Customer Reviews

Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

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This book is a great introduction to the subject of Intelligence and psychometrics! I just completed the book in two days and must say it was very insightful and straight to the point. It wasn't the easiest reading but far more straightforward than most psychology/sociology stuff I have come across. I knew very little about psychometrics before reading this book as I majored in accounting and got my MBA, with an emphasis in finance. Plus I have some engineering. I say this to put it into perspective as psychology, sociology, philosophy haven't been easy for me to comprehend in the past as they have been too verbose for me and boring, as it is out of my primary field of interest. But, I was very happy to read this book and learned a lot in a short matter of time. Additionally, if you want to learn more the author points to additional books/articles on each topic discussed. This book is great for the following reasons:

1) It is easy to read as it is written to the non psychiatrist.
2) It has a section explaining the only technical stuff used, which is statistics (used in studies outside of psychology too.)
3) It provides a synopsis of the top issues, studies, articles and conclusions written about intelligence.

In my opinion, the author of this book is very fair and reasonable as he consistently stated both sides of an argument if there was one to an issue. He did provide his insights only after stating what the majority of his fellow associates had concluded as well as if the debate was largely over or not within each issue.

So what was talked about in this tiny book of 125 pages?
1) Is there a general factor in intelligence?
2) Are there multiple types of intelligence, as Howard Gardner thinks?
3) Are people getting smarter?
4) How does race, age or the environment you are raised in affect intelligence?
5) What is the 'Flynn effect'?
6) How do our brains work?

Basically, Deary convinced me that there is a general factor that accounts for one's mental abilities but, as he states, there is still much research to be done as to how the brain operates so that improvements can occur in testing/research and cures for horrible diseases, such as Alzheimers, can be figured out.

I picked up this little book after hearing endless bickering about the debate over human intelligence. Is there a general factor in intelligence? Are there multiple types of intelligence, as Howard Gardner thinks? How do race or age affect intelligence? What is the 'Flynn effect'? All these questions are covered in some detail--given the length of the book--in Deary's clear exposition.

Basically, Deary convinced me that there is a general factor that accounts for one's mental abilities (but this is not to say that a high g factor--as it's called--will assure you success and praise in life or that a low one excludes you from it!).

Deary's discussion of twin studies and his own work on how the physiognomy of the brain correlates with intelligence (there is a correlation--of medium strength between brain size and intelligence) were particularly interesting.

This is a great introduction to the subject!

This book is an excellent introduction to psychometrics and IQ. It has a rare combination of being accessible to layman without insulting anyone's intelligence (no pun intended). Another advantage of this book, as well as Oxford's VSI series, is that it the book is slim (in size) and can be carried around and read in a few sittings. That does not mean, however, that the book lacks substance (as one might fear would be the case for short intro books on a difficult subject). Quite the contrary. I would dare say that reading the book would allow even a layman to have an intelligent conversation with an expert on psychometrics.

The book has an objective and friendly tone. The author makes his own opinions known but does present contrary opinions and does not offer his own opinions without evidence. Some people may disagree with some of the conclusions, but it is hard to argue with the fact that the author of this book is very fair and reasonable.

I read the book, and it covers a lot. Really open my eyes and mind.

The book summaries various aspect of intelligence, from psychometric tests, general intelligence, relationship between aging and intelligence, brain and intelligence, hereditary and environment, Flynn effect and finally what American Psychology Association said about intelligence.

After reading the book, I am capable of reading more in-depth book in the same field. Readers may find Deary's another book: "Looking down on human intelligence", useful. This book is a bit difficult but I am sure with primer info from the "short introduction" readers can read most of the items.

Readers are also suggested to read what American Psych. Association said about intelligence in 1996

http://www.lrainc.com/swtaboo/taboos/apa_01.html

It is because this would provide a more balanced view on general intelligence. Deary, in this book, anyway, seems supporting the idea of general intelligence but neglect the fact that g may be just mathematical manipulation and has no casual meaning. In Deary's another book, "Looking down on Human Intelligence", this view point was proposed in Chapter 1 (as far as I remmebered).

Please forgive also that Deary does not write anything about Emotional Intelligence. Perhaps just to keep the book short enough and easy to digest. Step-by-step...

