STERNBERG, Robert J(effrey) 1949-

PERSONAL: Born December 8, 1949, in Newark, NJ; son of Joseph and Lillian (Politzer) Sternberg; married; children: Seth, Sara. Education: Yale University, B.A. (summa cum laude, with exceptional distinction in psychology), 1972; Stanford University, Ph.D., 1975. Hobbies and other interests: Playing with his children, reading (especially science fiction), hiking, investing.

ADDRESSES: Home—105 Spruce Bank Rd., Hamden, CT 06518. Office—Department of Psychology, Yale University, Box 11A Yale Station, New Haven, CT 06520. Agent—John Brockman, 2307 Broadway, New York, NY 10024.

CAREER: Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, assistant professor, 1975-80, associate professor, 1980-83, professor of psychology and education, 1983-86, IBM Professor of Psychology and Education, beginning 1986. Has done research for the Office of Naval Research, the Army Research Institute, the National Institute of Education, and the Venezuelan Ministry for the Development of Intelligence. Member of Educational Testing Service Board of Visitors and of Social Science Research Council on Cognitive Development and Giftedness, both 1984—. Chair of Selection Committee for American Psychological Association Early Career Award in Cognition, 1984. Guest on television program "Today Show."

MEMBER: National Association for Gifted Children, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association (fellow), Society for Mathematical Psychology, Society for Philosophy and Psychology, Society for Research in Child Development, Merrill-Palmer Society, Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology, Eastern Psychological Association, Sigma Xi, Phi Beta Kappa.

AWARDS, HONORS: Sidney Siegel Memorial Award from Stanford University, 1975; grants from the National Science Foundation, 1976-78, for "The Componential Analysis of Human Intelligence," and from the Spencer Foundation, 1982-84, for "Insight in the Gifted"; Distinguished Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution to Psychology from the American Psychological Association, 1981; Boyd R. McCandless Young Scientist Award from the American Psychological Association Division of Developmental Psychology, and Cattell Award from the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology, both 1982; named by Science Digest as one of "America's Top 100 Young Scientists," 1984; included in Esquire Register of Outstanding Young Men and Women, 1985; Research Review Award, 1986, and Distinguished Book Award, 1987, both from American Educational Research Association.

WRITINGS:

Barron's How to Prepare for the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), Barron's (Hauppauge, NY), 1974, 3rd and 4th editions published as Barron's How to Prepare for the MAT Miller Analogies Test, 1981 and 1986, 8th edition, 2001.

Intelligence, Information Processing, and Analogical Reasoning: The Componential Analysis of Human Abilities, Lawrence Erlbaum (Mahwah, NJ), 1977.

Writing the Psychology Paper, Barron's Educational Series (Hauppauge, NY), 1977.

Beyond IQ: A Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1985.

Intelligence Applied: Understanding and Increasing Your Intellectual Skills, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1986.

The Psychologist's Companion, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1988, 4th edition, 2003.

The Triarchic Mind, Viking (New York, NY), 1988.

The Triangle of Love, Basic Books (New York, NY), 1988.

Metaphors of Mind: Conceptions of the Nature of Intelligence, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1990.

Love the Way You Want It: Using Your Head in Matters of the Heart, Bantam (New York, NY), 1991.

In Search of the Human Mind, Harcourt Brace College Publishers (Fort Worth, TX), 1995, 3rd edition, 2000.

(With Todd I. Lubart) Defying the Crowd: Cultivating Creativity in a Culture of Conformity, Free Press (New York, NY), 1995.

(With Louise Spear-Swerling) Off Track: When Poor Readers Become "Learning Disabled," Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1996.

Cognitive Psychology, Harcourt Brace College Publishers (Fort Worth, TX), 1996, 3rd edition, 2003.

(With Wendy M. Williams) How to Develop Student Creativity, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (Alexandria, VA), 1996.

