Why do some children succeed while others fail? The story we usually tell about childhood and success is one about intelligence. Paul Tough argues that the qualities that matter most have more to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism, and self-control.

How Children Succeed introduces us to a new generation of researchers and educators, who, for the first time, are using the tools of science to peel back the mysteries of character. Through their stories—and the stories of the children they are trying to help—Tough traces the links between childhood stress and life success. He uncovers the surprising ways in which parents do—and do not—prepare their children for adulthood. And he provides us with new insights into how to help children growing up in poverty.

A New York Times bestseller, this provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers, it will also change our understanding of childhood itself.