping oaf in particular -> resentment -> determination to escalate -> coordination of balance and muscular response -> a well-targeted lashing out of the leg, etc. 
It is in part this definitional problem (and the wrongheaded interpretations of intelligence studies made in The Bell Curve) that Richard Nisbett confronts with his book. So, first things first. How to define intelligence that we may measure it? The author lays this out on pages 4-9 of his first chapter:
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This book makes an excellent case against the argument that IQ is genetically determined. It is, in fact, often determined as much by culture as by genes. OK, some of us who went to liberal arts colleges might be saying,"yeah, duh". But apparently there are some people who believe in the bell curve. I found especially interesting references to studies that looked at particular cultures (Asians, Jews, African-Americans) and how each culture influenced the intellectual potential of its kids. Such...more
This is Nisbett's answer to the landmark book "Bellcurve". Essentially, he offers data to suggest that while some amount of intelligence is heritable, a vast majority of intelligence is malleable. Clearly, both schools of thought are correct.
This isn't a glossed over easy read like so many nonfiction best sellers today where the author basically talks about the headline news and leaves out the gory statistics. (Think Gladwell, Friedman). Still, it is an interesting topic as a mother and a citize...more
This isn't a glossed over easy read like so many nonfiction best sellers today where the author basically talks about the headline news and leaves out the gory statistics. (Think Gladwell, Friedman). Still, it is an interesting topic as a mother and a citize...more
The experience of reading this book in public was not pleasant. I got several poorly-crafted observation jokes of "trying to be more intelligent, eh?" from some co-workers, who met my withering glance and then scurried away. But that was harmless in comparison to the on-edge feeling that I had in the subway, holding my book open as little as possible to minimize the potential for people reading over my shoulder. Was I ashamed of the topic? Not at all, but the language used to discuss a semi-sens...more
Nisbett argues for a very weak heritability for intelligence, and looks at various interventions that can promote children's intellectual development in families and schools. He is sometimes inconsistent in his application of research, but the book is throught-provoking. An appendix provides a detailed response and refutation to waht Nisbett calls the "profoundly pessimistic" genetic determinism of The Bell Curve, which he refers to throughout this book.
90% of the book feels like a technical report or more of a research thesis and demands concentration from a reader. There are few chapters worth reading for everyone. Four star is for the content of the book as it says a lot about intelligence and parameters affecting it. Though culture part is more or less wrapped up in couple of chapters, the book predominantly discusses the intelligence differences between Whites and Blacks. It would have been a lot better if the facts are not put up and comp...more
Ok sound geeky and undoubtedly is, but also fascinating. Very thorough review of all the information on nurture v. nature. My o.b. told me that IQ was determined by the mother....not quite. This should be good news for all those people who hope that environment can make a difference. Unfortunately our society has not done very well where it counts. Bad news for the Bell Curve set.
Thus isn't a book for popular consumption. The author gets mired in statistical references and his frame of reference is heavily dosed with measures of standard deviations used to back up the author's arguments.
My thought is that Nisbett could have said a lot more without cluttering up his message so much.
My thought is that Nisbett could have said a lot more without cluttering up his message so much.
I admit I'm biased toward loving this book. As someone who teaches creative writing in inner-city public schools, I passionately want to believe that intelligence is mutable and that developing the intellect can be a creative act in itself. The striking gains in IQ throughout the developed world that Nisbett documents give me hope for our species. And I very much appreciate how the evidence Nisbett marshals makes it almost impossible for racist and classist garbage regarding the average IQ's of...more
Прочетох няколко глави за курса ми по социология в Принстън (https://www.coursera.org/course/soc101) и макар някои неща да бяха интересни (разликите във възпитателните методи между родителите от средната класа и работническата класа и оттам развитието на интелекта), по-нататък нещата отидоха в американския дискурс за черни и бели и загубих интерес да чета цялата книга.
This was written by a University of Michigan professor, and when I heard good things about it, I got it from the library. It's a fascinating book that explores whether intelligence is in-born or acquired. Along the way, the authors look at KIPP schools and various cultures associated with being "smart."
Nisbett gives a cogent argument for reforming our understanding of intelligence. Of all the measures of someone's "smarts," their IQ is merely part of the equation. Cultural variables have serious effects on intelligence, not to mention belief patterns - if your culture tends to believe that being good at math is an innate trait rather than the result of hard work and persistence, then you are surely going to have two cultures with very different outcomes in mathematic intelligence. For Nisbett,...more
I read this book as a philosophy undergrad and found it very interesting and shocking. At the time, I recommended it to anyone going into the education field. Now that I am going to graduate school for teaching, I plan to re-read this book as soon as I get some free time.
I was afraid this book would be difficult to read, but it's engaging and surprisingly uncomplicated. The data adds to understanding rather than frustrates the reader who wants to know about intelligence. We and our students CAN "get it."
Interesting and insightful--however, I felt this was an impacted version of my grad-school career. If you are new or even new-ish to the field, this is your book. It is written for the common man without a lot of education-ese, and it is easy to read.
a great overview of scholarly articles on intelligence in the past 40 years, a rebuttal of the 'strong hereditarians" and why you should think intelligence is largely under your control, even if it might not be... etc. have a read.
I will definitely be reading this one again soon! Nisbett makes a strong case for emphasizing hard work over natural ability and gives some concrete advice on how parents can strengthen their kids' minds.
Despite stating that this book is for the average reader, the first couple chapters are bogged down with statistics and summaries of research. Checked it out because another book I read referred to this one.
Even though I disagree with the general views of Nisbett, he's rigorous enough to push your beliefs. If you are a skeptic of IQ/intelligence testing, then you'd still lap this book up.
Discussed in a New York Times Op-Ed by Nicholas Kristof on June 6, 2009.
Great resource for parents - not a novel - you can skim this for great parenting tips (look to the conclusion sections at the end of each chapter)
Nov 24, 2009
Jennifer
is currently reading it
Nurture over nature so far is what I've gathered....a much easier read that I expected.....put on hold temporarily to read "Home."
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