Rethinking Intelligence: A Radical New Understanding of Our Human Potential

Following her earlier works examining the concepts of race (Race Decoded) and sociogenomics (Social by Nature), Bliss again turns to sociology to investigate intelligence and describe how it is defined, acquired, and measured. She succeeds in arguing what intelligence is not: something that can be scored by standardized tests like IQ or SAT. Instead, she asserts that being smart is not tangible or quantifiable. While readers will not get pat answers to the questions the book poses, they will come away with plenty of food for thought. Bliss challenges assumptions about links to genetics by citing twin studies and providing examples of how stress and trauma negatively impact cognitive ability. General audiences and parents of young children especially will appreciate the suggestion that increasing one;s intelligence need not involve intensive enrichment activities but rather the cultivation of supportive environments and mindfulness techniques.