'The People Can Fly' examines the history of Black prodigies from poets to professors

Peak explores how peak performers in music, athletics, and other fields develop their abilities. Through purposeful practice and the development of effective mental representations, nearly anyone can become an expert in whatever field they choose. The book shatters many illusions about expertise—chiefly, that it comes from genius or “natural” talent. Instead, it comes from rigorous practice and a willingness to improve slowly over time through a series of baby steps. By embracing these principles, you can become whatever it is you wish to be. Your future is entirely in your hands.

If you believe that some people are naturally smarter, that you’re born with inherent aptitudes and weaknesses, and that if you struggle to understand a subject then you’re not cut out for it, then everything you know about learning is wrong. In Limitless Mind, math educator Jo Boaler shows that the brain is capable of learning new skills and incorporating new ideas all throughout our lives, and that struggling to learn and making mistakes are integral parts of cognitive growth.

In this guide, we’ll explore our modern understanding of how the brain develops, the value of attitude over aptitude, and why flexible approaches to learning and teaching are more productive than older, more rigid practices. We’ll also examine what scientists say about brain development, what teachers and psychologists say about modern education, and the role that parents and society play in determining what and how we learn.

People commonly view intelligence as a single trait: a capacity for learning and problem-solving that can be measured in IQ points. However, in his groundbreaking book Frames of Mind (1983), developmental psychologist Howard Gardner proposes that humans have numerous types of intelligence, and each intelligence functions independently of the others.

We’ll start this guide by explaining Gardner’s ideas about what intelligence is, as well as his criteria for identifying a particular type of intelligence. We’ll then discuss seven sets of cognitive abilities and why Gardner believes that each of those sets qualifies as a distinct intelligence. Finally, we’ll explore how the existence of many types of intelligence (as opposed to a single general intelligence) could impact educational practices.

Our commentary will explore the ways in which research has supported or refuted Gardner’s ideas since this book’s publication. We’ll also discuss some alternative theories of intelligence. Finally, we’ll provide some actionable ideas for how to nurture and enhance your own intelligences.

More than 50 years after the Civil Rights Movement and more than 14 years after electing its first Black president, why is the United States still divided along racial lines? That’s the central question of Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning, which argues that contrary to common wisdom, racism doesn’t begin with prejudice and hatred—it begins with self-serving policies whose proponents justify their actions by inventing racist ideas. Kendi, an African American Studies scholar, develops this claim by analyzing the history of racist ideas in the United States and offering readers a better understanding of how to combat contemporary racism.

In this guide, we’ll explore such insights as how enslavers convinced themselves that slavery benefited slaves and why most antiracist reformers harbored racist thoughts. Along the way, we’ll make connections between this book and Kendi’s later writings, and we’ll expand upon, and sometimes challenge, Kendi’s ideas by referring to other prominent writers on race such as Robin DiAngelo and Jennifer Eberhardt.

If you believe that some people are naturally smarter, that you’re born with inherent aptitudes and weaknesses, and that if you struggle to understand a subject then you’re not cut out for it, then everything you know about learning is wrong. In Limitless Mind, math educator Jo Boaler shows that the brain is capable of learning new skills and incorporating new ideas all throughout our lives, and that struggling to learn and making mistakes are integral parts of cognitive growth.

In this guide, we’ll explore our modern understanding of how the brain develops, the value of attitude over aptitude, and why flexible approaches to learning and teaching are more productive than older, more rigid practices. We’ll also examine what scientists say about brain development, what teachers and psychologists say about modern education, and the role that parents and society play in determining what and how we learn.

Peak explores how peak performers in music, athletics, and other fields develop their abilities. Through purposeful practice and the development of effective mental representations, nearly anyone can become an expert in whatever field they choose. The book shatters many illusions about expertise—chiefly, that it comes from genius or “natural” talent. Instead, it comes from rigorous practice and a willingness to improve slowly over time through a series of baby steps. By embracing these principles, you can become whatever it is you wish to be. Your future is entirely in your hands.

We love tales of geniuses and underdogs who rise to success through extraordinary talent and hard work—but this isn’t the whole story. In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell argues that these stories of supposedly self-made men and women mislead us into thinking that success is an individual achievement. But in reality, every successful person had circumstances that contributed to their success.

In this guide, we’ll explain why uncontrollable factors like when you’re born, how you’re raised, and the culture you grow up in impact your success just as much as personal attributes. We’ve also included commentary that adds context to the case studies, provides nuance to the principles, and offers alternative explanations for Gladwell’s conclusions.

Elite colleges and universities in the US typically accept less than 10% of applicants, but their influence stretches far beyond this small group. In Excellent Sheep, author and former Yale professor William Deresiewicz makes the case that these institutions’ influence is negative. He argues that they’re so selective and profit-oriented that they contribute to social inequality and deprive students of high-quality learning.

In this guide, we’ll examine two problems with elite US colleges and universities and explain why Deresiewicz claims they harm both society and students. Then, we’ll explore solutions by describing how governments, schools, and parents can collectively overhaul US higher education—and how today’s students can make the most of their college years in the meantime. As we explore these ideas, we’ll fact-check the author’s claims by providing both supportive evidence and counterexamples. We’ll also discuss ways in which some elite US schools have changed since the publication of Excellent Sheep in 2014. Furthermore, we’ll supplement the author’s ideas with actionable steps.

For decades, science got autism wrong. These books reveal what researchers have learned by actually listening to autistic people—and why difference isn’t the same as disorder.

Have you ever thought about what it’s like to exist in a world that’s not designed for your brain? People with autism experience that every day, and whether you or someone you know is autistic or you’re simply curious about autism, NeuroTribes can help deepen your understanding of this condition. In NeuroTribes, award-winning writer Steve Silberman explores the history, characterization, and evolving societal perception of autism.

In our guide, we’ll explain what autism is and describe the history of our clinical understanding of the disorder. We’ll also explain how the 20th-century eugenics movement impacted autistic people and early research on autism, and we’ll describe the work of researchers like Leo Kanner and Bernard Rimland. Lastly, we’ll discuss treatments for autism, including those that Silberman identifies as the most effective: community and social accommodations. Our commentary will add research that clarifies and expands on—as well as challenges—Silberman’s ideas and the historical narrative he presents. We’ll also include other experts’ suggestions for how society can better help autistic people thrive.

By studying the brain, the science of neurology brings the empiricism of science together with mankind’s deepest philosophical questions. What makes us human? What is the true nature of the self, memory, knowing, or action? The late neurologist Oliver Sacks dedicated his life to studying the mysteries and extraordinary powers of the human brain. In The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Sacks presents the case histories of some of his patients. Each story is a profoundly human narrative of struggle, survival, and, in some cases, hope.