There isn't a single area of Psychology that elicits as much contention as the area of psychometrics. To a certain degree this is understandable, since no one wants to be told that she is not as bright as someone else, no matter how true or obvious it might be. However, of all brunches of Psychology, psychometrics has the greatest predictive power. Within the professional community many of the general aspects of intelligence are very well understood and appreciated. This VSI book is an excellent introduction to this fascinating field. It covers all the major aspects of the Intelligence research and gives directions for further reading. The style of the book is very accessible without being dumbed-down (this is not another one of those "For Dummies"-styled books). If you are serious about finding out more about what scientist know about intelligence, this would be an excellent starting point for you readings. Overall, this is a wonderful little book.

This is the third or fourth title I've read in Oxford's Very Short Introduction series, and it is by far the best. Deary takes an unusual approach for an introductory work: instead of speaking in general terms of what is known about intelligence, he focuses on 11 specific studies and explains precisely what the researchers did and what their findings might show. This may sound like a recipe for disappointment, but Deary makes it work beautifully. Each of the 11 studies encapsulates a significant aspect of intelligence research, from the basis for "the g factor" itself (the concept of "general intelligence") to whether there are group differences in IQ.

Part of what makes this book stand out is Deary's ability to explain his subject with perfect clarity. He must be an exceptional instructor. Perhaps surprisingly, he also seems to have a pleasantly high opinion of his readers, recommending a good deal of primary research material for further reading (including publications that argue positions directly opposite to his own, which he clearly indicates).

This is a top-drawer work that I would recommend as a starting place for anyone who wants to learn more about the science of intelligence.

Deary presents a series of experimental results, or 'datasets', each illustrating an aspect of human intelligence or, to be more precise, intelligence differences. They are: the different types of intelligence and how they correlate; intelligence and aging; the causes of intelligence differences; the relative influences of genes and environment; the use of intelligence tests in recruitment; finally, the vexed question of why intelligence test scores have increased so markedly in recent decades.

This approach - basing each topic on study results - makes for an objective and solidly scientific survey.

Deary avoids the most contentious issue of all, that of differences in intelligence between different groups. In the final chapter, where he discusses the American Psychological Association's Task Force report, he mentions that the report addresses differences 'based upon the sexes and ethnic groups. I have not dealt with these topics in the present book and I recommend the Task Force's treatment of these at times controversial issues.' In other words, he chickened out, but who can blame him? An academic can get into a lot of trouble these days just by reporting well-attested but politically incorrect data.

He references the APA report a lot, strongly recommending it as follow-up reading to this book, and providing a link to a free online copy. I tried the link and it is still active.

Deary writes very well, although his insistence on 'funny' chapter titles is a little wearing. The book was first published in 2001, so it might be time for an update. Minor quibbles like that aside, this book is an excellent introduction to a fascinating subject.
[PeterReeve]

This book is outstanding in all respects, and perhaps the best book I've read so far in the VSI series.

Deary has a marvellously chatty writing style which makes the book easy, quick, and enjoyable to read, yet he doesn't compromise even one iota of precision.

As far as the book's content, Deary wisely takes the reader through a tour of several research studies, so that we can see firsthand how working conclusions about intelligence are reached, including the substantial limitations and uncertainties which accompany those conclusions. He perceptively helps us interpret those conclusions, and I found him to be fair and balanced in doing so.

A major conclusion I took from the book is that there IS such a thing as general intelligence, which is largely genetically determined and which particularly relates to various analytic "mental gymnastics" sorts of cognitive tasks. But general intelligence doesn't seem to relate much to personality, interpersonal skills, creativity, motivation, practicality, wisdom, etc. It doesn't even seem to relate that much to overall likelihood of succeeding and being fulfilled in life. In other words, "general" intelligence isn't all that general. I think the book could ideally have more strongly emphasized the limitations in what general intelligence can tell us and predict (see my December 30, 2008 review of Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell for more on this).

