Off the Charts by Ann Hulbert Off the Mark on What Makes Prodigies

Ann Hulbert's "Off the Charts" explores the lives of young prodigies and their families to understand the impacts child rearing and influences impart "gifted" children to achieve remarkable skills.  Hulbert also presents cases where it is maintained that the individual child is left to pursue their own interests.  As a layman in terms of child geniuses who are gifted musicians, mathematicians or innovators, I am intrigued by the astounding achievements of child prodigies and eager to understand how their superior intellects or skills were noted and enhanced and perhaps, gain an insight to this unique individuals' psyche or temperament.  The author puts forth the question, "How often do we underestimate children's untapped powers and phenomenal capacity to learn?"  This rhetorical question applies not only to all children but to all adults whose interactions and guidance can mete profound results if only there were metrics for determining potential.  The cases referred to are nebulous in their determinations and meandering in their descriptions of the young person's pursuits and personalities.  These biographical anecdotal findings were without a scientific study that could corroborate what were decisive factors that fed into a specific child's developments.  Perhaps it is futile to expect a hypothesis and conclusion but Hulbert's proposition was to determine factual components inherent in the child and the child's mentoring or lack thereof.  Her conclusions refute this very theory.  "Prodigies, being rarities, by definition belong to the realm of anecdote rather than date."  The stories on the children in "Off the Charts" failed to provide sound guidance.   Unfortunately, the expose's failed to be engaging or enlightening.  The conclusion that we are meant to take away in lieu of charting prodigies on a set trajectory of success is that considering these children as exceptional misses the point.  The point being "every child is a remarkable anomaly, poised to subvert the best-laid plans and surprise us."  "Off the Charts" disappointed me on all fronts.  It was neither interesting, informative or inspiring.