About the Book
When Pepper Stetler was told that her daughter who has Down Syndrome would be regularly required to take IQ tests to secure support in school, she asked a simple question: why? In questioning the authority and relevance of the test, Stetler sets herself on a winding investigation into how the IQ test came to be the irrefutable standard for measuring intelligence. The unsettling history causes Stetler to wonder what influence this test will have over her daughter's future and whether Louisa should be taking it at all. As she uncovers the history of IQ, exposing its roots in eugenics, racism, xenophobia, and ableism, Stetler realizes that the desire to quantify intelligence is closely tied to a desire to segregate society. She traces its legacy from inception to present day, where schools and society have adopted the IQ as shorthand for an individual's aptitude--in essence, their worth. Stetler questions how this rigid definition of intelligence has influenced who society holds up as successful and what we miss when we judge someone on their measured intelligence. A Measure of Intelligence investigates the origins and influence of the IQ test on our education system, questions how we define and judge intelligence, challenges its flawed foundation, and argues for a reevaluation of how we understand an individual's perceived potential.
About the Author :
Pepper Stetler is an associate professor of art history and the associate director of the humanities center at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She has written extensively on issues facing people with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers, in publications such as the New York Times, the Atlantic, Slate, Ploughshares, and Gulf Coast. Stetler also writes about the art and photography of early twentieth century Europe, including exhibition catalog essays for the Museum of Modern Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. As a seasoned performer, singer, voice actor, and narrator, Ann Sprinkle's voice has been described as warm, clear, friendly, fun, engaging, soulful, uplifting, and "sunshine in a voice." Her years of training as an opera singer, voice teacher, yoga instructor, speech language pathologist, and in medical education, along with her love of comedy, psychology, biographies, and personal growth and development, make her the perfect fit for nonfiction, self-help/personal development, health and wellness, mystery/thriller, comedy, fiction, or children's books. Ann received a Master of Music degree in voice from The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Science in speech language pathology. Her storytelling credits include narration of multiple audiobooks, VO, film, and leading and supportive roles in opera, musical theater, and theater in venues across the United States. Her background has given her a breadth of experience, knowledge, and a variety of characters and styles that contribute to her audiobook narration skills. She is most at home with comedic characters, playing the evil villain, teaching new skills, or when providing a voice of inspiration to others in the personal growth genre. Ann is also the owner and founder of Viable Voice & Speech, LLC. She provides voice and speech therapy services, including transgender and gender affirming voice services, professional speaking and coaching services, speech sound disorders (articulation and phonology), fluency/stuttering therapy, accent modification/English pronunciation services, and more to clients in Nevada and California. More information is available at viablevoice.com. When not in her home audio recording booth narrating or working with clients to help them to find their own, unique voice, you might find her hiking, listening to music, doing yoga, or puzzling.
