The Wall Street Journal, Jim Holt
It is not an easy book.... Still, it is lucid and for the most part carefully argued. Those who are inclined to disagree with Mr. Jensen will find they have quite a challenge on their hands. Yet they will be pleased to note that at certain crucial points in the logic the author is skating as fast as he can over thin ice.
Book Description
The g factor--general mental ability--is the major construct for understanding both individual differences and the average differences between groups (race and sex) in educational and occupational attainment. It is also germane to social issues of national importance. Jensen fully and clearly explains the psychometric, statistical, genetic, and physiological basis of g, as well as the major theoretical challenges to the concept. For decades a key construct in differential psychology, the g factor's significance for the brain sciences as well as for education, sociology, anthropology, evolutionary psychology, economics, and public policy is clearly evident in this, the most comprehensive treatment of g available.
About the author
ARTHUR R. JENSEN is Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley.
