The genius in all of us

In this dazzling look at the new science of genetics and the frontiers of human potential, David Shenk argues that talent - for piano playing, sprinting, designing computers, you name it - is not a thing we''re gifted from birth and coded in our genes, but a process - a lifelong project. Shenk discusses evidence that shows how the average London cabbie''s posterior hippocampus - the part of the brain that specializes in recalling spatial representations - is not just larger than normal but increases in size as the driver''s experience grows. He illustrates that Mozart, seemingly born a musical prodigy, was in fact brought up in an environment almost uniquely perfect to mould him into the child star he became. Genes, he argues, are not a ''blueprint'' that bless some with greatness and doom most of us to mediocrity. Integrating cutting-edge research from a wide swath of disciplines - cognitive science, genetics, biology, child development - Shenk portrays a highly optimistic new view of human potential, and in the book''s second part, he outlines his prescription for cultivating excellence within us all. Deftly written and already hugely praised, The Genius in All of Us carries a deeply revolutionary and optimistic message: we are not prisoners of our DNA, and we all have the potential for greatness

'Shenk's explanation of the science involved is lucid and accessible the implications of his argument for teachers are clear. Books with such profound implications for education don't come along very often.'

Autorentext
David Shenk is the bestselling author of four previous books, including THE FORGETTING, DATA SMOG and most recently THE IMMORTAL GAME. He is a contributor to the Atlantic Monthly, National Geographic, Harper's, The New Yorker, National Public Radio and PBS / National Public Television. http://davidshenk.com / http://geniusblog.davidshenk.com

Klappentext

A revolutionary way of understanding what it means to be great, intelligent or talented, using scientific evidence to explain that genius is actually a process that is present in all of us.

Zusammenfassung
Offers a look at the science of genetics and the frontiers of human potential. Integrating research from a wide swath of disciplines, this title portrays a fresh view of human potential.