by Howard Gardner For decades, I have been interested in synthesizing. More recently, I have sought to understand the nature of the synthesizing mind—its origins, development, how it functions, to what uses it can be put. Until now, I have focused principally on the synthesis of ideas, typically culminating in a written product. On one end of […]
Author Archives | Howard Gardner
Why I Am Not An Essayist
by Howard Gardner Recently, I picked up a book of 100 outstanding American essays, sensitively curated by Phillip Lopate. The collection includes predictable offerings by luminaries like Alexander Hamilton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James, William James as well as a smaller number of women (Margaret Fuller, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Joan Didion) and minorities […]
On “Bad Work” in the Academy: Recognizing It, Thwarting it
by Howard Gardner For many years, my colleagues and I have sought to identify the factors that increase the likelihood that good work will be carried out. We have considered a variety of factors, including the early formative influences, the contributions of models and mentors, one’s colleagues on the job, the norms and examples celebrated […]
A Religion for Our Time
by Howard Gardner Recently, I read two books by scholars whom I respect. And they prompted me to ponder and collate my own views about religion and good work. Jonathan Sacks was a noted religious leader and author. (He died in November 2020, shortly after this essay was drafted). Over the years, I’ve learned much […]
Opinion: The ‘app generation’ meets the pandemic
How will the “App Generation,” a cohort that expects there to be “just-in-time” solutions and answers to a wide range of needs and desires, respond to the pandemic? Howard Gardner and Katie Davis offer their opinion in The Seattle Times. Click here to read the piece in full.
