The Making of Intelligence
This title launches the publisher's new series, "Maps of the Mind," which aims to offer "a glimpse of the extraordinary innovations of science's last frontier." In fact, this title does the opposite, arguing that most of the so-called "innovations" in the study of intelligence, both human and animal, are extremely ephemeral. Beginning with a useful reminder that the very concept of intelligence is unclear, Richardson, honorary research fellow in the Centre for Human Development and Learning at the Open University (UK), moves on to argue that all IQ tests are highly culture-bound, that evolutionary pressures would result in a uniformity of intelligence among humans, not in greater variation, and that the popular "computer model" of intelligence is very limited. Instead, he argues, the concept of intelligence only has meaning in sociocultural contexts. This is a lot for a 200-page book to attempt, but the author does a very good job of providing useful correctives for a number of currently popular "fads" in the cognitive sciences in a concise, readable format. Recommended for most public and academic libraries.DMary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, WACopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.