A Synthesizing Mind

A Memoir from the Creator of Multiple Intelligences Theory

De: Howard Gardner

Narrado por: Graham Winton

An authority on the human mind reflects on his intellectual development, his groundbreaking work, and different types of intelligences - including his own.

Howard Gardner's Frames of Mind was that rare publishing phenomenona mind-changer. Widely consumed by the general public as well as by educators, this influential book laid out Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. It debunked the primacy of the IQ test and inspired new approaches to education; entire curricula, schools, museums, and parents' guides were dedicated to the nurturing of the several intelligences. In his new book, A Synthesizing Mind, Gardner reflects on his intellectual development and his groundbreaking work, tracing his evolution from bookish child to eager college student to disengaged graduate student to Harvard professor.

Gardner discusses his mentors (including Erik Erikson and Jerome Bruner) and his collaborators (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, William Damon, and others). Comedian Groucho Marx makes a surprise (non-)appearance, declining Gardner's invitation to chat with Harvard College students, in favor of making a living.

Throughout his career, Gardner has focused on human minds in general, or on the minds of particular creators and leaders. Reflecting now on his own mind, he concludes that his is a synthesizing mind - with the ability to survey experiences and data across a wide range of disciplines and perspectives. The thinkers he most admires - including historian Richard Hofstadter, biologist Charles Darwin, and literary critic Edmund Wilson - are exemplary synthesizers. Gardner contends that the synthesizing mind is particularly valuable at this time and proposes ways to cultivate a possibly unique human capacity.

©2020 Howard Gardner (P)2020 Recorded Books

Great Book

Essential study for educators, very informative and a great memoir foucsing on Gardner's journey and how and why he wrote his books

Easy listen

I am mostly drawn to non fiction (mostly soft science) and esoteric spirituality books. Sometimes I creep into areas I struggle to finish. This is a genre that is one the edge for me, but I found it interesting, uplifting, and entertaining.

Academic self gratification

The valuable information in this book could be summarised in a few pages. If you’re after a memoir of the author’s life it’s probably great but felt like a very long winded rehashing of information that is more succinctly found elsewhere.