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Extreme Intelligence: Development, Predicaments, Implications
Extreme intelligence is strongly correlated with the highest of human achievement, but also, paradoxically, with higher relationship conflict, career difficulty, mental illness, and high-IQ crime. Increased intelligence does not necessarily increase success; it should be considered as a minority special need that requires nurturing.
This book explores the social development and predicaments of those who possess extreme intelligence, and the consequent personal and professional implications for them. It uniquely integrates insights and knowledge from the research fields of intelligence, giftedness, genius, and expertise with those from depth psychology, emphasising the importance of finding ways to talk effectively about extreme intelligence, and how it can better be supported and embraced. The author supports her arguments throughout, reviewing the academic literature alongside representations of genius in history, fiction, and the media, and draws on her own first-hand research interviews and consulting work with multinational high-IQ adults.
This book is essential reading for anyone supporting or working with the highly gifted, as well as those researching or interested by the field of intelligence.
This book explores the social development and predicaments of those who possess extreme intelligence, and the consequent personal and professional implications for them. It uniquely integrates insights and knowledge from the research fields of intelligence, giftedness, genius, and expertise with those from depth psychology, emphasising the importance of finding ways to talk effectively about extreme intelligence, and how it can better be supported and embraced. The author supports her arguments throughout, reviewing the academic literature alongside representations of genius in history, fiction, and the media, and draws on her own first-hand research interviews and consulting work with multinational high-IQ adults.
This book is essential reading for anyone supporting or working with the highly gifted, as well as those researching or interested by the field of intelligence.
238 pages, Paperback
Published October 10, 2019
11 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 10, 2025
4.25, a very useful book that helped me relate better
August 19, 2023
A very illuminating read on the subject of extreme intelligence and our conversations surrounding it. I found the ample research provided, as well the reflective prompts, interviews, and even the appendix, very useful and indicative of great effort and expertise.
Falck’s work was very refreshing to engage with and I believe it’ll be helpful to many affected by giftedness, individually or otherwise.
Falck’s work was very refreshing to engage with and I believe it’ll be helpful to many affected by giftedness, individually or otherwise.
July 21, 2020
An argument for extreme intelligence
A well reasoned and well referenced academic analysis of the issues facing gifted individuals.
This should form the argument for extreme intelligence to be a Protected Characteristic and encourage institutions and employers alike to consider ways to support and nurture their gifted human resources for the benefit of all.
A well reasoned and well referenced academic analysis of the issues facing gifted individuals.
This should form the argument for extreme intelligence to be a Protected Characteristic and encourage institutions and employers alike to consider ways to support and nurture their gifted human resources for the benefit of all.
May 26, 2020
This book is extremely intelligent, not defined as odd genius, but at the top end of the Bell curve of IQ. I have enjoyed Freeman but this is absolutely the best I have read and a joy and a help.
February 13, 2025
I appreciated this book as it is rare for there to be a thoughtful entry in discussing the social stigma surrounding intelligence. As a culture we seem to romanticize and revere it (for example, Big Bang Theory and tv shows about detectives) but only through a very narrow scope. It certainly is not something that can be discussed as creating a variety of issues for the high IQ individual without a shadow of shame being present.
There certainly is a gulf between those who exist in the approximately 3 percent of the population that would be considered "high intellect" (IQ of 130 or higher) that leads to issues with fully participating in society that are not readily able to be discussed because, in part, of the terminology of this being a "gifted" state.
Some of the difficulties I had with this book were in the supposed correlation between high success and high IQ. I would assume that this has to do with the populations that she has studied– academics tend to study fellow academics, people seeking therapy or "coaching" tend to be of higher socioeconomic classes, etc.
I have met plenty of highly intelligent people who did not do well academically because school tends to be focused on the "average" student (so IQ of approximately 100). While that may mean that many high IQ students would thrive, it also means plenty would be extremely bored, have emotional difficulties leading to a lack of focus (e.g. depression) or may simply not be interested in the coursework. Although she does mention factors like dyslexia and socioeconomic disadvantages it does not seem as if this population were really studied or understood. She uses examples like Mensa members, which is problematic because for someone to join a group like Mensa there will tend to be some underpinning psychological need (why they needed to join such a group in the first place and were not spending their nights at the movies or something).
