International Handbook on Giftedness
This Handbook is the most comprehensive and authoritative account available on what giftedness is, how it is measured, how it develops, and how it affects individuals and societies. Leading specialists from around the world analyze the multifaceted nature
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Larisa V. Shavinina (Ed.)
International Handbook on Giftedness Part One
Editor Larisa V. Shavinina Universit´e du Qu´ebec en Outaouais D´epartement des sciences administratives Pavillon Lucien-Brault 101, rue Saint-Jean-Bosco Case postale 1250, succursale Hull Gatineau, Qu´ebec, J8X 3X7, Canada [email protected]
ISBN: 978-1-4020-6161-5
e-ISBN: 978-1-4020-6162-2
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4020-6162-2 Library of Congress Control Number: 2008934140 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009 No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work.
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Printed on acid-free paper 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 springer.com
This handbook is dedicated to Professor Marina A. Kholodnaya, whose own research on giftedness provided the foundation for my research and shaped my vision of the field, and to my wonderful sons Alexander and Denis.
Preface
If you publish . . . you are trying to create something that is original, that stands out from the crowd. . . Above all, you want to create something you are proud of. . . Richard Branson (2002, p. 57). After the publication of my bestselling International Handbook on Innovation, publishers from around the world began to invite me to work on new books with them. When Springer invited me to prepare the International Handbook on Giftedness, I was on a maternity leave with my 3-months-old and my 5-year-old was just starting school. I, however, had wanted to prepare such a Handbook for a long time and was waiting for just the right moment to dive right into such an endeavor. The time had come and I agreed to prepare a Handbook that would expose readers to new views, great discoveries, and significant advancements of scientific knowledge, exactly as Richard Feynman advised (see his opening quote at the beginning of the introductory chapter). I have always been convinced of the paramount significance of the topic of giftedness and gifted education to the world as a whole. There is no doubt that gifted individuals were, are, and will be extremely important to society. One way to understand the history of human civilization is via inventions and discoveries of the gifted. All human cultural development builds on the amazing technological, scientific, educational, and moral achievements of the human mind. Today, people increasingly realize that gifted and talented individuals are even more important than in the past. Thus, industrial competition is increasingly harsh and organizations of all types must continuously bring new products and services to the global market. To survive, companies need creative and talented employees whose novel ideas are to a certain extent a necessity for the companies’ continued existence and future success. Consequentl
