Why humans vary in intelligence /

The third in a four-volume series on the evolution of human intelligence. Itzkoff's model of variable intelligence is based on personal interpretations of human biological and psychoneurological heritage; while he presents some interesting data, his analysis is flawed. Itzkoff's treatise is that the globe essentially can be divided horizontally, with advanced cultures to the north and less advanced cultures to the south. He extends this division well back into the Pleistocene epoch and sets about to show that it was the more intelligent Cro-Magnons who introduced the roots of civilization to the world. Clearly, Itzkoff believes the northern groups were, and still are, intellectually superior to these in the southern hemisphere. His discussion is couched in a series of caveats against the misuse of this conclusion, to the point that it comes off sounding as if we should pity and assist our poor neighbors to the south. Itzkoff is not a biologist or an anthropologist but rather a misguided philosopher who is clearly out of his league. He makes every effort to escape being labeled a racist. The book is not recommended for readers without background in evolutionary biology and anthropology, lest Itzkoff's argument be taken seriously. A few points in his discussion are interesting and deserving of thought, but the majority are not; hence, the need for a fairly thorough background in human evolution.-M.J. O'Brien, University of Missouri-Columbia

This volume summarizes much of, and elaborates on themes introduced in, The Form of Man (Paideia Pubs., 1983) and Triumph of the Intelligent ( LJ 4/1/85). Drawing from numerous sources in psychology, anthropology, biology, and other disciplines, Itzkoff discusses variation of intelligence among humans, defending the validity of I.Q. testing and purporting to show the ``tragedy of egalitarianism.'' Some of his statements regarding fossil hominids are incorrect. Many of his arguments regarding intelligence are debatable, to say the least. This is a contentious and potentially controversial, but scholarly, work which might be considered by libraries with comprehensive collections on the topic. Joseph Hannibal, Cleveland Museum of Natural History (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.