December 15, 2009
An empowering view of our possibilities for achievement, and a myth-busting approach to common ideas about the inheritance of brains and talent.
Journalist Shenk (The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, 2006, etc.), who has a flair for explaining scientific subjects in everyday language, challenges the simple notion that genes determine whether or not a person is gifted. He divides the book into three parts, the first of which tackles the questions of how and why. Genes, writes the author, may influence but they do not determine. They are involved in a complex interaction with environment, a dynamic that Shenk expresses as GxE (genes multiplied by environment). In this equation, environment includes internal and external stimuli, including other genes, hormones, nutrition, physical and intellectual activity, family, society. Shenk begins by critiquing IQ tests and research on identical twins, two areas that have led to popular misconceptions about genetic determination. He then turns to ultra-achievers, from Mozart to Michael Jordan, to show the role played by such factors as motivation and intense practice, and to sports clusters such as Kenyan runners to reveal the role played by climate, training, politics, economics, the media and other factors. In the second part, Shenk provides guiding principles for individuals who want to develop their maximum potential and for parents who want to encourage their children to become achievers, plus a consideration of how societies can foster the values that motivate achievement. The third—and largest—section of the book is an appendix titled"The Evidence," in which the author discusses the book's origins, lists his initial sources and provides extensive chapter-by-chapter notes that quote from his sources and expand on issues raised in each chapter. By putting this background material in an appendix, Shenk simplifies the text, keeping the narrative highly readable.
Upbeat and entertaining.
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February 1, 2010
Shenk ("The Forgetting") attacks genetic determinism and the notion that only a select, biologically gifted few can achieve some form of greatness. Referring frequently to "GxE," a developmental biology model emphasizing dynamic gene-environment interactions (also known as interactionism or developmentalism), he examines how social and cultural factors can contribute to the production of talented scholars, athletes, and artists. He argues that all of us (and our children) should pursue excellence and declares that "spurring individual achievement is]the duty of society." Less idealistic readers, though, will wonder exactly how society is to provide supportive familial, social, and cultural environments for all its members. VERDICT An understandable introduction to developmentalism for readers unfamiliar with or intimidated by David S. Moore's "The Dependent Gene" or Matt Ridley's "Nature via Nurture". Those with a background in biology might be intrigued by the author's focus on human talent and achievement. Fans of Shenk's previous books will also want to read this one. However, readers seeking a scientifically based self-improvement book or parenting guide should search for more prescriptive titles.Nancy R. Curtis, Univ. of Maine Lib., Orono
Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from March 1, 2010
Intent on burying the concept of inborn genius, Shenk uses the 128 pages of The Argument to drive home how mistaken the notion of being genetically destined at birth to be a Mozart or a Michael Jordan is. For genes arent the inalterable essences that environmental effects merely help out; rather, genes and environment interact to realize a persons potential in a constant and complicated process that Shenk attractively exemplifies through the athletic life of Ted Williams, who began hitting practice at age six and, equally important, never gave it up; also, considered to have magically sharp sight, he tested only high normal upon entering naval aviationthe thing was, he developed himself to, as Ty Cobb said, see more of the ball than any man alive. En route to the startling revelation that Lamarckism (variation by inheritance, not Darwinian natural selection) has truth in it, after all, Shenk corrects common knowledge about what twin studies and IQ tests really show; clarifies the arguably most misunderstood genetics term, heritable; and scientifically revives faith in not just practice and determination but also parenting and lifestyle as crucial factors, along with genes, in the realization of talents. Since this flies in the face of a century of genetic determinism, Shenk employs the equally engrossing 141 pages of The Evidence to cite, quote, paraphrase, and comment upon the sources for virtually every assertion in The Argument.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)