Off the Charts

September 4, 2017
Through the experiences of 15 remarkably gifted children and their parents, Hulbert (Raising America) sheds some light on the lives of child prodigies. Her subjects range from early 20th-century math phenomenon Norbert Wiener to extraordinary modern-day pianist Marc Yu. Along with profiling individuals, Hulbert explores various aspects of the experiences of child prodigies as a whole, including their tendency to “thrive on receptive culture,” the connection of young genius to autism and autism-spectrum disorder, and the drive and extreme focus common to gifted children, characteristics that can lead to defiant behavior and that don’t always “transfer seamlessly to school, or to life,” as evidenced by the example of chess master Bobby Fischer. Hulbert stresses that extraordinarily gifted children are not adults, although they are often treated as though they were. She also points out that gifted children are often micromanaged, missing out on the opportunity to “obsess on their own idiosyncratic terms” and grow and learn from their mistakes. Although the subjects and material are intriguing, Hulbert’s writing can be academic, keeping the reader at an arm’s length from the children’s stories.

October 15, 2017
A journalist vividly portrays the positive and negative impacts of being a child prodigy. Literary editor of the Atlantic, Hulbert (Raising America: Experts, Parents, and a Century of Advice About Children, 2003, etc.) follows her previous examination of the challenges of child-rearing by homing in on a special population of children: prodigies. She begins her sympathetic, sharply drawn profiles early in the 20th century with William James Sidis (his godfather was philosopher William James), a mathematics genius who entered Harvard at the age of 11, and his contemporary Norbert Wiener, the founder of cybernetics, who at the age of 15 arrived at Harvard as a graduate student in zoology. Other prodigies include the talented and adorable child star Shirley Temple; African-American pianist Philippa Schuyler; irascible chess champion Bobby Fischer; eccentric computer whizzes such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Jonathan Edwards; and several astonishing pianists: Jay Greenberg, who produced a staggering number of compositions by the time he was 8; Matt Savage, who transferred his love of numbers to the piano keyboard; and Marc Yu, who performed with Lang Lang at Carnegie Hall when he was 10. Investigating the correlation between genius and autism, Hulbert cites the observation of one Juilliard teacher: "Genius is an abnormality, and can signal other abnormalities," such as "A.D.D. or O.C.D. or Asperger's. Yet parents are apt to focus on the outsized talent, while often failing to help the child deal with social and emotional problems. Growing into adulthood, many prodigies experience depression and lash out in rebellion; early mastery "may become shadowed by anxiety, blocking the engagement with a wider world that helps gifts and creativity flourish." Hulbert intends these portraits to serve as cautionary tales in "an overachiever culture of hovering adults and social media-saturated youths," and she counsels parents against "the impulse to herald children's talents" at the risk of "inspiring swelled heads and raising sky-high hopes that are likely to be disappointed." A persuasive argument for nurturing "childhood normalcy" even for the stunningly gifted and talented.

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Starred review from November 15, 2017
In this beautifully written, thoroughly reported look at young geniuses, Hulbert, literary editor at the Atlantic and author of Raising America (2003), poses fascinating questions about the roles of both genetics and pushy parents. She traces the trajectory of 15 prodigies, including chess-star Bobby Fischer, who named a strong memory, concentration, imagination, and a strong will as the crucial ingredients to chess prowess, and classical musician Lang Lang, who entered his first piano contest at age five. Hulbert explains the flawed ideas of influential psychologist Lewis Terman, who was convinced that geniuses were born, not bent. He followed the lives of children identified for their high IQs and found that extra IQ points didn't account for more accomplishment. Rather, kids with better-educated, more successful parents ended up with the best jobs and highest incomes. The young geniuses who thrived also shared select qualities, including perseverance, confidence, and a sense of purpose. Interestingly, Hulbert notes that many people cite the achievements of children with autism as proof of just how crucial the dedication of families, teachers, and others is to the blossoming of any gift. How can family members nurture special talents? It takes a village.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)