Successful Intelligence: How Practical and Creative Intelligence Determine Success in Life, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1996.

(With Louise Spear-Swerling) Teaching for Thinking, American Psychological Association (Washington, DC), 1996.

Thinking Styles, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Pathways to Psychology, Harcourt Brace (Fort Worth, TX), 1997, 2nd edition, 2000.

Introduction to Psychology, Harcourt Brace College Publishers (Fort Worth, TX), 1997.

Cupid's Arrow: The Course of Love through Time, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Love Is a Story: A New Theory of Relationships, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1998.

(With Elena L. Grigorenko) Our Labeled Children: What Every Parent and Teacher Needs to Know about Learning Disabilities, Perseus Books (Reading, MA), 1999.

(With others) Practical Intelligence in Everyday Life, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Anthony V. Azzara and Alexandra Freer) Cracking the A.P. Psychology, Random House (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Elena L. Grigorenko) Teaching for Successful Intelligence: To Increase Student Learning and Achievement, SkyLight Professional Development (Arlington Heights, IL), 2000.

(With Elena L. Grigorenko) Dynamic Testing: The Nature and Measurement of Learning Potential, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Talia Ben-Zeev) Complex Cognition: The Psychology of Human Thought, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2001.

(With James C. Kaufman and Jean Pretz) The Creativity Conundrum: A Propulsion Model of Kinds of Creative Contributions, Psychology Press (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Wendy M. Williams) Educational Psychology, Allyn & Bacon (Boston, MA), 2002.

Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity Synthesized, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Psychology, 4th edition, Thomson/Wadsworth (Belmont, CA), 2004.

Psychology 101 1/2: The Unspoken Rules for Success in Academia, American Psychological Association (Washington, DC), 2004.

EDITOR

(With Douglas K. Detterman) Human Intelligence: Perspectives on Its Theory and Measurement, Ablex Publishing (Greenwich, CT), 1979.

(And contributor) Advances in the Psychology of Human Intelligence, four volumes, Lawrence Erlbaum (Mahwah, NJ), 1982-88.

(With Douglas K. Detterman; and contributor) How and How Much Can Intelligence Be Increased, Ablex Publishing (Greenwich, CT), 1982.

(And contributor) Handbook of Human Intelligence, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1982.

(And contributor) Mechanisms of Cognitive Development, W. H. Freeman (New York, NY), 1984.

(And contributor) Human Abilities: An Information-Processing Approach, W. H. Freeman (New York, NY), 1985.

(With Janet E. Davidson; and contributor) Conceptions of Giftedness, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1986.

(With Douglas K. Detterman) What Is Intelligence? Contemporary Viewpoints on Its Nature and Definition, Ablex Publishing (Greenwich, CT), 1986.

(With Richard K. Wagner) Practical Intelligence: Nature and Origins of Competence in the Everyday World, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1986.

(With Ronna F. Dillon) Cognition and Instruction, Academic Press (San Diego, CA), 1986.

(With Joan Boykoff Baron) Teaching Thinking Skills: Theory and Practice, W. H. Freeman (New York, NY), 1987.

(And contributor) The Nature of Creativity, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1988.

(With Michael L. Barnes) The Psychology of Love, Yale University Press (New Haven, CT), 1988.

(With Edward Smith) The Psychology of Human Thought, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1988.

(With Phillip L. Ackerman and Robert Glaser) Learning and Individual Differences: Advances in Theory and Research, W. H. Freeman (New York, NY), 1989.

Wisdom: Its Nature, Origins, and Development, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1990.

(With John Kolligian, Jr.) Competence Considered, Yale University Press (New Haven, CT), 1990.

Complex Problem Solving: Principles and Mechanisms, L. Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1991.

Directors of Development: Influences on the Development of Children's Thinking, L. Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1991.

(With Cynthia A. Berg) Intellectual Development, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1992.

