Creativity

Francis A. Karnes and Kristen R. Stephens. Achieving Excellence. Educating the Gifted and Talented. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson

This text is a comprehensive presentation of the major issues in gifted education including theoretical stances on giftedness, creativity and talent, identification of gifted and talented learners, special populations including twice exceptional, culturally and linguistically diverse students, curriculum for gifted learners, program models, parenting issues, program evaluation and assessment and teachers of the gifted. Many of the chapters are written by leading researchers and practitioners in the field and because of that they deal with issue at a complex level, but present material in a very readable style appropriate for those new to the field of gifted education. Some chapters that are not typically seen in textbooks of this nature include ones on theories of intelligence, legal issues in the field, program evaluation, teachers of the gifted and talented and parenting.

Talent Children and Adults. Third Edition., Jane Piirto, Prufrock Press, 2007.

This is a very comprehensive look at the field of gifted education and creativity. The book is 730 pages long and contains 12 chapters. Perspectives on definitions of intelligence and theories of giftedness and creativity are covered as well as common practice in identifying giftedness and creativity. Piirto then proceeds to deal with each stage of development, young gifted children, giftedness during the elementary and middle school years, high school and college aged gifted students and adult giftedness. In the discussion of each phase, she organizes the presentation of material by domains or areas of giftedness including music, visual arts, writing and leadership.Two chapters deal with curriculum for the gifted and differentiation and there are chapters devoted to social emotional issues and special populations of gifted learners. This book emphasizes breadth of topics covered rather than depth and is an excellent resource for beginning students in the field.

My Teeming Brain. Jane Piirto. Understanding Creative Writers. Hampton Press 2002.

The author of this book is an educator who studies giftedness as well as a published creative writer and poet. She has first hand knowledge about the process of creative writing the world of creative writers. This book is for anyone interested in the topic of creativity and writing in particular. It is a very detailed and thorough look at the many influences on talent development in this domain (personality, gender, community, culture), based on the authors pyramid model of talent development. IT is written at a fairly advanced level and is probably not for people new to the field.

Understanding Those Who Create. Jane Piirto. Dayton, OH: Ohio Psychology Press, 1992.
This is an excellent book for those who are interested in, yet new to the field of creativity. The author starts out by dealing with definitions and assessments of creativity and then goes on to present research about the characteristics of creative individuals within various fields such as visual artists, creative writers, creative scientists, mathematicians, musicians, and composers. This book is recommended for educators and parents.

Before the Gates of Excellence. The Determinants of Creative Genius. By R. Ochse. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
This book presents research about eminent individuals - those who produce creative, ground-breaking work in their domain of talent. The book examines theories of creativity as well as the families and early environments of creative producers. A main focus of the book is the motivation to achieve at high levels and the factors that determine or produce this. The book is recommended for serious students of creativity.

Understanding Creativity. Jane Piirto. Great Potential Press, Scottsdale, AZ.
At first glance, this book appears to be a "textbook" on creativity. All sorts of issues are covered ranging from conceptions of creativity to creativity enhancing programs. The table of contents does not appear unique or unusual. However, a more in-depth read reveals many hidden treasures. The book is comprehensive and packed with information on research on many aspects of creativity. But several things make the book exceptional. Piirto devotes chapters to each major talent domain including the visual arts, creative writing, science, math, inventing, music, dance and athletics. For each of these sections, research is presented according to Piirto's model of talent development which emphasizes the role of genetics, personality, and environmental "suns" such as community, school, gender and chance. In her exposition of the research findings, Piirto includes detailed anecdotes from the lives of famous, renown experts that make this "textbook" read like fiction. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in creativity and educates readers regarding research findings in a very enjoyable, palatable way.