After the whole Ivy League admissions topic, I thought this was an interesting book to discuss.
One of the things she cites early is that IQ accounts for only 10% of the reason people are successful in the workplace. She references The Bell Curve by Herstein and Murray, yet they wrote:
Intelligence is one of, if not the most, important factors correlated to economic, social, and overall success in the United States, and its importance is increasing
And that was written pre 1994 when the book was published with now very old data. Levine repeatedly writes that children are entering a more competitive work environment.
She also writes that children should be able to go out the house by themselves by age 9 and explore with friends. We moved to a very safe neighborhood in Toronto, and DD could probably go out but I would have to know her friend, a few doors down was home first and coordinate. It is not the same as when I was a kid and could run out of the house at 5 to see who was outside to play.
But I am trying to make a conscious effort to get out now with DD and the dog and hang by the beach, the woods. It is cool that we are in city limits, walk along the beach and there are beavers, mink, raccoons. I saw a beaver one morning with the dog and didn't know if it was an otter or beaver but it was so cool. The dog chased a mink yesterday and DD and I debated if it was a fisher or a mink. It still isn't the same as running out and creating games with other kids you find.
Who has that anymore?