(With Anne E. Beall and Alice H. Eagly) The Psychology of Gender, foreword by Ellen Berscheid, Guilford Press (New York, NY), 1993, 2nd edition, 2004.

(With Douglas K. Detterman) Transfer on Trial: Intelligence, Cognition, and Instruction, Ablex (Greenwich, CT), 1993.

Encyclopedia of Human Intelligence, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1994.

(With Richard K. Wagner) Mind in Context: Interactionist Perspectives on Human Intelligence, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1994.

(With Patricia Ruzgis) Personality and Intelligence, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1994.

Thinking and Problem Solving, Academic Press (San Diego, CA), 1994.

(With Janet E. Davidson) The Nature of Insight, MIT Press (Cambridge, MA), 1995.

(With Elena L. Grigorenko) Intelligence, Heredity, and Environment, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1996.

(With Talia Ben-Zeev) The Nature of Mathematical Thinking, L. Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1996.

Teaching Introductory Psychology: Survival Tips from the Experts, American Psychological Association (Washington, DC), 1997.

(With Mahzad Hojjat) Satisfaction in Close Relationships, Guilford Press (New York, NY), 1997.

(With Elena L. Grigorenko and Patricia Ruzgis) Psychology of Russia: Past, Present, Future, Nova Science Publishers (Commack, NY), 1997.

Career Paths in Psychology: Where Your Degree Can Take You, American Psychological Association (Washington, DC), 1997.

(With Wendy M. Williams) Intelligence, Instruction, and Assessment: Theory into Practice, L. Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1998.

(With Michel Ferrari) Self-Awareness: Its Nature and Development, Guilford Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Handbook of Creativity, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1999.

(With Peter A. Frensch) The Nature of Cognition, MIT Press (Cambridge, MA), 1999.

(With Louise Spear-Swerling) Perspectives on Learning Disabilities: Biological, Cognitive, Contextual, foreword by Keith E. Stanovich, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1999.

(With Richard K. Wagner) Readings in Cognitive Psychology, Harcourt Brace College Publishers (Fort Worth, TX), 1999.

(With Joseph A. Horvath) Tacit Knowledge in Professional Practice: Researcher and Practitioner Perspectives, L. Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1999.

Guide To Publishing in Psychology Journals, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2000.

Handbook of Intelligence, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Elena L. Grigorenko) Environmental Effects on Cognitive Abilities, L. Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 2001.

(With James C. Kaufman) The Evolution of Intelligence, L. Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 2001.

(With Elena L. Grigorenko) Family Environment and Intellectual Functioning: A Life-Span Perspective, L. Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 2001.

(With Elena L. Grigorenko) The General Factor of Intelligence: How General Is It?, L. Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 2001.

(With Li-fang Zhang) Perspectives on Thinking, Learning, and Cognitive Styles, L. Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 2001.

(With Bruce Torff) Understanding and Teaching the Intuitive Mind: Student and Teacher Learning, L. Erlbaum Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 2001.

Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid, Yale University Press (New Haven, CT), 2002.

(With Janet E. Davidson) The Psychology of Problem Solving, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2003.

(With Elena L. Grigorenko) The Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Psychologists Defying the Crowd: Stories of Those Who Battled the Establishment and Won, American Psychological Association (Washington, DC), 2003.

(With Jacques Lautrey and Todd I. Lubart) Models of Intelligence: International Perspectives, American Psychological Association (Washington, DC), 2003.

International Handbook of Intelligence, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2003.

The Anatomy of Impact: What Makes the Great Works of Psychology Great, American Psychological Association (Washington, DC), 2003.

Unity in Psychology: Possibility of Pipedream?, American Psychological Association (Washington, DC), 2004.

(With Tina M. Newman) Students with Both Gifts and Learning Disabilities: Identification, Assessment, and Outcomes, Kluwer Academic (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Jacqueline P. Leighton) The Nature of Reasoning, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2004.

(With John Antonakis and T. Cianciolo) The Nature of Leadership, Sage Publications (Thousand Oaks, CA), 2004.

