As gifted education programs became more popular, and as colleges and universities began to offer courses and degrees in gifted education, a variety of books were written that provided an overview of the field. Handbook of Gifted Education, edited by Nicholas Colangelo and Gary Davis, provides a balanced, far-reaching, and academically rigorous presentation of most of the beliefs of the discipline; for the most part this book is accessible to the layperson or classroom teacher. Conceptions of Giftedness, edited by Robert Sternberg and Janet Davidson, includes chapters by many of the major theorists in the field, but may be a bit too abstract for nonacademics. Those interested in a textbook or resource for an introductory undergraduate or graduate course will find Sylvia Rimm, Del Siegle, and Gary Davis’s Education of the Gifted and Talented valuable. First published in the 1980s, and now in its seventh edition, this volume provides a marvelous foundation for those interested in the topic. Also regularly updated (most recently in 2013), Barbara Clark’s Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at Home and at School is perhaps the most popular text used by the field, and it has helped to shape generations of teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions about giftedness, gifted children, and gifted education. Those seeking an exploration of some of the research issues facing the field will want Definitions and Conceptions of Giftedness, edited by Robert Sternberg, which gathers scholarly articles exploring these topics.
