Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion I'm writing a book for gifted young people.

I'm writing a book for gifted children. The working title is "what clever young people need to know". It focuses heavily (but not exclusively) on mathematics, computers, and physics. It is designed to dig in deep, but not broad, in those subjects and take the reader from only knowing basic algebra to The Cool Stuff. This is meant to increase familiarity with concepts not usually taught, build a conceptual framework of these fields, and inspire autodidactism (self teaching).

The book makes heavy use of outside material. Many topics are outlined in passing, but include search terms and links to wikipedia articles. There will be an extensive reading list (including history, philosophy, high-literature, and pleasure reading), with one short sentence about each work. Additionally free online resources are presented whereever possible, and low cost ones when not (Dover Publications has taken hundreds of my dollars, and saved me thousands).

There will also be a section on uncommon historical figures. I want to buck some trends in education. As an example I would talk (albeit very briefly) about Heaviside, Godel, and Erdos instead of Tesla, Edison, or Eintstein.

This sm�rg�sbord of content follows a chose a chose-your-own-adventure format: reading each section links to other sections, and each section has a list of required reading (prerequisites).

I am exceptionally gifted (IQ of +3.6 sigma). I was advanced a grade, but that did little to assuage the complications of asynchronous social development. I went to public school 1st grade and 6th onwards. I was homeschooled (in an abusive home) 2-5th grade. I had issues with social anxiety and depression, complicated by PTSD. I almost died from illness as a teenager. I dropped out of college and had the unlikely opportunity to work as a STEM teacher for 5 years (and I have a knack for it). I just went back to school as an undergrad for EE/CS, with an eye towards robotics (turns out most hiring managers don't know or care what autodidactism is).

For as long as I can remember my mother told me I was like a racecar in the garage: only in the last couple years have I gotten out of the garage and onto the open road. I want to provide a resource that will help people like my younger self realize their potential, and more smoothly transition into adulthood. The textbook aspects of it are intended to be, while indispensible in their own right, the bait to get the reader to consider my non-technical advice.

What would you be sure to put in such a book?

Well, that is difficult. You want to make an abridged encyclopedia of everything in a single volume, yet entertaining and interesting for a kid...math, science, history (like the song goes), philisophy, human development, society..
Check out your competition, which would be any childrens Encyclopedia on Amazon, or the ancient mythologies which explain everything about everything important that the authors knew about. If you're trying to get a body of essential knowledge into the hands of the reader read homeschooling books from the library (Susan Wise Bauer, Lisa Rivero). They even say the Tarot Deck was written by Gypsies to cover all the bases on every aspect of the human condition. I have it on my bucket list to write a Tarot deck for preschoolers, and bind it into a pictures only encyclopedia of the world so that mothers (in general, not gifted-specific) can educate and converse with pre-literate children the journey of the human condition.

I think you have a great idea and that is to write it to your younger self or to your own (future (?) kids). I personally want to start a homemade children's dress company. I've made one dress so far, it's sitting in a store waiting to sell. I tried to imagine what image or style I wanted for my dress company. What made it easier was to realize that if the dress does not sell then my daughter will grow into it and wear it. I picked fabrics to make a look that would ne darling on my daughter. In other words, if you want people to like you, then become something that people like. Your book needs style at least as much as substance.

There is a lot of maths, computer science and physics - if you are aiming at all three, you are already broad (and therefore either huge, or not deep). I think you may need to focus more before people can be helpful. I second the advice to look at the competition, if commercial publication is an aim.

Don't leave out the autodidact's shortcuts and specifically mention metacognitive skills, cover rapid knowledge gleaning, resources for hands-on exploration in a topic, how to get the most mileage out of the internet, etc.. That accumulation of top-level skills of knowledge/expertise building would have to be the throughline to make your effort not an alternative encyclopedia. Maybe include a mindmap in each topical section to illustrate the linkages.

Essentially, I'd look at such a book and ask myself: Is this offering my kid something more than a good familiarity with Wikipedia would get him?

I'm not sure wiki links are a particuarly useful tool. First, they often change and placing web links into any printed material is difficult at best. Second, starting in 3rd grade at my child's school, wiki links are not allowed as back-up for research, so my child at least would look at that and consider it sub-par.

Check out Math Dictionary for Kids, Science Dictionary for Kids, and the Life of Fred books for some ideas. My son loves these books.

What age is the book for? I know my 7 year old probably won't stop reading to go to the computer to look at web links - maybe if it was an ebook. Maybe you could develop a cool interactive app instead.

I have the usborne internet linked world history dictionary (for children). They deal with this by maintaining a website with current links to the relevant information, rather than typi g the addresses into the book. Also, what reader wouldn't rather click a link than type in an address?
http://www.usborne.com/quicklinks/e...x?cat=1&loc=usa&area=H&subcat=HE&id=3922

That's an endless task. No? Here. The best way to write is to outline a series of questions and then answer them. Obviously you haven't reinvented the wheel if you're writing a non-fiction book rather than a research paper. There'z a thing called paraphrase plagerism, which is when you copy someones words you have to quote them...when you copy someone's ideas u still have to quote them or it's paraphrase plagerism. Well, since we've all been educated all our lives, and innundated with conversations and entertainment, well it all came from somewhere.
here's some more information where ai plagerized this information from:
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_plagiarism.html

I'd suggest figuring out what questions you want to answer in your book, answering them to the best of your ability off the top of your head as if you're answering them for your own child. If you're referencing something that is most people wouldn't have thought of (from our common education) then give credit for them. I wouldn't worry about it too much at this stage of the book. Write. Rewrite. When you're done make notes where you've quoted somebody or referenced an idea that's somebodys and not commom knowledge. If you're looking at wiki to help you organize your ideas in the first draft, you'll sift those ideas in the final draft to see which ones you need to give credit for, then look up who to credit. I am not a book writing lawyer, but I say-start writing. This can be sorted out later. Your publisher and editor will help you.

-signed,
a lady with too many unwritten things on my bucket list
(who's thought about these things)

Quote ---, "build a conceptual framework of these fields, and inspire autodidactism (self teaching)."

this shows me you're ready to be a teacher. go write your book