Talent in context: Historical and social perspectives on giftedness.

Friedman, R. C., & Rogers, K. B. (Eds.). (1998). Talent in context: Historical and social perspectives on giftedness. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association (218 pp., $29.95 Hardback, ISBN 1-55798-493).

Friedman and Rogers have compiled a global perspective of giftedness and talent development that will challenge the thinking of any professional, educator, researcher, or student with an interest in education. The book encompasses five major themes: the interaction between social and historical forces in the understanding and development of talent; the identification of talent from an interdisciplinary perspective; the expression of talent from multiple contexts; the influence of significant others on high-level production and talent; and the idea expertise of as a prototype within the conceptualization of giftedness and talent. Each theme is interwoven into the book's three sections.

In the first section, Cultural Contexts, Friedman and Rogers examine the treatment of gifted education within Eastern cultures, the possibilities and questions of genetic testing, the challenges faced by gifted women, and the needs within program assessment. Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Contexts, the second portion of the book, addresses the characteristics and developmental issues faced by gifted students within their families, summarizes the research for Gagne's (1999) Tracking Talents and discusses the collaborative efforts of creative individuals within society at large. The third part of the book, Conceptualizing and Reconceptualizing Giftedness, identifies three perspectives in the development of gifts and talents from childhood, through maturity, and ending in adulthood; summarizes and integrates the nine views of expertise and relates each to giftedness; and provides a historical approach to the idea of talent development by debunking myths and providing models for its continued use.

Each chapter provides a well-researched point-of-view to talent development. Even though the perspectives discussed in this book may not be agreed upon by all who read it, Talent in Context provides a strong starting point for discussion. For example, Hanson's chapter "Developing Abilities--Biologically?," discusses eugenics, the purposeful control of breeding by a species. Even though Hanson's writings do not show that this type of genetic engineering and intervention is probable with the masses for developing abilities, he identifies its historical applications, discusses its current use via sperm banks such as Hereditary Choice and California Cryobank, and brings to light biologist Julian Huxley's concern of the "uncontrolled reproduction of the lower classes."

By identifying attributes of talents within multiple cultures, biological and anthropological perspectives, and sociological ideals, readers are called to question: Who are and who are not deemed talented within a society? Who should decide the definition of talent? and What societal values determine the identification of a talented individual? This book reviews the various contexts in which gifts and talents occur and encourages readers to step beyond definitions often limited by IQ and academic achievement during identification.

Reviewed by Christiane Kendrick, Associate Editor at Prufrock Press and a doctoral student in Educational Psychology specializing in Learning, Cognition, and Instruction at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.