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Beyond IQ: Scientific Tools for Training Problem Solving, Intuition, Emotional Intelligence, Creativity, and More
Bestselling author Garth Sundem presents a book stuffed with exercises that have been scientifically proven to train aspects of practical intelligence-the parts of intelligence that matter most to real world success.
Having a high IQ is all very well, but as a predictor of actual success, science shows that it's not what you have under the hood that matters, but how you use it. Whatever your IQ is, concrete skills like creativity, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and intuition are what make the difference. Drawing on interviews with psychology's top brains and the very latest research, Sundem presents numerous exercises to help you master these and other real-world mental skills, allowing normal folk smash Mensa members in the arena that matters most-life.
Having a high IQ is all very well, but as a predictor of actual success, science shows that it's not what you have under the hood that matters, but how you use it. Whatever your IQ is, concrete skills like creativity, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and intuition are what make the difference. Drawing on interviews with psychology's top brains and the very latest research, Sundem presents numerous exercises to help you master these and other real-world mental skills, allowing normal folk smash Mensa members in the arena that matters most-life.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
22 people are currently reading
434 people want to read
About the author
Garth Sundem
46 books27 followersGarth works at the intersection of math, science, and humor, with a background including a growing list of bestselling books, a Magna Cum Laude pre-med/music degree from Cornell University, and math-for-hire for mobile app and tech companies. In addition to conferences, colleges, and bookstores, you may have seen Garth's work on the Science Channel, where he's a frequent onscreen contributor, online at his popular blog (scientificblogging.com), or in magazines including Esquire, Wired, Publisher's Weekly, and Congressional Quarterly.
Garth grew up on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, where his dad----a former President of the American Accounting Association----taught for 34 years in the UW business school. Garth lives in Ojai, California, with his wife, two small kids, and one large Labrador, commonly found shoulder-deep in Ojai's municipal fountain (the dog, not the kids; the kids only go in up to their knees).
Stay tuned for more fun, fascinating and sometimes useful books nestled at the nexus of pop and science.
Garth grew up on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, where his dad----a former President of the American Accounting Association----taught for 34 years in the UW business school. Garth lives in Ojai, California, with his wife, two small kids, and one large Labrador, commonly found shoulder-deep in Ojai's municipal fountain (the dog, not the kids; the kids only go in up to their knees).
Stay tuned for more fun, fascinating and sometimes useful books nestled at the nexus of pop and science.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 31, 2016
Honestly, just say no.
I can see where the premise of this book sounded good, but trying to put it into practice, not so much. There are a number of exercises the author gives you to do to help, I guess, raise your IQ, whatever. Yet, you will never know if you succeeded in answering any of the questions right, because, unless I totally missed it, there was no answer guide actually available to give you the answers or solutions. Giving me a test with no answers doesn't work for me.
If there is an answer guide, please make it visible in the Printed book. Seriously. If there isn't one, please MAKE ONE! Some of us like to actually learn from the test we take. We do not like taking test just to waste time, with no discernible benefit.
I can see where the premise of this book sounded good, but trying to put it into practice, not so much. There are a number of exercises the author gives you to do to help, I guess, raise your IQ, whatever. Yet, you will never know if you succeeded in answering any of the questions right, because, unless I totally missed it, there was no answer guide actually available to give you the answers or solutions. Giving me a test with no answers doesn't work for me.
If there is an answer guide, please make it visible in the Printed book. Seriously. If there isn't one, please MAKE ONE! Some of us like to actually learn from the test we take. We do not like taking test just to waste time, with no discernible benefit.
November 10, 2014
When I received my review copy of Beyond IQ: Scientific Tools for Training Problem Solving, Intuition, Emotional Intelligence, Creativity, and More by Garth Sundem, I was immediately struck by one thought.
“… Yeah, right” (spoken with mild sarcasm)
The title alone claims quite a few things, especially if you know a little about trying to use these skills or encourage their use in others.
I skimmed the book in a random fashion, flipping idly through the pages, and was immediately aware that this book has a lot of lists, pictures, graphics, and symbols sprinkled liberally throughout, along with the prerequisite word content.
I was reminded of puzzle books that one can purchase at any book store, grocery store, or probably at any fast gas and cheap food place these days. This set up my expectation that this was a light-weight book which would provide some diversion and enjoyment similar to my crossword puzzle books … and that would be the end of its usefulness to me.
… Was I ever wrong and I could not be happier to be so!
