Summary Of The Genius In All Of Us By David Shenk

The Genius in All of Us by David Shenk uses everything within its power to dismiss the ideas of nature vs. nurture, which implies one or the other, and implants in the minds of his readers that nature and nurture function dependently on one another. Shenk starts his book stating that instead of the common belief that G+E (genetics + environment) determines traits, it is GxE (genetics x environment) that creates traits. In other words, genetic code is not what makes humans or anything what they are, rather it is the interaction within the environment that allows organisms to adapt and form traits, including artistry, athleticism, and intelligence. Shenk’s goal is to change society for the better by increasing opportunity for more people to

In this section Shenk takes quotes from the book that are broad statements, and solidifies them by explaining in detail why they are true. For example, Shenk takes a statement like: “In truth human height has fluctuated dramatically over time”, and explains it by using a quote from a height anthropologist, Richard Steckel, and sites Steckel’s book below. Shenk does this for many statements in every chapter, clearly organizing the section as a parallel to the book. This amount of attention to detail and elaboration leaves the reader with no room for disagreement, for the book uses examples from only expert

This proportioning of ideas forces the reader to develop ideas based on the section and come to the same conclusion as Shenk. One example is when shenk describes the process by which traits are developed. He has five bold sentences followed by an explanation: “Practice changes your body.” “Skills are specific.” “The brain drives the brawn.” “Practice style is crucial.” “Short-term intensity cannot replace long-term commitment.” Each of these sentences had following it an elaboration train of thoughts defining the concept in bold. This method draws emphasis to the bolded concepts allowing the reader to engage and desire to implement his strategies. In the second part of the book Shenk uses this method again in the chapter How to ruin (or Inspire) a Kid. This time instead of sentences Shenk uses a word or short phrase. By reading all of them, a process is revealed: 1. Believe 2. Support, don’t smother 3. Pace and persist 4. Embrace failure. This process is what Shenk believes is the best way to raise a child to do great things. After each heading Shenk describes the topic but not only with statistics or rephrasing, he also tells stories of factual examples of when this process has worked. This story telling method will make it easier for readers to believe that the process