The Everyday Genius: Restoring Children's Natural Joy of Learning

Peter Kline ties together many pieces (brain research, multiple intelligences, culturually responsive education, etc.) to bring education nearer its ultimate form. Mandatory for anyone that cares about children or anyone else in the community. Kamau Mposi

I own both the paper-pack & hard-pack versions of this wonderful book. I was introduced to it by my PhotoReading instructor/co-developer, Patricia Danielson from New England, MA, during the early nineties. It is pertinent to mention that 'The Everyday Genius' is synonymous with PhotoReading, as far as the ultimate application is concerned. In fact, Peter Kline has contributed quite substantially to the early development of PhotoReading, according to the principal developer of the technology, Paul Scheele. From my personal perspective, the principal theme is nurturing learners in the world. As such, it has great relevancy to parents (the primary audience) as well as to teachers & employers/bosses/managers in the workplace. The author, a true learner himself, has an amazing gamut of practical ideas for developing & nurturing learners at home & in the workplace. During the years I have owned a small bookstore from the early nineties up to mid-2004, this book happens to be one of my anchor books. I often recommend it to visiting parents to my store as well as to managers/bosses who are responsible for many people working under them. The feedback from them has always been tremendously positive. Many have returned to buy further copies to be given away as gifts. There is an everyday genius in all of us. Sometimes, we need to rub the Aladdin lamp rigourously to get the genie out. This book, packed with insights, games, activities & exercises, can serve that purpose. Yes, I must add that the book can be intellectually quite intense for some people to read. Neverthelesss, I strongly recommend reading it. Let me conclude this review by recapitulating an observation made by John Naisbitt, a futurist/thought leader, many years ago, "In a world that is constantly changing, there is no one subject, or set of subjects, that can serve us for the foreseeable future, let alone for the rest of our lives. The most important thing for us is to learn, unlearn & relearn." I maintain that this book can definitely help to pave the way for all readers in the quest for learning. [To Parents/Teachers who want more specific tools & strategies to help their kids/students in attaining school success, please get hold of the author's 'School Success: An Inside Story'. To Managers/Professionals, please get hold of the author's 'Ten Steps to a Learning Organisation.' These are excellent & insightful productions!

I sometimes forget to slow my life down enough to pay attention to the lessons that children can teach me about how to live my life. Every child that is born into this world is a laughing, singing, creative and powerful individual. Often it seems that by the time we reach adulthood we have lost the ability to laugh and sing. Peter Kline seriously addresses the process of learning from all angles. Extremely instructive to adults!!!Some favorite passages:"Creativity is a function of our whole personality and its interaction with the world, not something we turn on or off. The more we see ourselves as innovative and original thinkers, the more creative we tend to be"..."So whatever else we may say about creativity, these three things are essential to it: we must value our uniqueness, we must trust the worth of our experience, and we must be able to draw freely and widely on the full range of that experience, which is the content of our memory." P 190 "Experiencing disharmony between what we say and what we feel leads to a vague sense of anxiety and not being at home in the world - a sense that some philosophers assume is an inescapable part of the human condition. However, the origin of this anxiety is not human nature, it is in our withholding or even becoming unaware of what we really feel - in failing to live our lives fully. Accepting emotions helps us get beneath the surface in order to discover the rich and wonderful process of being." P 219 "Whenever you feel you are learning nothing from the person you are with, or the situation you are in, it is time to return again to whatever springs inspire in you the development of new learning skills, and drink as deeply as you can. Then you will be better able to discover that each person you meet has a fund of experinece so rich that no matter what thier differences in worldly accomplishments may be from yours, you can learn from them and they from you. Some of my own finest learning experiences have come from those who had lived long lives without the advantage of education or even literacy. Experience of any kind is always richly and uniquely instructive." P 252