Garth Sundem has done his homework nicely, collecting the latest thinking around a wide range of topics related to neuroscience and how our brains help and hinder us.. I normally do not list chapters of books, since the titles are sometimes oblique without the accompanying content and sometimes because listing titles can be boring and provide no extra value. I am breaking my own rules with the following list of chapters, because they show in clear detail just what this book covers:
Insight, Practical Intelligence, Problem-Solving, Creativity, Intuition, Your Brain on Technology, Expertise, Working Memory, Keeping Intelligence, Wisdom, Performance Under Pressure, Emotional Intelligence, Willpower, Multitasking, Heuristics and Biases.
These short and compactly written sections are liberally endowed with short exercises to highlight the main points being discussed.
An Example From Beyond IQ:
For example, I especially enjoyed the section on Problem-Solving, since this particular skill lines up with several of the other topics (insight, creativity, practical intelligence, wisdom, and so on) and is a topic which I try to nurture in others.
Sundem starts by describing the troubles encountered by Metropolitan State College of Denver as it sought to change its name to something more reflective of its academic stature (in other words, “college” to “university”). The story goes through several twists and turns to reinforce the idea that problem-solving has to include thinking beyond a narrow scope and considering many possibilities.
He then introduces Richard Mayer, a noted researcher from the University of California at Santa Barbara, who offers some solid learning on what makes successful problem-solvers different from the rest of us: “… the time they spend studying the initial state and the constraints – the extra time they spend clarifying the problem.” (p. 36)
According to Mayer, we solve problems in four primary ways: Random, Depth-First, Breadth-First, and Means-Ends Analysis Search. Mayer then teachs us about solving problems by using the everyday maze. I had never considered the variety in our problem-solving approaches, until I had the opportunity to solve the same or similar mazes using each of these approachs.
After several more short examples and exercises, Sundem has some fun with a section on “Faulty Assumptions”, in the form of a list of brain-teasers designed to show us how the assumptions we make hinder us from effectively being able to solve problems.
One example from the list:
CAR TROUBLE
It’s a dark and stormy night and you’re driving down the street when you notice three people at a bus stop: an old woman who needs a doctor ASAP, your best friend, and the date of your dreams. You can only fit one other person in your car. What should you do?
I’ll let you chew on this before I share the answer. (Bragging point: I got it within 10 seconds, but then I AM a professional.)
Sundem ends this chapter with a discussion on how to solve those aggravating little sliding tile puzzles … quite a trick when you consider that a simple 4×4 puzzles contains approximately 653 billion possible states.
However, the knowledge you pick up in this chapter and in others is not just for parlor games or to impress lesser mortals.
What did I Really Like?
I enjoyed the non-academic, but precise writing style which conveyed some fairly sophisticated concepts in accessible language and with good organization.
This is a great review of current neuroscience and decision-making knowledge.
The ability to actually do exercises that other books just talk about may be the single most valuable part of this book
Tying Up Loose Ends: About that dark and stormy bus stop …
Sundem’s solutionmay seem obvious as we read:
Assumption: You must be the driver.
Instead, give the keys to your best friend, who takes the old lady to the hospital while you wait for the bus with your dream date (who is now duly impressed).
Without intentional strengthening of our ability to creatively problem-solving and move past erroneous assumptions, many of us struggle to figure how to choose who to put in the car with us.
Bottom Line: Who Will Benefit From This Book?
Anyone who wants or needs to know how our cognitive, emotional, and behavioral selves come together will benefit from reading this book, whether you choose chapters of specific interest or read from the first page to the last.
If you are a leadership, business, or life coach, a teacher, a manager, or someone else who seeks to understand and help others understand how to make more effective decisions, this book has much to offer in terms of current knowledge and engaging exercises.
Enjoying imagining how much more effective my teaching and coaching will be when I use this book as a resource in the Heartland ….
John
Beyond IQ by Garth Sundem was published in 2014 by Three Rivers Press. 220 pages. As noted above, I received a review copy of this title, which did not influence the comments above. I was and am genuinely delighted by the value and learning I have found in this book.
“… Yeah, right” (spoken with mild sarcasm)
The title alone claims quite a few things, especially if you know a little about trying to use these skills or encourage their use in others.
I skimmed the book in a random fashion, flipping idly through the pages, and was immediately aware that this book has a lot of lists, pictures, graphics, and symbols sprinkled liberally throughout, along with the prerequisite word content.
