A riveting look at the birth of a new science. -Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive When he was eight years old, Dan Hurley was labeled a slow learner because he still couldnt read. Three years later, he had become a straight A student. Until thepublication of a major study in 2008, psychologists believed that intelligence is fixed at birth, that IQ is like a number tattooed on the soul. The new study showed that people can increase their fluid intelligence through training. Hurley, who grew up to become an award-winning science journalist, first explored the topic in The New York Times Magazine. In Smarter, he digs deeper by meeting with the fields leading researchers-and becoming a human guinea pig. After just three months of playing computer brain-training games, joining a boot-camp exercise program, learning to play the Renaissance lute, practicing mindfulness meditation and and even getting his brain zapped in the name of science, Hurley improved his fluid intelligence by sixteen percent. With humor and heart, Smarter chronicles the roiling field of intelligence research and delivers practical findings to sharpen the minds of children, young adults, seniors, and those with cognitive challenges. -- When he was eight years old, Dan Hurley was labeled a slow learner because he still couldnt read. Three years later, he had become a straight-A student. Until the publication of a major study in 2008, psychologists believed that intelligence is fixedat birth, that IQ is like a number tattooed on the soul. The new study showed that people can increase their fluid intelligence through training. Hurley, who grew up to become an award-winning science journalist, first explored the topic in the New York Times Magazine. In Smarter, he digs deeper by meeting with the fields leading researchers--and becoming a human guinea pig. After just three months of playing computer brain-training games, joining a boot-camp exercise program, learning to play the Renaissance lute, practicing mindfulness meditation, and even getting his brain zapped in the name of science, Hurley improved his fluid intelligence by 16 percent. With humor and heart, Smarter chronicles the roiling field of intelligence research and delivers practical findings to sharpen the minds of children, young adults, seniors, and those with cognitive challenges. -- Based on one of the most-read New York Times Magazine features of 2012, this fascinating exploration of intelligence research reveals a revolution in human intellectual abilities and provides real-life transformation stories.
