Can an IQ test comprehensively define an individual’s intelligence? Are there aspects of human capability that tests fail to take into account?
In the latest episode of A Book with Legs, Smead Capital Management CEO and Portfolio Manager Cole Smead is joined by professor, psychologist, and author Howard Gardner to discuss his book, titled “Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.”
Cole and Howard explore how we measure and think about intelligence, highlighting that there is a spectrum of abilities beyond a single test score. They discuss the origins of intelligence testing, why an individual’s role in society should not be conflated with their intelligence, and some of the less-often-considered forms of intelligence, such as musical and interpersonal skills intelligence.
Howard Gardner is the Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is an expert on intelligence, creativity, leadership, and professional ethics; former Co-Director of Project Zero; and co-founder of The Good Project. Both a memoir (A Synthesizing Mind) and a study of higher education co-authored with Wendy Fischman (The Real World of College) were recently published by MIT Press. In 2024, Teachers College Press published a two-volume collection of his work, The Essential Howard Gardner on Mind and On Education.
An updated edition of his book Frames of Mind was published by Basic Books in Spring 2026 with a new preface. Purchase “Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences” here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/howard-gardner/frames-of-mind/9781541608528/?lens=basic-books
Visit Howard Gardner’s Website and Blog – https://www.howardgardner.com
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