Smart Boys: Talent, Manhood, and the Search for Meaning

by Barbara A. Kerr, Sanford J. Cohn

Boys will be boys--but gifted boys may need help. Depression, underachievement, sensitivity, and relationship struggles are just some of the issues that many smart boys face on a daily basis. This book presents suggestions to help gifted young men embrace optimism, motivation, and achievement, and it offers thought-provoking insights and tips for engaging in successful interactions. There are also interviews with gifted adult men who have experienced and overcome crises or failures.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

360 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Charlie Miksicek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed Smart Girls more. Having been part of the same "gifted program" as Dr Kerr, many of us emerged somewhat embittered by that experience. There was so much pressure on us to succeed that we could have benefitted more from learning how to fail gracefully and learn from our failures. We'll have to see what the next trend to emerge in American education is after the failed "No Child Left Behind" experiment. Somehow I don't think Betsy DeVos is going to lead us there. I do want to read some of Dr Kerr's other books though.

[Doug Garnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been years since I read this book but I found it incredibly thought provoking — and a book which needs to return to prominence given today's discussions of boys.

I have now raised two boys who both have some excellent gifts — yet none would have fit the standard categorizations of "gifted" within school systems. (In fact, one only made it through as a special education student.)

I highly recommend the read. One particularly interesting thread noted that many smart boys begin with exceptional gifts in science and math but, over their lives, that shifts and they discover exceptional gifts in language and other areas. That certainly fit my path. Excelling in math with only mediocre scores in language classes (though someone decided I should take AP english in high school where I did well before the rigidly bureaucratic AP programs). As to my career? My career has been made with qualitative and instinctive understanding of consumer behavior while I both wrote and directed national television spots. And, now I have a book under review with a major publisher.

There is grave danger isolating smart kids into grooves early in their lives — with a demand that they choose careers early.

Again, excellent book I highly recommend.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a LOT of good information in this book. Admittedly, I picked it up only because Smart Girls was not available at the library. As a gifted woman with two gifted daughters and a son who hasn’t been identified as gifted, I still felt that there was a significant amount of relevant information. However, it was sometimes a struggle to read and felt a tad repetitive. Of course, it’s not written for pleasure reading, so take that with a grain of salt!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The passage of 20 years has not been kind to this content. Although much of the book is still applicable in some ways, their is an air of outdatedness hanging to almost every section. Many of the findings seemed to be based in more anecdotal research than large quantities of facts and robust experience.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I did enjoy the book reviews and the information about adolescent behavior in gifted children (specifically the references to the Columbine shootings and similar incidents), I felt Kerr's book really did not provide a lot of gifted-specific information. A lot of her analysis can be said for men/boys in general. I also felt her research pool was too limited (as she has admitted) and not sufficient enough for a book on gifted boys. She seems to have just piggy backed this book onto her book about Smart Girls, though I have not read that particular book. But again, she did have some sections that were redeemable and worth the effort of reading.

[Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a chapter where it reviews all the "boy books" out there. That was helpful, to know which other books would be worth reading.

It had some good information on supporting gifted boys.

[Amy]

I didn't read the whole book - just the interesting parts. It was helpful in pointing out how to encourage curiosity and other positive traits of smart boys and in giving advice on how to help with the challenges.

[Liz Busby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a blah book about the problems faced by smart boys. I found it kind of obvious and boring, and lacking in real strategies that might be helpful. Basically, this book states the problem without many solutions

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat dry recounting of studies of bright, gifted boys. I didn't find much applicable or helpful to my current raising of a gifted child; 50 years has changed the cultural landscape wildly.

[Yanick Punter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giftedness is in pretty much everyone

[Davida · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting information but extremely repetitive