(With David Yun Dai) Motivation, Emotion, and Cognition: Integrative Perspectives on Intellectual Development and Functioning, L. Erlbaum (Mahwah, NJ), 2004.

(With Elena L. Grigorenko) Culture and Competence: Contexts of Life Success, American Psychological Association (Washington, DC), 2004.

(With Elena L. Grigorenko and Jerome L. Singer) Creativity: From Potential to Realization, American Psychological Association (Washington, DC), 2004.

(With Jean Pretz) Cognition and Intelligence: Identifying the Mechanisms of the Mind, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2004.

Contributor to more than forty volumes, including A Model for Intelligence, edited by H. J. Eysenck; Classroom Computers and Cognitive Science, edited by A. C. Wilkinson; The Development and Assessment of Human Competence, edited by D. A. Wilkerson and E. W. Gordon; Current Topics in Human Intelligence, Volume I, edited by D. K. Detterman; Arthur Jensen: Consensus and Controversy, edited by Sohan and Celia Modgil; and Test Design: Contributions from Psychology, Education, and Psychometrics, edited by S. E. Embretson. Also contributor of hundreds of articles to numerous science and psychology journals, including American Scientist, Psychology Today, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, and Phi Delta Kappan.

SIDELIGHTS: An award-winning professor of psychology and education at Yale University, Robert J. Sternberg is renowned for his pioneering work in the study of human intelligence. With the publication of his book Beyond IQ in 1985, he established an innovative three-part system for defining and measuring mental ability. The combined impact of his "triarchic theory of human intelligence" and Sternberg's related discoveries advanced the field of cognitive science and called for a re-evaluation of traditional methods, such as standardized tests, used in determining an individual's aptitude or intelligence quotient (IQ). Similarly, Sternberg developed a three-dimensional theory for analyzing human love, which he terms the "love triangle." His diligent research and writings in these areas of human development earned the psychologist widespread professional acclaim and public recognition, and in 1984 Science Digest included him among the top one hundred young scientists in the United States.

Sternberg's preoccupation with intelligence dates back to his childhood. Reminiscing about his performance in elementary school, he recalled to Robert J. Trotter in Psychology Today: "I really stunk on IQ tests. . . . I had severe test anxiety." A turning point came in the sixth grade when Sternberg had to retake the IQ exam for fifth graders. Experiencing more confidence and less stress in the company of a "bunch of babies" who were a year younger than he, the twelve-year-old outperformed his initial testing. Commenting in a 1985 Science Digest article written by Signe Hammer, Sternberg reflected that "the absurdity of that situation helped me get over the test anxiety." Inspired by his breakthrough, the precocious student subsequently fashioned his own "Sternberg Test of Mental Ability," which he administered to classmates as part of a science project; in high school, he examined how various distractions affect individual performance on intelligence tests.

Sternberg continued to study intelligence after completing his secondary education. As a research assistant at the Psychological Corporation in New York and later at the Educational Testing Service in New Jersey, he spent his summers working alongside major designers of formal testing materials. In fact, Sternberg himself devised a system for categorizing the test items that appear on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) while employed at the Psychological Corporation, which publishes the MAT. Later, as a graduate student at Stanford University, he was prompted by Barron's Educational Publishing Company to write a book on how to prepare for the test. Discouraged by the halt in progressive research on intelligence and yet eager for the opportunity to further his own study in that area, Sternberg agreed and wrote a doctoral dissertation that formed the basis of his first book, the 1974 Barron's How to Prepare for the Miller Analogies Test (MAT).

