A Measure of Intelligence

One Mother’s Reckoning with the IQ Test

Narrated by Ann Sprinkle
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Pub Date Aug 20 2024 | Archive Date Sep 03 2024

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Description

When Pepper Stetler was told that her daughter who has Down Syndrome would be regularly required to take IQ tests to secure support in school, she asked a simple question: why? In questioning the authority and relevance of the test, Stetler sets herself on a winding investigation into how the IQ test came to be the irrefutable standard for measuring intelligence. The unsettling history causes Stetler to wonder what influence this test will have over her daughter's future and whether Louisa should be taking it at all.

As she uncovers the history of IQ, exposing its roots in eugenics, racism, xenophobia, and ableism, Stetler realizes that the desire to quantify intelligence is closely tied to a desire to segregate society. She traces its legacy from inception to present day, where schools and society have adopted the IQ as shorthand for an individual's aptitude—in essence, their worth. Stetler questions how this rigid definition of intelligence has influenced who society holds up as successful and what we miss when we judge someone on their measured intelligence.

A Measure of Intelligence investigates the origins and influence of the IQ test on our education system, questions how we define and judge intelligence, challenges its flawed foundation, and argues for a reevaluation of how we understand an individual's perceived potential.

When Pepper Stetler was told that her daughter who has Down Syndrome would be regularly required to take IQ tests to secure support in school, she asked a simple question: why? In questioning the...


Advance Praise

“This remarkable book fuses memoir, investigation, and social critique. With searing clarity, Stetler chronicles the origins and the developments of intelligence testing, and at the same time, with grace and warmth, she reconsiders her own ideas of intelligence and worth." —Daisy Hernández, author of The Kissing Bug

“Intelligence testing has been a hotly contested subject since its earliest days. Pepper Stetler has joined the debate with extraordinary insight and empathy as she recounts society’s attempt to reduce her beloved daughter to a number — and how she fought back. This is a fresh and enlightening take — and a very compelling read.” —Adam Cohen, National Book Award finalist, and author of Imbeciles

“This remarkable book fuses memoir, investigation, and social critique. With searing clarity, Stetler chronicles the origins and the developments of intelligence testing, and at the same time, with...


Available Editions

EDITION Audiobook, Unabridged
ISBN 9798855571141
PRICE $19.99 (USD)
DURATION 9 Hours, 34 Minutes

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (AUDIO)

Average rating from 8 members


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