I was reminded of puzzle books that one can purchase at any book store, grocery store, or probably at any fast gas and cheap food place these days. This set up my expectation that this was a light-weight book which would provide some diversion and enjoyment similar to my crossword puzzle books … and that would be the end of its usefulness to me.
… Was I ever wrong and I could not be happier to be so!
Garth Sundem has done his homework nicely, collecting the latest thinking around a wide range of topics related to neuroscience and how our brains help and hinder us.. I normally do not list chapters of books, since the titles are sometimes oblique without the accompanying content and sometimes because listing titles can be boring and provide no extra value. I am breaking my own rules with the following list of chapters, because they show in clear detail just what this book covers:
Insight, Practical Intelligence, Problem-Solving, Creativity, Intuition, Your Brain on Technology, Expertise, Working Memory, Keeping Intelligence, Wisdom, Performance Under Pressure, Emotional Intelligence, Willpower, Multitasking, Heuristics and Biases.
These short and compactly written sections are liberally endowed with short exercises to highlight the main points being discussed.
An Example From Beyond IQ:
For example, I especially enjoyed the section on Problem-Solving, since this particular skill lines up with several of the other topics (insight, creativity, practical intelligence, wisdom, and so on) and is a topic which I try to nurture in others.
Sundem starts by describing the troubles encountered by Metropolitan State College of Denver as it sought to change its name to something more reflective of its academic stature (in other words, “college” to “university”). The story goes through several twists and turns to reinforce the idea that problem-solving has to include thinking beyond a narrow scope and considering many possibilities.
He then introduces Richard Mayer, a noted researcher from the University of California at Santa Barbara, who offers some solid learning on what makes successful problem-solvers different from the rest of us: “… the time they spend studying the initial state and the constraints – the extra time they spend clarifying the problem.” (p. 36)
According to Mayer, we solve problems in four primary ways: Random, Depth-First, Breadth-First, and Means-Ends Analysis Search. Mayer then teachs us about solving problems by using the everyday maze. I had never considered the variety in our problem-solving approaches, until I had the opportunity to solve the same or similar mazes using each of these approachs.
After several more short examples and exercises, Sundem has some fun with a section on “Faulty Assumptions”, in the form of a list of brain-teasers designed to show us how the assumptions we make hinder us from effectively being able to solve problems.
One example from the list:
CAR TROUBLE
It’s a dark and stormy night and you’re driving down the street when you notice three people at a bus stop: an old woman who needs a doctor ASAP, your best friend, and the date of your dreams. You can only fit one other person in your car. What should you do?
I’ll let you chew on this before I share the answer. (Bragging point: I got it within 10 seconds, but then I AM a professional.)
Sundem ends this chapter with a discussion on how to solve those aggravating little sliding tile puzzles … quite a trick when you consider that a simple 4×4 puzzles contains approximately 653 billion possible states.
However, the knowledge you pick up in this chapter and in others is not just for parlor games or to impress lesser mortals.
What did I Really Like?
I enjoyed the non-academic, but precise writing style which conveyed some fairly sophisticated concepts in accessible language and with good organization.
This is a great review of current neuroscience and decision-making knowledge.
The ability to actually do exercises that other books just talk about may be the single most valuable part of this book
Tying Up Loose Ends: About that dark and stormy bus stop …
Sundem’s solutionmay seem obvious as we read:
Assumption: You must be the driver.
Instead, give the keys to your best friend, who takes the old lady to the hospital while you wait for the bus with your dream date (who is now duly impressed).
Without intentional strengthening of our ability to creatively problem-solving and move past erroneous assumptions, many of us struggle to figure how to choose who to put in the car with us.
Bottom Line: Who Will Benefit From This Book?
Anyone who wants or needs to know how our cognitive, emotional, and behavioral selves come together will benefit from reading this book, whether you choose chapters of specific interest or read from the first page to the last.
If you are a leadership, business, or life coach, a teacher, a manager, or someone else who seeks to understand and help others understand how to make more effective decisions, this book has much to offer in terms of current knowledge and engaging exercises.
Enjoying imagining how much more effective my teaching and coaching will be when I use this book as a resource in the Heartland ….
John
Beyond IQ by Garth Sundem was published in 2014 by Three Rivers Press. 220 pages. As noted above, I received a review copy of this title, which did not influence the comments above. I was and am genuinely delighted by the value and learning I have found in this book.
