Presents & integrates different perspectives on how to promote excellence in education. Focuses on the debate between those who emphasize developing individual learning, and those promoting cultural and institutional reform.

Contents: Preface. Part I: The Individual Pursuit of Excellence. H. Gardner, Learning From Extraordinary Minds. K.A. Ericsson, Attaining Excellence Through Deliberate Practice: Insights From the Study of Expert Performance. R.J. Sternberg, E.L. Grigorenko, M. Ferrari, Fostering Intellectual Excellence Through Developing Expertise. B.J. Zimmerman, Achieving Academic Excellence: A Self-Regulatory Perspective. Part II: Culture, Society, and the Pursuit of Excellence. M.F. Mascolo, J. Li, R. Fink, K.W. Fischer, Pathways to Excellence: Value Presuppositions and the Development of Academic and Affective Skills in Educational Contexts. R.L. Pinkus, R. Sauder, Creating Standards of Excellence for Residency Training in Neurological Surgery: A Historical Approach. H.A. Simon, Achieving Excellence in Institutions. M. Ferrari, Personal and Institutional Pursuit of Excellence. M. Ferrari, Conclusion: What Is Excellence and How to Study It?