Why do some children learn so much, while others learn so little? Why is the level of education unstable throughout the world? Why does parental wealth not guarantee children's success? Why is education far from ideal in many developed countries? Where, who and how teaches and raises the smartest children? Amanda Ripley's international bestselling book provides answers to these and many other questions. The book tells the stories of three American teenagers who were trained in schools in Finland, Poland and South Korea as part of a national research program. The results of travel for education amazed everyone, and the educational systems of countries far from leading on the world stage were recognized as truly outstanding. The book combines serious research with a fascinating, sincere style of presentation and will be useful both to modern teachers who are interested in the experience of advanced colleagues, and to parents.