Throughout the 1970s Sternberg's research focused on the analytical processes involved in taking intelligence tests. Consequently, his work included critical examinations of the kinds of mental exercises typically featured on such tests. Relating Sternberg's observations on his efforts, Trotter wrote, "His research gave a good account of what people did in their heads" to solve the problems "and also seemed to account for individual differences in IQ test performance." Encouraged by the results of these early studies, Sternberg established a "componential" theory of intelligence, in which he associates the various stages of information processing with specific functions of the brain. At that point "I thought I knew what was going on," the psychologist revealed to Trotter, "but that was just a delusion on my part." It became increasingly apparent to Sternberg that there was more to intelligence than just thinking analytically.

Further research and examination of existing theories suggested to the psychologist that there were probably three main aspects or subtheories of intelligence. In addition to the componential aspect, from which he derived his original theory of intelligence, Sternberg formulated two others, which he identified as experiential and contextual (or external). Through their interaction with one another, the psychologist alleges, these subtheories govern and determine the range of cognitive mental ability, thus corroborating Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence. Providing Trotter with an example of the individual characteristics dominating each subtheory, Sternberg described three students: one who excelled in academic or "test smarts" (componential); another who was especially creative and insightful and could formulate original ideas from dissimilar experiences (experiential); and a third whose "street-smart" intelligence enabled her to adapt to, or to manipulate, the environment to her advantage (contextual). In varying degrees each of them possessed "all three of the intellectual abilities" determined by Sternberg, wrote Trotter, "but each was especially good in one aspect." As Hammer pointed out, standard IQ tests ignore such capabilities as insight and adaptability, evaluating only those mental skills used in taking the tests. Sternberg consequently maintains that the results calculated from the intelligence tests say nothing "about why my best student is the one with the relatively low GRE [Graduate Record Examination] scores," or why other students with exceptionally high test ratings "sometimes come to Yale and flop."

Historically, intelligence testing began in France more than eighty years ago. Commissioned by their country's government, psychologists Alfred Binet and Theodosius Simon invented a series of tests initially intended as a means for identifying the special needs of schoolchildren. The Binet-Simon scale—as it was called—subsequently underwent a number of revisions, which were variously implemented not only in schools but in industry and the military as well. Since its inception, this prototype for IQ tests has evolved into what most people generally accept as "a measure of something real—something fixed, innate and inheritable—that was, in fact, intelligence," recorded Hammer, and traditionally intelligence has been collectively interpreted as a strictly academic achievement.

Sternberg redefines the nature of intelligence to include practical knowledge. Insisting that "real life is where intelligence operates" and not the classroom, reported Hammer, the psychologist points out that the true measure of success is not how well one does in school, but how well one does in life. In everyday situations on the job or in person-to-person contact, "people no more go around solving test-like analogies . . . than they go around pressing buttons in response to lights or sounds," Hammer quoted from Sternberg's book Beyond IQ. Moreover, what's important and necessary to succeed in the real world generally comes from individual experience rather than a textbook. Described as practical or tacit knowledge, these abilities include such things as "knowing how to prioritize tasks and allocate your time and other resources," Hammer noted, "and how to establish and enhance your reputation in your career, by convincing your boss of the value of your work." In effect, "Sternberg aims to change the way we think about intelligence" by putting it into perspective within the context of real-life situations.

In his groundbreaking Beyond IQ, Sternberg expounds on the nature and origin of his triarchic theory of human intelligence. While much of the volume focuses on his early work on the componential aspect of the theory—including research and data on mental skills such as inductive and deductive reasoning, verbal comprehension, and information processing—the overall message in Beyond IQ conveys "that a broader view must be taken" to more accurately assess and measure the range of intellectual capabilities, observed Robert Glaser in Science magazine. In that respect "Sternberg carries us over the threshold from old to modern thought," but he "separates content and process too much" to achieve a truly integrated theory on the subject, argued Glaser. In Hammer's opinion, however, Sternberg "aims at nothing less than a kind of grand synthesis of ideas that for others are mutually contradictory. . . . And, like the physicist who is comfortable with the knowledge that light is both a particle and a wave," he accepts that intelligence is "a wide array of cognitive and other skills" that are simultaneously unified by their direct interaction with one another. Acknowledging the significance of Sternberg's research, Glaser resolved that Beyond IQ serves as a "challenge to further experiment and theory" as well as an indicator of the direction in which scientific study is advancing toward understanding and enhancing intellectual proficiency.