Also, in the beginning of the book, where correlation is discussed, I think more discussion about the difference between correlation and causation would have been helpful. That is, correlation between A and B implies that either (1) A causally influences B, (2) B causally influences A, (3) A and B causally influence each other, as in a feedback process, (4) both A and B are causally influenced by a "common cause" C, or (5) the correlation is due to random chance, especially in cases of inadequate sample size. These distinctions were implied throughout the book, but it would have been nice to make them explicit right at the outset.

Overall though, this is certainly an outstanding book, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in intelligence, success, education, parenting, hiring, etc.

"Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction" by Ian J. Deary. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2001. ISBN: 978-0-19-289321-5. PC 132 pgs. 6 3/4" x 4 3/8". Contents: 1- to see `g' or not to see `g', 2- Ageing & Intelligence. 3- Brainy. 4- They f- you up, your mum & dad. 5- The (b)right man for the job. 6- The lands of the rising IQ. 7- Eleven (not-so-) angry men (and women). Illustrations, 26.

Author Deary is Professor of Differential Psychology at Univ. Edinburgh & President of the International Soc. for Study of Individual Differences, a relatively new branch of psychology that looks at differences in personality and intelligence. In his book, Prof. Deary did not join those divisionary camps of emotional furor by discussing racial IQ disparities nor opining on existence of racial groups: rather he focuses on the question of what intelligence means, the various approaches at measuring intelligence(s) and what methods may be used to verify the results of intelligence tests. He provides clarity in discussing the hierarchy of mental ability scores, i.e., Verbal comprehension, Perceptual organization, Processing speed, and Working memory, which comprise `g'.

Unique, perhaps, is his well-researched presentation of studies comparing intelligence of peoples as they age and the need to revise the content of tests over the course of several decades, the "Flynn effect". For readers interested in delving further into the complex issues embracing definition and measurement of intelligence(s), Deary's book is an ideal place to start.

Deary's book is a masterpiece. Along its 152 pages, he manages to cover some of the most intriguing findings about human intelligence as revealed by IQ tests. The book is organized around 13 sound data sets and respective statistical analysis. In the first chapter, the author shows, bottom up fashion, how the statistical analysis of results from IQ tests naturally suggests a hierarchy of brain abilities. The other six chapters provide amazing evidence about how intelligence ages, how it differs among individuals, the effect of environment and genes on intelligence, intelligence and job performance, the so far unexplained increase of intelligence along time, and how psychologists agree or disagree on intelligence. The book is clearly written, engaging, unbiased, and updated. For instance, I was surprised to know that recent resonance studies have confirmed the riddle of the effect of brain size on intelligence (a positive Pearson correlation of 0.4 is reported). Such findings are intriguing and make us think about the substrates of intelligence. The description of the ways in which the effects of environment and genes have been separated provides an excellent illustration about how good science works. Despite its 152 pages, the author manages to provide, at the end of very chapter, very helpful pointers for further explorations.

Some points that could be addressed in future editions are commented as follows.

In the introduction about correlation (very welcomed, as this is a key concept in science), it would be interesting to comment that correlation is not the same as causality. Also, even if two variables grow together every time, we will not necessarily get a Pearson correlation of one (e.g. the two variables may exhibit a quadratic relationship). A correlation value of one is obtained for perfectly linear relationships amongst the two variables.

The author properly comments that most of the existing IQ tests do not attempt to quantify important abilities such as creativity. It would be interesting to discuss how this important ability could eventually be measured and related to other brain properties. In addition, the reader might wonder about more sophisticated IQ tests involving more complex problems (e.g. writing a poem). Would it be possible that some people take longer to reply because they provide more complete answers?

I was also very curious to know more about how the IQ results vary for a same subject along a short period of time, as a consequence of lack of concentration, time of the day, etc. Also, how was the performance of workers quantified in the studies that found a good correlation between IQ tests and that ability?

All in all, this is an outstanding work that illustrates how the quantification of abilities, even if through incomplete IQ tests, provide sound background for learning further about the puzzles of intelligence. Is it not much better to discuss findings that are backed by quantitative, reproducible measurements than to continue arguing in a subjective, dogmatic manner? As a final remark, the book is more about psychometrics than general intelligence, but this is perfectly acceptable given the reduced space provided by the Very Short Introduction series as well as the need to substantiate the presented trends through high quality data. Very highly recommended.