Top 10 Must-Read Books for Understanding Giftedness in Adults

Explore the Minds of the Extraordinary with These Insightful Books on Adult Giftedness

eMuse
Coffee & Canvas
4 min readMar 30, 2023

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Photo by vnwayne fan on Unsplash

Giftedness is often associated with children, but it is a trait that can also be found in adults.

Gifted adults may face unique challenges and opportunities in their personal and professional lives. If you’re interested in learning more about giftedness in adults, here are the top 10 books you should read:

  1. “Living with Intensity” by Susan Daniels and Michael M. Piechowski: This book explores the experiences and challenges of intense individuals, including gifted adults. It provides practical advice on how to manage intensity and embrace one’s unique traits.
  2. “Gifted Grownups: The Mixed Blessings of Extraordinary Potential” by Marylou Kelly Streznewski: This book features interviews with gifted adults from a variety of backgrounds, and explores the challenges and benefits of being gifted in adulthood.
  3. “The Gifted Adult: A Revolutionary Guide for Liberating Everyday Genius” by Mary-Elaine Jacobsen: This book provides insight into the experiences of gifted adults and offers practical advice on how to recognize and embrace one’s giftedness.
  4. “Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner” by Linda Kreger Silverman: This book explores the unique cognitive traits of visual-spatial learners, a group that often includes gifted individuals. It provides practical advice on how to harness this type of intelligence in daily life.
  5. “Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger’s, Depression, and Other Disorders” by James T. Webb, Edward R. Amend, Nadia E. Webb, Jean Goerss, Paul Beljan, and F. Richard Olenchak: This book addresses the issue of misdiagnosis of gifted individuals with various mental health conditions. It offers insights into how to recognize and address these misdiagnoses.
  6. “Searching for Meaning: Idealism, Bright Minds, Disillusionment, and Hope” by James T. Webb: This book explores the experiences of gifted individuals as they navigate the challenges of finding meaning and purpose in their lives.
  7. “Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds” by Jan and Bob Davidson: This book focuses on the challenges gifted children face in traditional education settings, but also explores the experiences of gifted adults who may have faced similar challenges in their own education.
  8. “Different Minds: Gifted Children with AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and Other Learning Deficits” by Deirdre V. Lovecky: This book explores the experiences of gifted individuals who also have learning differences such as ADHD or Asperger’s Syndrome.
  9. “Giftedness 101" by Linda Kreger Silverman: This book provides a comprehensive overview of giftedness, including the traits, challenges, and opportunities associated with this unique trait.
  10. “Giftedness in Adults: Theories, Models, and Issues” by Joan Freeman: This book provides a scholarly overview of the current research and thinking on giftedness in adults. It explores various models of giftedness and offers insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by gifted adults.

These 10 books provide a wealth of information and insights into the experiences of gifted adults.

Whether you are a gifted adult yourself, a parent or educator of a gifted individual, or simply interested in the topic, these books are must-reads for anyone interested in learning more about this unique trait.

Here are the links to the books mentioned in the list:

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eMuse
Coffee & Canvas

eMuse is a writer, artist, and entrepreneur. She writes about various topics in her curated publications: Coffee & Canvas and Coffee & Convo.