The New York Times reviewed How Children Succeed, by Paul Tough. In his book, Tough champions what is termed a “character hypothesis,” the concept that admirable personal skills like persistence, conscientiousness, and curiosity are absolutely fundamental to success, and perhaps even more important than IQ. This grates against the “cognitive hypothesis”, the more normative belief that cognitive skills, such as detecting patterns and making calculations, signify the ability to succeed. In his book, Tough takes particular interest in the struggles of under-privileged children and the fact that many are able to succeed due to having such positive character traits.