Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000003837030 | LB1695.6 A76 1994 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
On Order
Summary
Summary
By following the lives of 81 high school valedictorians for 14 years after graduation, this comprehensive study asks what doing well in school
actually means. Written in accessible, jargon-free language, it explores the obstacles'including those of gAnder and race'that hinder our presumed future leaders.
Author Notes
KAREN D. ARNOLD is assistant professor of higher education at Boston College and visiting scholar at the Murray Research Center of Radcliffe College. She is the director of the Illinois Valedictorian Project and coeditor of two recent books, Beyond Terman: Contemporary Longitudinal Studies of Giftedness and Talent (1994) and Remarkable Women: Perspectives on Female Talent Development (1995).
Reviews 1
Choice Review
So much information about the lives of talented individuals comes from retrospective materials; researchers comb archives or conduct interviews with notables such as Olympic winners or American presidents to find out what contributed to their success. Although this information has served us well, it can be distorted by selective memory. Arnold (Boston College) takes the methodologically rigorous route of following a group of adolescents whose stellar academic performance in high school heralded lives of great achievement. The book describes 81 valedictorians from the class of 1981 in the state of Illinois as they passed through key stages of adolescence and adulthood. The text comes alive with their voices as they experience joy and disappointment with schooling and increasing responsibilities at work and at home. Many never found the deep satisfaction they expected from high level achievement, and most were committed to lives balanced between career and relationships. Arnold leaves us wondering if the life trajectory of these very bright people could have or should have been different. General readers; upper-division undergraduates through faculty. R. F. Subotnik CUNY Hunter College
