The book has been very useful and I have passed it on to several colleagues. Visual intelligence has a very clear layout that is attractive in its focus with very practical but challenging assessment exercises. I particularly liked the approach being both practical and academic which can be used both in group situations and for individual reflection.

This book starts with a very informative introduction to the concept of multiple intelligences. The work by Howard Gardner has been widely quoted and used by a number of other writers and researchers, notably in the UK by Charles Handy in his book The Hungry Spirit. Others, like Daniel Goleman have made a whole industry around exploiting the idea of one of the multiples, Emotional Intelligence. So an accessible introduction and reminder that there is more to this thinking that the headlines is very welcome indeed.

Thinking outside of our normal understanding of intelligence as measured by our school and examination system is an essential pre-requisite to harnessing the potential of diversity and valuing the contribution and potential of everyone. It is therefore in the application of the theory of multiple intelligences to the workplace where this book really adds value. The organisational system will be all the better when it is structured around the contributions that individuals can make which add value, rather than force-fitting individuals into a job description that limits their potential contribution.

Martin provides a number of analysis tools and inventories to measure the different intelligences and apply the ideas to the workplace. The sheer number of inventories make the second part of the book more of a resource than a read, and could detract from its potential value to someone other than an HR Manager. There seemed to be a great deal of duplication between the inventories when applied to different situations, where some basic principles and examples would have sufficed, allowing the reader to draw up their own tools to meet their specific application.



Overall the book does challenge the traditional HR policies that are prevalent in most organisations. The wider understanding and use of multiple intelligence theory, which this book provides in a practical form, is necessary for us to deal with the changing nature of employment in the 21st Century and make work meaningful and fulfilling for all.

Joyce Martin's book, Profiting from Multiple Intelligences in the Workplace, provides an update on the changing world of HR with respect to finding the right person for the job. It is aimed more at the HR manager who is involved in hiring new staff, although it also provides a number of questionnaire forms for gaining a better understanding of Howard Gardner's model of multiple intelligences.

The job market does not remain static; you cannot rely on last year's thinking about CVs or recruitment. Labour market conditions are constantly changing, and the skills and abilities being sought get redefined, based on a variety of new models as each previous model is found wanting. What we do know is what doesn't work. For Joyce Martin, that would be IQ as a predictor of job success. There is no way a single number (such as an IQ score) could do that.



Which brings us to the major issue here: how is it possible to predict how someone will perform in a job? Early models, such as Rodgers's Seven Point Plan (1952), tended to focus on superficial aspects ” the visible or easily identified top layer of “personality.' Many psychologists have sought to find more reliable and stable aspects of “personality'. Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence model has been widely trialed in educational systems over the last decade, and has “brought about significant changes in how educators define learners and their abilities” (p. 218). Joyce Martin's book is the first to apply this model to the adult workforce, and is a useful step along the way of meeting the needs of HR departments.

Until now, the theory of multiple intelligences has been applied primarily in schools. Joyce Martin presents an original synthesis of the ways in which the theory applies to a range of roles and situations at the workplace. Her book is comprehensive, thoughtful, and useful.