The Riddle of Intelligence - (Explanations in the Social Sciences) (Hardcover)

About the Book

"There is little agreement today on what it takes to be intelligent. Yet this word is widely believed to be about something real, mostly biological, and important. From this popular perspective, intelligence is also something you can have a lot of, and luckily find yourself being labeled as a genius. Or sadly, something you do not have nearly enough of, and so find yourself being seen by others, at least behind your back, as silly, stupid, or plainly idiotic. Looked at closely, however, it turns out this word belongs more in the realm of traditional folklore than modern science"--

Book Synopsis

There is little agreement today on what it takes to be intelligent. Yet this word is widely believed to be about something real, mostly biological, and important. From this popular perspective, intelligence is also something you can have a lot of, and luckily find yourself being labeled as a genius. Or sadly, something you do not have nearly enough of, and so find yourself being seen by others, at least behind your back, as silly, stupid, or plainly idiotic. Looked at closely, however, it turns out this word belongs more in the realm of traditional folklore than modern science.

Review Quotes

"I think this is a successful initial broadside against a target that has been quite vexing in science for over a century - what we call intelligence, and what psychologists claim to be able to study rigorously." - Jonathan Marks, UNC Charlotte

"[The authors] brought a necessary interdisciplinary work that scrutinizes the general assumptions of the word intelligence." - Tory Schendel-Vyvoda

About the Author

John Edward Terrell is Regenstein Curator of Pacific Anthropology Emeritus at Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.