August 15, 2020
'Beyond IQ: Scientific Tools for Training Problem Solving, Intuition, Emotional Intelligence, Creativity, and More' by Garth Sundem is a book full of exercises to potentially stretch the limits of your mind.
High IQ is a good thing, but being able to use what you've been given is even better. Using breakthroughs in neuroscience, the book has chapters on Problem Solving, Intuition, and Multitasking. Each chapter is followed by a series of exercises to strengthen those areas.
I liked this book, but these exercises are really tough. I guess with practice one would get better. There are a series of things to print and cutout to get them accomplished. I'd call this a book for people who want to get serious about improving brain function.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Crown Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
High IQ is a good thing, but being able to use what you've been given is even better. Using breakthroughs in neuroscience, the book has chapters on Problem Solving, Intuition, and Multitasking. Each chapter is followed by a series of exercises to strengthen those areas.
I liked this book, but these exercises are really tough. I guess with practice one would get better. There are a series of things to print and cutout to get them accomplished. I'd call this a book for people who want to get serious about improving brain function.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Crown Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
November 16, 2014
Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking,
Socrates, Bach, da Vinci, Mozart,
Darwin, Tesla, Kepler, Galileo,
Newton, Van Gogh, Pythagoras,
Bell, Homer (obviously not Simpson),
Shakespeare, Hippocrates, Marie Curie,
Gandhi, Edison, Kant, Plato, Banting,
High IQs or gifted in immeasurable ways?
Does a high IQ (Intelligence Quotient) =
success, fame, fortune, or happiness?
Does having high IQ matter if you can’t use it effectively?
Traditional definitions of intelligence can be restrictive, but thankfully, that thought process is being widely challenged.
The world is now all about: smartphones, smart cards, smart bombs, smart TVs, smart water, smart cars, hmmm, does this sound like we might be overcompensating? Is our stuff getting smarter than us, and does that matter?
I had to know, what is Beyond IQ, so being a nosy parker, I read the book of the same name by Garth Sundem (Three Rivers Press). Countless MacGyver references and quizzes later – I didn’t include my scores, I didn’t want to make anyone feel bad also, I, umm, forgot to keep them, and a dog randomly came into my house and ate them, but I assure you they would’ve made Stephen Hawking so totally jealous. This entertaining and enlightening book vividly highlights how practical intelligence can be even more important than standard or analytical intelligence, but then why are we so obsessed with knowing everyone’s IQ?
There’s even a new CBC show, Canada’s Smartest Person, loosely based on Harvard professor and psychologist Howard Gardner’s absorbing 1983 book, Frames of Mind (Fontana Press) where Gardner outlines his theory of multiple intelligences. Obviously they didn’t waste time on politicians, if they’re intelligent most of them are hiding it well. Gardner and others have suggested our abilities, aptitudes, skills, and even quirks make us intelligent in a way that can’t be measured on a standardized test.
We know negative factors can lower our intelligence so can adding positive factors make us smarter? It’s worth a try.
Still don’t know all the answers, but I’m going with this, intelligence shouldn’t be measured in how smart you can be on a test, but about how you can use your smarts. By Jove, I think I’ve got it!
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/11/15/s...
Socrates, Bach, da Vinci, Mozart,
Darwin, Tesla, Kepler, Galileo,
Newton, Van Gogh, Pythagoras,
Bell, Homer (obviously not Simpson),
Shakespeare, Hippocrates, Marie Curie,
Gandhi, Edison, Kant, Plato, Banting,
High IQs or gifted in immeasurable ways?
Does a high IQ (Intelligence Quotient) =
success, fame, fortune, or happiness?
Does having high IQ matter if you can’t use it effectively?
Traditional definitions of intelligence can be restrictive, but thankfully, that thought process is being widely challenged.
The world is now all about: smartphones, smart cards, smart bombs, smart TVs, smart water, smart cars, hmmm, does this sound like we might be overcompensating? Is our stuff getting smarter than us, and does that matter?
I had to know, what is Beyond IQ, so being a nosy parker, I read the book of the same name by Garth Sundem (Three Rivers Press). Countless MacGyver references and quizzes later – I didn’t include my scores, I didn’t want to make anyone feel bad also, I, umm, forgot to keep them, and a dog randomly came into my house and ate them, but I assure you they would’ve made Stephen Hawking so totally jealous. This entertaining and enlightening book vividly highlights how practical intelligence can be even more important than standard or analytical intelligence, but then why are we so obsessed with knowing everyone’s IQ?
