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Title: The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life by Richard J. Herrnstein, Charles Murray ISBN: 0-02-914673-9 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: April, 1999 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.54 (142 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: It's intelligence,...
Comment: The Bell Curve is about how intelligence affects social outcomes in America.Although there are more people of average intelligence than very high or low intellligence,the authors tell us that the tails of the bell curve have a marked influence on such things as wages,unemployment,poverty,and illegitimacy.We learn,for example,that poverty is predicted better by low intelligence than by socioeconomic background:26 percent of the lowest 2 percent by intelligence end up poor,compared to 11 percent of the lowest 2 percent by parental socioeconomic status;a far more significant correlation.
Findings like this challenge the view that social inequalities are caused by environmental differences,and nothing else.The authors believe that intelligence is largely hereditary and that "ethnic differences in measured cognitive ability have been found since intelligence tests were invented".Most scholars agree.Indeed,early in the book we are told that a gulf exists between the media and scholars on the nature of intelligence:"The issues that seem most salient in articles in the popular press (Isn't intelligence determined mostly by environment?Aren't the tests useless because they're biased?) are not major topics of debate within the profession.On many of the publicly discussed questions,a scholarly consensus has been reached".Despite this gulf,however,the Bell Curve was a bestseller in 1994.
There are a few criticisms that can be made.For one,it isn't an easy read.The authors also have a habit of using both percentages and standard deviations when presenting statistics, which is confusing.They do provide useful chapter summaries, however,so their most important points are easily accessible.In any event,if you're looking for an alternative to egalitarian prescriptions,this is a good place to start.
Rating: 5
Summary: Class Structure Explained
Comment: Readers who have not yet read this book will be surprised to learn that the main topic is not race, but how intelligence explains class structure. The authors argue that intelligence, not environment is the primary determinant of a variety of social behaviors, including class, socio-economic level, crime, educational achievement, welfare, and even parental styles. Hernstein and Murray back up these claims with some of the most persuasive data ever seen in the social sciences. The importance of a person's intelligence cannot be understated. Its is the number one determinant in shaping one's life. Hernstein and Murray do not stop there however. They go on, arguing that the bottom 15 percent in intelligence are simply not capable of taking care of themselves, falling into poverty, drugs, alchoholism, etc. American society can no longer accept such conditions for lower cognitive class. They make concrete suggestions on how to change this condition. They also make striking claims about the danger of affirmative action programs in promoting people who are not qualified to do important tasks. And finally, they deal with the issue that makes this book so controversial: The lower tested intelligence of African-Americans. At no point do they the claim the gap is only due to genetics. They suggest past environmental factors come into play. But their main point is that modern day racism cannot explain the gap, and programs designed to bridge that gap will fail, and putting underqualified individuals in important positions is not the answer. The authors really do not go into detail about why the gap exists, setting themselves up for criticism. But at least another scholar can research this topic and try and explain it. In sum, this book explains class structure in America, as well as the many of the social maladies of our time. It offers proof, and conrete solutions. It is a book of monumental importance, and cannot be denounced as racist. Those who make such claims either did not read the book, or are too biased to think objectively. As Murray notes in his new afterword, modern Sociology is riddled with taboos and self-censorship. The radical leftists who dominate the field do this country a great disservice by being so biased and non-objective. They also refuse to look at biology, relying only on environmental explanations, despite pyschology's growing reliance on genetic determinants of human behavior. The general public can only hope that the field right itself. Until it does, there will no solution to our most pressing social problems.
Rating: 4
Summary: Common Sense Science, Should not surprise anyone.
Comment: In 1994, when the book came out, it caused uproar. It's been ten years since publication, not a single thesis in the book has been refuted. In 10 years hindsight, the book simply states common sense ideas backed by academic, university research.
Psychology and psychometrics (statistical "measurement of mind") has been part of the university curriculum for the last 200 years. We know schools give math, algebra, and history, English, Spanish test.
Governments give driver license test, eye exams, citizens test etc. etc. etc. Test are not now and are given when you apply to school, jobs, deal with the government.
IQ are design to measure specifically intelligence --- general intelligence, IQ or rather G for general intelligence. If the test is designed properly, it will measure something. An algebra test will show your knowledge of algebra, an IQ test will measure your IQ.
We all know from basic math, that distribution of a large population will result in the so-called "Bell Curve" for large population. It's not about a single individual, but the "bell curve" of a large population.
Programming a VCR takes brains, it should not come as a surprise that to navigate through school, employment, society, commerce, trade, etc. takes brains. In our high-tech, electronics, computer system driven world, it takes brains more than ever.
Try programming a computer or engineering a computer CPU without some form of high IQ. Computers, space flight, worldwide Internet, all takes IQ to create.
Just like professional football, baseball, hockey, basketball, talent will get you ahead. It's the same in school, work, society, life, IQ.. G, general intelligence, will get you ahead in life.
As IQ whites in the middle of 100 IQ with black and Hispanics around 85, a gap of 15 points, Asians and Jews above 100 at 105-110. This is not new, has been documented for almost 100 years. As for the bias, aspect, why would two white authors want to prove that Asians, Jews are smarter than whites other then they just want to put the truth out.
In short, much of the Bell Curve is common sense confirmed by over 100 years of scientific research. Nothing new, just a summation for the public about scientific knowledge from the past 100 years.
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Title: The Bell Curve Wars: Race, Intelligence, and the Future of America by Steve Fraser, Steven Fraser ISBN: 0465006930 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: May, 1995 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Bell Curve Debate, The by Russell Jacoby, Naomi Glauberman ISBN: 0812925874 Publisher: Times Books Pub. Date: 28 March, 1995 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950 by Charles Murray ISBN: 006019247X Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 21 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Intelligence, Genes, and Success: Scientists Respond to The Bell Curve by Bernie Devlin, Stephen E. Fienburg, Daniel Phillip Resnick, Kathryn Roeder ISBN: 0387949860 Publisher: Copernicus Books Pub. Date: August, 1997 List Price(USD): $37.95 |
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Title: Race, Evolution, and Behavior: A Life History Perspective (3rd Edition) by J. Philippe Rushton ISBN: 0965683613 Publisher: Charles Darwin Research Institute Pub. Date: May, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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