With his new book “The Genius in All of Us”, David Shenk debunks the long-standing notion of genetic “giftedness,” and presents dazzling new scientific research showing how greatness is in the reach of every individual.

DNA does not make us who we are. “Forget everything you think you know about genes, talent, and intelligence,” he writes. “In recent years, a mountain of scientific evidence has emerged suggesting a completely new paradigm: not talent scarcity, but latent talent abundance.”

Integrating cutting-edge research from a wide swath of disciplines—cognitive science, genetics, biology, child development—Shenk offers a highly optimistic new view of human potential. The problem isn't our inadequate genetic assets, but our inability, so far, to tap into what we already have. IQ testing and widespread acceptance of “innate” abilities has created an unnecessarily pessimistic view of humanity—and fostered much misdirected public policy, especially in education.

The truth is much more exciting. Genes are not a “blueprint” that bless some with greatness and doom most of us to mediocrity or worse. Rather our individual destinies are a product of the complex interplay between genes and outside stimuli-a dynamic that we, as people and as parents, can influence.

This is a revolutionary and optimistic message. We are not prisoners of our DNA. We all have the potential for greatness. Shenk (The Forgetting) attacks genetic determinism and the notion that only a select, biologically gifted few can achieve some form of greatness. Referring frequently to "GxE," a developmental biology model emphasizing dynamic gene-environment interactions (also known as interactionism or developmentalism), he examines how social and cultural factors can contribute to the production of talented scholars, athletes, and artists. He argues that all of us (and our children) should pursue excellence and declares that "spurring individual achievement is…the duty of society."

Less idealistic readers, though, will wonder exactly how society is to provide supportive familial, social, and cultural environments for all its members. VERDICT An understandable introduction to developmentalism for readers unfamiliar with or intimidated by David S. Moore's The Dependent Gene or Matt Ridley's Nature via Nurture. Those with a background in biology might be intrigued by the author's focus on human talent and achievement. Fans of Shenk's previous books will also want to read this one. However, readers seeking a scientifically based self-improvement book or parenting guide should search for more prescriptive titles.—Nancy R. Curtis, Univ. of Maine Lib., Orono.

DAVID SHENK is a national-bestselling author of four previous books, including The Forgetting and Data Smog, and a contributor to National Geographic, Gourmet, Harper’s, The New Yorker, NPR, and PBS. The Forgetting was hailed by John Bayley as “the definitive work on Alzheimer’s,” and subsequently inspired an Emmy Award–winning PBS film of the same name. Shenk frequently lectures on issues of health, aging, and technology, and has advised the President’s Council on Bioethics.