Having established that the range of intelligence is directly influenced by individual skills, Sternberg set to work discovering ways that people could best utilize their practical abilities. In the psychologist's opinion, related Hammer, "most people, including himself, don't work anywhere near their potential." On the other hand, the reviewer added, they "can learn to be smarter." Expanding on that idea, Sternberg wrote Intelligence Applied: Understanding and Increasing Your Intellectual Skills. Described by Hammer as a "'how to' version" of Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence, the book offers various exercises that serve to hone a person's mental capabilities, to make the most of what he or she does best. "And that's what I think practical intelligence is about," Sternberg reported to Trotter, "capitalizing on your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses. It's sort of mental self-management," whereby an individual tailors the environment to accommodate his or her particular talents. Claiming that "the ultimate test" is whether our abilities can improve the quality of our lives, Sternberg also intends "to revise intelligence testing to take practical intelligence into account," wrote Hammer. In fact, he has rejoined the Psychological Corporation—now located in Texas—for the purpose of developing the Sternberg Multidimensional Abilities Test, an IQ test based on his triarchic theory of human intelligence.

Sternberg originated a similar theory explaining the intricacies of love. In an article for Psychology Today, Robert J. Trotter explained how the psychologist at first concluded "that love, as different as it feels from situation to situation, is actually a common entity." When questions concerning sex were raised, however, Sternberg "had to rethink his position" in order to distinguish between such phenomena as the physical loving of one's lover and the platonic loving of one's child. According to Trotter, the psychologist's "research generated a lot of publicity in 1984 . . . and earned Sternberg the appellation 'love professor.'"

Like his triarchic theory of intelligence, Sternberg's "love triangle" derives from the interaction of three primary components or subtheories. Specifically, the psychologist defines these as emotional, motivational, and cognitive—or more commonly, intimacy, passion, and commitment. Applying some basic principles of mathematics, Sternberg determined that there are eight possible combinations in which the components may occur. From this information he further concluded that there are also eight different kinds of interpersonal relationships: Nonlove, Liking, Infatuation, Empty Love, Romantic Love, Fatuous Love, Companionate Love, and Consummate Love. Only with consummate, or complete, love are all three subtheories present. Conversely, Nonlove represents the absence of all three.

In addition to naming the peculiarities of the different types of love, Sternberg suggests ways to improve or sustain a particular relationship. Foremost among them are a "willingness to change . . . to tolerate each other's imperfections" and "the sharing of values, especially religious values," noted Trotter. Advising people to maintain "realistic expectations for . . . what is going to be important in a relationship," Sternberg further discusses the contradiction that frequently exists between the way we feel and the way we act. He recommends learning how to recognize "just what actions are associated with each component of love" and then conforming our actions to appropriately reflect our feelings. Emphasizing how important it is to understand the various ways in which people express love, Sternberg cautions that in the absence of expression "even the greatest of loves can die."

Sternberg's studies on intelligence have led to other related topics such as creativity. In his book Defying the Crowd Sternberg discusses how society stifles creativity, making people fearful to express themselves creatively, and submits that they do not know how because of the oppression of creativity. "The biggest hurdle to being creative . . . is the existence of so much pressure in our society not to be original and different," described Brian McCombie writing for Booklist. McCombie went on to describe Defying the Crowd as "creativity at its best."

Sternberg returns to his forte, focusing on intelligence and its role in our lives in the book Successful Intelligence. McCombie pointed out "memorization does not equal success in life." He continues with the points made by Sternberg in the book, stating "people need to develop and nurture three types of intelligence for personal and professional success—analytical, creative, and practical." Sternberg is swift to note that practical and creative intelligence is truly what shapes success in peoples lives. McCombie surmised that "Sternberg successfully challenges the common notions of what intelligence is and isn't." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly gave the book high marks, stating, "This insightful, savvy guide will help readers avoid self-sabotage and translate thought into action."

