The Logic of Newt
There is none. Gingrich implies that the whole of the Islamic people attacked America. And that's just not true. More »
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David Shenk is a writer on genetics, talent and intelligence. He is the author of Data Smog, The Forgetting, and most recently, The Genius In All of Us. More
David Shenk is the author of six books, including Data Smog ("indispensable"—The New York Times), The Immortal Game ("superb"—The Wall Street Journal), and the bestselling The Forgetting ("a remarkable addition to the literature of the science of the mind."—The Los Angeles Times ). He has contributed to National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times, Gourmet, Harper's, The New Yorker, The American Scholar, and National Public Radio. Shenk's work inspired the Emmy-award winning PBS documentary The Forgetting and was featured in the Oscar-nominated feature Away From Her. His latest book, The Genius In All Of Us, was published in March 2010. Shenk has advised the President's Council on Bioethics and is a popular speaker. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
There is none. Gingrich implies that the whole of the Islamic people attacked America. And that's just not true. More »
An organization that connects scientists who are interested in a more nuanced understanding of research More »
http://to.pbs.org/bc0r7P More »
"Among nonfiction accounts [of Alzheimer's disease], David Shenk's beautiful, harrowing 'The Forgetting/Alzheimer's: Portrait of an Epidemic' (2001) remains the standard. It is one of those rare books that lifts journalism -- the gathering and dissemination of topical facts -- to the level of literature."-- Julia Keller, in the Chicago Tribune, 8/5/2010 More »
Why have stampedes at packed concerts and other public events gotten worse? More »
A New York Times study shows that early development counts More »
The talented comedian has just been tapped for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Why it's a silly choice. More »
The future could replace words with delicate hand movements. More »
Appearing in The New York Times Book Review, Sunday, March 21. More »
I had a really wonderful hour today on KQED's "Forum," hosted by Michael Krasny. I love public radio. Listen here. More »
An excerpt from our correspondent's new book on where intelligence comes from -- and why exposure to words as a child matters More »
A very positive, and thoughtful, review by Laura Miller. As someone who has always resisted genetic determinism while still subscribing to the secular mystery religion of talent, I confess that The Genius in All of Us has quietly blown my mind. But the book's premise has far more profound implications for social policy....While The Genius in All of Us isn't an inventive, sensitive piece of writing like Shenk's celebrated book on Alzheimer's disease, The… More »
It takes a special kind of person to have kept up with my work over the years, following topics from data smog to dog noses to kids toys to Alzheimer's to the ancient origins of chess. I love it when someone shows up at a book signing for The Immortal Game with an old coffee stained copy of Data Smog. Such die-hard readers are to be appreciated, pitied, and feared. And rewarded. Today I am announcing a special giveaway. A free, signed hardcover or… More »
The latest in a series of interviews about the source of ambition and the process of becoming an extraordinary achiever. More »
Book is trickling into stores now, ahead of March 9 pub. Early reviews for The Genius in All of Us. "Engrossing...revives faith in not just practice and determination but also parenting and lifestyle." - BOOKLIST (starred review)"Empowering...myth-busting ...entertaining." - KIRKUS REVIEWS"Interesting and informative...very well done." - BOOKFETISH.COM • More advance praise here. • Video introduction here. • A Q&A with me here. • My BigThink… More »
[This Q&A was put together by my publisher. I think it's helpful in introducing some of the basic ideas from the book]. Question: Your book is called The Genius in All of Us: Why Everything You've Been Told About Genetics, Talent, and IQ is Wrong. That's a big claim. Everything and how so? David Shenk: It is a bold statement, and it reflects how poorly the public has been served when it comes to understanding the relationship between biology and ability. The… More »
Everyone is grumbling about Washington gridlock, and rightly so. By all accounts, today's partisan atmosphere is so poisonous, it makes even the vitriolic Clinton years look warm and fuzzy. I know much of the problem is systemic, but I was struck by something Evan Bayh wrote in his weekend op-ed for The New York Times: When I was a boy, members of Congress from both parties, along with their families, would routinely visit our home for dinner or the holidays. This… More »
The good folks at Doubleday have just released this brief video introduction of my new book, which is now available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, or Indiebound, and will be arriving in stores in the next week or so."Engrossing...revives faith in not just practice and determination but also parenting and lifestyle." -- BOOKLIST (*starred review*)"Empowering...myth-busting...highly readable...entertaining." -- KIRKUS REVIEWS "The Genius in… More »
I strongly recommend this week's New York magazine cover story by Jennifer Senior about the foolishness of allowing intelligence tests to determine the educational fates of four year-old children. It's a very human story. But I especially enjoy how Senior brings the science to life. Here's my favorite moment:I wrote to [University of Iowa psychologist David] Lohman and asked what percentage of 4-year-olds who scored 130 or above would do so again as 17-year-olds.… More »
