When Cyril Burt died in 1971, he was widely regarded as Britain's most eminent educational psychologist. Within five years of his death, however, he was being publicly denounced as a fraud who had fabricated data purporting to show that human intelligence is inherited. Was he really a fraud? Or was he accused of fraud by critics anxious to dismiss such a politically unacceptable scientific theory? Where does the truth lie? The contributors to this book examine the evidence carefully and dispassionately and conclude that both the defence and the prosecution cases are seriously flawed. This is a rigorous reanalysis of the data, which has turned up new instances of potential fraud which were not evident before. "The Bell Curve" (Murray & Hearnshaw), published last year, has re-ignited the controversy over the heritability of intelligence. This book provides the most modern and unbiased analysis available of one of the most notorious scandals in science; this is an important re-examination of an issue of great public and scientific interest.
Reviews
The most interesting detective story to appear this summer. * Michael Morgan, University College, London, Education, August 1995 *
by far the most detailed and objective ... this examination of the available evidence must surely be accepted as scrupulously fair and lucidly presented * Times Higher Education Supplement *
the authors all find something quite interesting to say ... The book ... is fairly and indeed beautifully written. Mackintosh's academic whodunit marks a further step towards Burt's rehabilitation. * Chris Brand, Nature *
by far the most detailed and objective ... this examination of the available evidence must surely be accepted as scrupulously fair and lucidly presented * Times Higher Education Supplement *
Here, the eminent learning theorist Nicholas Mackintosh leads a hand-picked team of scholars in a reexamination of Burt's character and figurework. The book as a whole is fairly and indeed beautifully written. Mackintosh's academic whodunit marks a further step towards Burt's rehabilitation. * Chris Brand, University of Edinburgh, Nature, Vol. 377, October 1995 *
This book reveals much about the passions of psychologists and is surprisingly amusing. * David Cohen, New Scientist, September 1995 *
provides some ammunition for those who come down on the framed side of the debate * Times Literary Supplement *
This book presents an excellent text ... stage in the saga ... the sum of the parts is a rich feast ... Here is a fascinating story, and each chapter in its different way provides a thoroughly good read. I recommend this book as essential reading to all educational psychologists and indeed to psychologists in general. * Professor Geoff Lindsay, University of Warwick, Educational Psychology in Practice, Vol. 1, No. 3, October 1996 *



Book Information
ISBN 9780198523369
Author N. J. Mackintosh
Format Hardback
Page Count 168
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Dimensions(mm) 241mm * 162mm * 17mm