There also is the issue of some of the high IQ examples she utilizes. While based off of his achievements and intellect I can only assume Steve Jobs had quite a high IQ, the assumed correlation between material success and high IQ means she also includes examples like Elon Musk and Zuckerberg, without understanding that in those cases it is likely that they have slightly above average IQ, but higher than typical ranges of narcissistic and sociopathic traits, from which their success actually stems from (no issue stealing, copying work, as well as a lack of empathy for others).
Point being, there are plenty of people with extreme intelligence who are not engineers, and who spend their days being bartenders, grocers, stay at home parents, teachers, and others who may not make millions (or billions) of dollars, but do what they do because it satisfies them on a personal level, or they wish to sidestep a system that is problematic at best. Perhaps the highest intellect individuals in this world are not billionaires, or working themselves to death, but have disavowed a capitalistic system focused on achievement altogether.
So I do appreciate the effort, but the reading style (academic/thesis-style chapters) and much of the science being flawed because of issues with population samples as well as assumptions regarding high IQ individuals will make this a book I will not be keeping.
There certainly is a gulf between those who exist in the approximately 3 percent of the population that would be considered "high intellect" (IQ of 130 or higher) that leads to issues with fully participating in society that are not readily able to be discussed because, in part, of the terminology of this being a "gifted" state.
Some of the difficulties I had with this book were in the supposed correlation between high success and high IQ. I would assume that this has to do with the populations that she has studied– academics tend to study fellow academics, people seeking therapy or "coaching" tend to be of higher socioeconomic classes, etc.
I have met plenty of highly intelligent people who did not do well academically because school tends to be focused on the "average" student (so IQ of approximately 100). While that may mean that many high IQ students would thrive, it also means plenty would be extremely bored, have emotional difficulties leading to a lack of focus (e.g. depression) or may simply not be interested in the coursework. Although she does mention factors like dyslexia and socioeconomic disadvantages it does not seem as if this population were really studied or understood. She uses examples like Mensa members, which is problematic because for someone to join a group like Mensa there will tend to be some underpinning psychological need (why they needed to join such a group in the first place and were not spending their nights at the movies or something).
There also is the issue of some of the high IQ examples she utilizes. While based off of his achievements and intellect I can only assume Steve Jobs had quite a high IQ, the assumed correlation between material success and high IQ means she also includes examples like Elon Musk and Zuckerberg, without understanding that in those cases it is likely that they have slightly above average IQ, but higher than typical ranges of narcissistic and sociopathic traits, from which their success actually stems from (no issue stealing, copying work, as well as a lack of empathy for others).
Point being, there are plenty of people with extreme intelligence who are not engineers, and who spend their days being bartenders, grocers, stay at home parents, teachers, and others who may not make millions (or billions) of dollars, but do what they do because it satisfies them on a personal level, or they wish to sidestep a system that is problematic at best. Perhaps the highest intellect individuals in this world are not billionaires, or working themselves to death, but have disavowed a capitalistic system focused on achievement altogether.
So I do appreciate the effort, but the reading style (academic/thesis-style chapters) and much of the science being flawed because of issues with population samples as well as assumptions regarding high IQ individuals will make this a book I will not be keeping.
January 23, 2025
The first part, where she goes over the literature of giftedness and its causes, is fascinating. However, I found myself having difficulty taking her own research seriously, due to two principal factors. First, she seems to work mostly or even exclusively with MENSA people, a fringe of the population who are gifted but also, by nature of MENSA, felt rejected enough from the rest of the world to have a need to find their own people. I would be curious to have numbers as to what percent of the gifted population is not in MENSA, and see if her theories are reproducible there. Second, her cited examples of genius behaviour makes me wonder how deep her understanding of genius is, as she cites mostly people who are anything but (Elon Musk is the principal offender here, but also Zuckerberg, and even Steve Job who, even if I don't like, will admit was at least above intelligence). She sometimes cites true genius, such as Turing, but mostly billionaires.
May 9, 2022
A qualitative masterpiece ✨️
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews