Talented Teenagers: The Roots of Success and Failure

Parents and teachers know only too well that during the rebellious teenage years, gifted students often stop cultivating their talents, which may then be lost forever. The authors of this ground-breaking book attempt to uncover what lies at the heart of this loss of human potential. They find the answer in the realm of motivation, and the solutions they provide may stem the loss of brain power in future generations of youngsters. The findings in this book are the result of a monumental five-year study of a group of exceptionally talented teenagers, examining the role that personality traits, family interactions, education, and the social environment play in a young person's motivation to develop his or her talent. Essential to motivation, the authors conclude, is the experience of flow, an optimal state of consciousness that occurs when people are able to meet the challenges of their environment with appropriate skills, and accordingly feel a sense of well-being, a sense of mastery, and a heightened sense of self-esteem. Parents, teachers, psychologists, and counselors will find in these pages concrete information about the conditions that foster the cultivation of mental abilities in adolescence, both for the gifted and the average student. Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi has written over 150 scholarly articles and several books, of which the latest