Thinking Styles addresses how the way in which we think truly predicts our chance at success. Sternberg continues his tirade against the standardized IQ tests in this book, showcasing the effect thinking styles have on society, even down to the social class we are in. Herbert Goldhor with Library Quarterly summarized that "style is a way of thinking. It is not an ability, but rather, a preferred way of using the abilities one has." Goldhor went on to note Sternberg as saying that "people . . . overestimate the extent to which others think the way they do." Carol Innerst, with Insight on the News, believed this new book is "asserting that IQ is a vastly overblown predictor of success." She remarked that Thinking Styles "is churning the waters in the often-bitter tempest over intelligence and thinking." Sternberg contends that our narrow view of teaching and learning is stifling growth and development of the minds of our children in our schools. Quoting Sternberg, Innerst wrote: "We are failing to recognize the variety of thinking and learning styles they [students] bring to the classroom and teaching them in ways that don't fit them well." In Innerst's opinion, Sternberg's work "could redefine scientific ideas on intelligence and how it affects race, culture and social policy."

Intelligence makes us successful, but love makes the world go round, so Sternberg decided to write on love and its effect on our lives. Chogollah Maroufi with Library Journal observed that Cupid's Arrow "presents diverse views of love in one concise volume without sacrificing scholarship or humanness." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly stated "the book in general reads as self-help with a strong scientific twist." The reviewer noted, "Sternberg's statistically derived theory turns love into a set of love phenomena: our need for interpersonal attachment; cognitive tasks adults employ to appraise their love life; trends regarding attraction, relationship satisfaction and how relationships change." The reviewer found the book to be both "interesting and helpful."

Sternberg continues his journey on the "love boat" in pursuit of the true meaning of love and its place in our lives. He felt that Cupid's Arrow left too many ends loose. Sternberg states in his next book, Love Is a Story, "Even my own theories didn't seem to give me the understanding I was seeking." In this book he addresses such topics as why we are attracted to certain people, and what leads to relationship longevity. Library Journal's Lucille Boone stated, "For each story, case studies are given, dynamics explained, and the benefits and disadvantages of the story discussed." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly felt "Sternberg never makes clear what love is and what is to be gained by applying the label of 'love' to the debasement, objectification or terrorization of another, as in various 'asymmetrical stories.'" The same reviewer deemed the book to be for a popular audience due to the "nontechnical writing and the Valentine's Day release date."

Sternberg tackles the issue of learning disabilities in the book Our Labeled Children. Mary Ann Hughes ofLibrary Journal described learning disabled individuals as "those who experience difficulty in one or more academic areas despite displaying average or better IQ." Hughes did not believe this book addressed the issues completely, stating that "parents of learningdisabled children will first want a title geared toward negotiating the current system," while Our Labeled Children only addresses idealized solutions.

Practical Intelligence in Everyday Life points out the importance of "street-smarts" over rote intelligence. Linda Gottfredson tired of the redundant theme, stating this latest book "makes the same general claim as do the three previous books on the topic by Sternberg et al." She added that the book is "long on theorizing and short on data."

Competence Considered takes a look at how one's perception of self can have a major impact on one's ability to perform sundry tasks, as well as make or break one's chance at success. This, book edited by Sternberg, consists of "fifteen drily academic essays," according to Genevieve Stuttaford in Publishers Weekly. She pointed out that the book proves how "fear of failure may lead to arrested development—or to workaholic frenzy." The book notes that many people feel like imposters, or frauds, and it is this feeling that leads to working to live up to the "fraudulent" status in one's mind, or leads to depression from one's feelings of inadequacy. The book is helpful in giving steps to stop the vicious cycle, as well as giving insight into how to develop competency in children through effective parenting.

