Amazon has such a large percentage of the book market that it serves as an excellent barometer for what people are reading. Over the holiday season, the top title in the Education Policy and Reform Category was Paul Tough’s How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and The Hidden Power Of Character.

The book, which was released in September, 2012, has received praise from a variety of sources including People magazine, which said, “Drop the flashcards—grit, character, and curiosity matter even more than cognitive skills. A persuasive wake-up call.”

Amazon described the book as follows:

Why do some children succeed while others fail? The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the one about intelligence: success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs. But in How Children Succeed, Paul Tough argues that the qualities that matter more have to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, 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 reveals how this new knowledge can transform young people’s lives. 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 improve the lives of children growing up in poverty. This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers, it will also change our understanding of childhood itself.

Tough did extensive reporting for the book, which has a four-and-a-half-star rating on the book-selling site. It can be purchased here.

Article by Daniel B. Kline, Education World Contributing Editor