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straaawbs's review
3.0
I read this in preparation for a psychology exam. It advertises itself as a very short introduction, and that's exactly what it is. It's easy to understand, doesn't get too technical, and gives you a basic grounding in various issues surrounding the study of intelligence, with lots of recommendations for further reading. However, I'd only recommend it if you're brand new to the field of intelligence, otherwise you'll have heard it all before.
ahsansenan's review against another edition
2.0
Of all the books I've read from Oxford's A Very Short Introduction series, this has been the most disappointing.
blueyorkie's review against another edition
3.0
At first, intelligence is generally associated with a uniquely human characteristic of knowledge representation and problem-solving, reflecting a highly anthropocentric perspective. But still, we humans do not understand ourselves, how our "intelligence" works, and not even the origin of our thoughts.
Today, for many researchers, the idea of intelligence has come to be associated with the concept of survival.
Today, for many researchers, the idea of intelligence has come to be associated with the concept of survival.
wermyhermy's review against another edition
challenging
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
4.0
The first few chapters were in depth and fascinating, though I was less impressed by the insight of the last chapters. Great intro to the field.
rixx's review
4.0
Good example of science writing that is useful and accessible without dumbing things down beyond reason. I learnt some things and was surprised how much Ian Deary managed to fit into the slim book.
Among the things I learnt was how terrifying age-related decline is, but also the fascinating studies on how little upbringing seems to influence intelligence.
Among the things I learnt was how terrifying age-related decline is, but also the fascinating studies on how little upbringing seems to influence intelligence.
michelleful's review
3.0
Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me. It's exactly what it says on the tin, but very dry. On the plus side it makes sure that we know where the findings for the questions he discusses come from, on the minus side it makes for a book where you find out a relatively limited number of facts that psychologists have established through widespread intelligence testing, and not much interpretation or analysis of the consequences of knowing these facts.
alexauthorshay's review
2.0
This is my first "very short introduction" book that I've read, with many more on my to-read shelf. I'm conflicted because a) I myself did not find it at all enlightening; I knew all the information already. But I'm also majoring in psychology, so I've had more than a "short" introduction into intelligence and related areas. But b) I assume this is supposed to be written for the layman reader, as sparse and accessible as possible, and yet there were terms in there that the general reader probably doesn't know, and they weren't explained. Deary does a decent job in certain spots describing studies and explaining results and then providing a more "plain English" version, but I feel like sometimes he gets so into his subject he forgets the audience he's writing for and the tone becomes a bit elevated. The ideal reader thus feels like someone who is in university but has not had much exposure to the psychology field, which is a fair size population but still rather exclusive when the intention (I thought, anyway) is to introduce a reader completely unfamiliar with the subject.
While it is a tiny book, it is still 121 pages and very dense with text, so it's not exactly "short" in terms of the amount of reading or time spent reading. It is short in the sense that Deary discusses one study per chapter, generally, and gives facts and findings without much backstory, so it's essentially the Cole's Notes of intelligence research, which is what it's intended to be, really. He does provide many resources for interested readers to follow up anything that strikes their interest, but this is essentially an appetizer in that it tells you very little about intelligence or the study of it; just enough to (hopefully) whet your appetite to search out more information elsewhere.
While it is a tiny book, it is still 121 pages and very dense with text, so it's not exactly "short" in terms of the amount of reading or time spent reading. It is short in the sense that Deary discusses one study per chapter, generally, and gives facts and findings without much backstory, so it's essentially the Cole's Notes of intelligence research, which is what it's intended to be, really. He does provide many resources for interested readers to follow up anything that strikes their interest, but this is essentially an appetizer in that it tells you very little about intelligence or the study of it; just enough to (hopefully) whet your appetite to search out more information elsewhere.