Sternberg puts a new twist on his obsession with intelligence in the book Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid. As the title suggests, this book is more for the general public, in comparison with Sternberg's previous books on the topic of intelligence, which were highly academic. Sternberg is the editor of several papers discussing the topic of how highly intelligent people do remarkably stupid things that ultimately damage their lives. Washington Post's Gregory Mott stated that "stupidness is not the opposite of smartness, but rather the opposite of wisdom—defined as the ability to apply knowledge to achieve the common good." A review on the Yale University Web site stated that "while millions of dollars are spent each year on intelligence research and testing to determine who has the ability to succeed, next to nothing is spent to determine who will make use of their intelligence and not squander it by behaving stupidly." Not only do the variety of contributors take on different approaches to rebut the question, but they also vary in approaches to prevent one from being "stupid" in the future. Matt Herrington, writing for Find Law's Book Reviews, believed there is at least a consensus among the contributors, that "stupidity describes a failure to employ the intellectual capacity available to conform behavior to interests."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Gardner, Howard, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Basic Books (New York, NY), 1983.

Sternberg, Robert, Thinking Styles, University of Chicago Press (Chicago, IL), 1999.

Sternberg, Robert, Love Is a Story, Cahners Business Information (New York, NY), 1997.

PERIODICALS

Administrative Science Quarterly, March, 2000, Jonathan Down, review of Tacit Knowledge in Professional Practice, p. 170.

Booklist, February 15, 1995, review of Encyclopedia of Human Intelligence, p. 1109; February 15, 1995, Brian McCombie, review of Defying the Crowd, p. 1037; October 1, 1996, Brian McCombie, review of Successful Intelligence, p.293.

British Medical Journal, January 24, 1998, Stuart W. G. Derbyshire, review of Intelligence, Heredity, and Environment, p. 319.

Insight on the News, February 23, 1998, Carol Innerst, review of Thinking Styles, pp. 42-43.

Intelligence, October 2001, Linda Gottfredson, review of Practical Intelligence in Everyday Life, pp. 363-365.

Library Journal, February 15, 1998, Lucille Boone, review of Love Is a Story, p. 162; October 15, 1998, Chogollah Maroufi, review of Cupid's Arrow, pp. 86-87; November 1, 1999, Mary Ann Hughes, review of Our Labeled Children, p. 112.

Library Quarterly, April, 1999, Herbert Goldhor, review of Thinking Styles, p. 290.

New York Times Book Review, June 26, 1988.

Personnel Psychology, spring, 2000, Lynn K. Harland, review of Tacit Knowledge in Professional Practice, p. 221.

Psychology Today, April, 1982; June, 1982; August, 1986; September, 1986.

Publishers Weekly, February 16, 1990, Genevieve Stuttaford, review of Competence Considered, pp. 65-66; August 19, 1996, review of Successful Intelligence, p. 47; December 22, 1997, review of Love Is a Story, p. 46; August 10, 1998, review of Cupid's Arrow, p. 383.

Quarterly Review of Biology, March, 1999, Friedrich Vogel, review of Intelligence, Heredity, and Environment, p. 111.

Science, October, 1985; August 6, 1999, C. R. Gallistel, review of The Nature of Cognition, p. 842.

Science Digest, June, 1985.

Teaching Children Mathematics, January, 1998, Swapna Mukhopadhyay, review of The Nature of Mathematical Thinking, p. 296.

Washington Post, June 2, 2002, Gregory Mott, review of Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid.

ONLINE

Find Law's Book Reviews,http://writ.news.findlaw.com/ (November 25, 2002), Gavin McNett, review of Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid.

Salon,http://www.salon.com/ (June 19, 2002), review of Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid.

Yale University Press,http://www.yale.edu/yup/ (November 25, 2002), review of Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid.*