There’s even a new CBC show, Canada’s Smartest Person, loosely based on Harvard professor and psychologist Howard Gardner’s absorbing 1983 book, Frames of Mind (Fontana Press) where Gardner outlines his theory of multiple intelligences. Obviously they didn’t waste time on politicians, if they’re intelligent most of them are hiding it well. Gardner and others have suggested our abilities, aptitudes, skills, and even quirks make us intelligent in a way that can’t be measured on a standardized test.
We know negative factors can lower our intelligence so can adding positive factors make us smarter? It’s worth a try.
Still don’t know all the answers, but I’m going with this, intelligence shouldn’t be measured in how smart you can be on a test, but about how you can use your smarts. By Jove, I think I’ve got it!
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/11/15/s...
October 14, 2014
I liked this book. It helped me understand why some really intelligent people are so inept at just living life. It requires more than a high IQ. Qualities like insight, willpower, focus, etc. are needed. Sundem explains each of those qualities, why they are necessary, then gives exercises to develop them. If one wants to get the full benefit from this book, a long time would need to be spent in it. Those exercises take lots of time. Also, he has given us his resources in the context of his writing so if a reader wants to study a topic further, it would be easy to get started.
See my complete review at http://bit.ly/1w5ZJfg.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
See my complete review at http://bit.ly/1w5ZJfg.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
November 2, 2018
IQ tests are silly. It measures something that does not easily translate into real-world success. However, this book, Beyond IQ discusses how a person can supercharge their brains and become more creative and insightful.
Most of the book is a sort of workbook, it contains things you can do and practice. There are tons of pictures, and the book is somewhat entertaining for all of that. If you are stumped by any of the puzzles the answers are in the back of the book.
There isn’t really much more to say about this one. It is quite short, but since some of it relies on people writing in it, I don’t know if it would be wise to get it used.
Most of the book is a sort of workbook, it contains things you can do and practice. There are tons of pictures, and the book is somewhat entertaining for all of that. If you are stumped by any of the puzzles the answers are in the back of the book.
There isn’t really much more to say about this one. It is quite short, but since some of it relies on people writing in it, I don’t know if it would be wise to get it used.
April 29, 2023
The concept of IQ testing has always frustrated and fascinated me. Besides the fact that testing itself is very culturally specific, the way we think about intelligence is sometimes too rigid and not a good predictor of anything really. I do appreciate that over the years the field has expended and these days we talk about different forms of intelligence. Considering that psychology is my field of study I tend to consume quite a bit of literature related to brain function and intelligence so I was super excited when I got a chance to read Garth Sundem's wonderfully written book Beyond IQ. I enjoyed my ARC so much that I ended up buying a paper copy as well so I'd have an easier access to all the exercises.
Sundem explores our brains' capacity beyond mere IQ testing and talks about mental abilities like creativity, willpower and intuition and their importance in tapping into more of our brains' potential. I loved the balance between theoretical explanations and practical exercises related to it. There are also frequent references to research and reading materials Sundem used as basis for his book and my inner nerd rejoiced because I got plenty of material for further learning. If you'd like to get the most out of this book then make sure you set aside some time to actually work your way through the exercises. Overall a book I'm glad to have in my library and one I tend to go back to.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Sundem explores our brains' capacity beyond mere IQ testing and talks about mental abilities like creativity, willpower and intuition and their importance in tapping into more of our brains' potential. I loved the balance between theoretical explanations and practical exercises related to it. There are also frequent references to research and reading materials Sundem used as basis for his book and my inner nerd rejoiced because I got plenty of material for further learning. If you'd like to get the most out of this book then make sure you set aside some time to actually work your way through the exercises. Overall a book I'm glad to have in my library and one I tend to go back to.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
November 9, 2014
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads, took a long time to get.
I was really excited to get this book. The exercises were fun and I'd have to say you will know if you get them right. As the book went on I found myself more interested in the fun of the exercises of the book than of the text. Maybe if I go back after all the exercises are done I will be more interested in the text
I was really excited to get this book. The exercises were fun and I'd have to say you will know if you get them right. As the book went on I found myself more interested in the fun of the exercises of the book than of the text. Maybe if I go back after all the exercises are done I will be more interested in the text
November 11, 2014
I won this book from a GoodReads First Reads Giveaway. I thought the book was interesting and I enjoyed the exercises and problem solving. I would have liked the answers to the questions in the back of the book for something to compare my answers to.
February 13, 2016
Interesting book, goes beyond Emotional Intelligence
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews