The post reviews Laszlo Polgar's book on raising genius children, discussing his educational philosophy and methods, while noting that his success likely comes from early specialization, focus, and one-on-one instruction. Longer summary

This post reviews Laszlo Polgar's book 'Raise A Genius!', which details his methods for educating children to become geniuses. The author notes that while Polgar doesn't reveal many specific secrets, he emphasizes early specialization, intensive focus on a single subject, and continuous learning. The book discusses Polgar's educational philosophy, including the importance of making learning enjoyable, fostering a sense of accomplishment, and adapting instruction to the child's age and abilities. The review also explores Polgar's views on play, peer interaction, curriculum design, and competition. The author concludes that while Polgar's advice is mostly common sense, his success may be attributed to starting early, focusing on one subject, providing one-on-one instruction, and being a naturally gifted educator. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander explores Laszlo Polgar's successful educational methods that produced chess prodigies, analyzing possible explanations and lamenting the unavailability of Polgar's book on his techniques. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the extraordinary success of Laszlo Polgar's educational methods, which produced three chess prodigy daughters. He examines possible explanations for their success, including genetic factors, practice, and potential unique educational techniques. Scott expresses frustration at being unable to find Polgar's book detailing his methods, and considers the implications of such effective educational techniques. He compares the Polgar sisters' education favorably to typical public schooling, questioning why such potentially revolutionary methods aren't more widely known or implemented. Shorter summary