Discuss that term -- Book smart

"Bah.  They're only smart becasue they read a lot of books."

Hmm...

I don't really understand what distinction is being made with this phrase / stereotype.  My gut reaction is that it's just dumb ... if you read a lot of different books, you're going to tend to be a pretty smart / intelligent person.

Is it part of a continuum related to effort?  Like people who are "book smart," have a lot of knowledge and really try to be intelligent but, maybe, don't seem to "get it?"
 
This would be opposed to the person who is just naturally smart and, maybe, dropped out of college to start a major business -- like Bill Gates (NEVER MIND that he read the entire World Book Encyclopedia, as a child!)

***
Does reading books come at the expense of real world "common sense?"

Is real world common sense sometimes superior to the complex, multifaceted perspective that book reading tends to promote?  

Is this stereotype aimed at a certain type of reader? 

Discuss.

I think the term is usually meant to show a difference in book learning and learning by experience. Makhaidos

[QUOTE="Makhaidos"]I think the term is usually meant to show a difference in book learning and learning by experience. Meinhard1

They're not saying you can be only one or the other. But there are definitely people who are very smart academically but dumb in the real world.

Well, I have a friend.. Who's incredibly intelligent when it comes to engineering school.. Knows everything he's taught.. but he can't make a logical life decision to save his life. I always thought that as a person who knows their technical information, but can't make very good basic life choices.

Well, I have a friend.. Who's incredibly intelligent when it comes to engineering school.. Knows everything he's taught.. but he can't make a logical life decision to save his life. I always thought that as a person who knows their technical information, but can't make very good basic life choices.

The_Lipscomb

Essentially, they can recall information but have little critical thinking skills. I know quite a few people of that mold.

Information is valuable, but being able to make logical deductions based on limited data is a bit more complex. This is why I'm against 'teaching to test'.

It's something stupid people say.

They'll even sometimes say it about people that are smarter than them that don't even read books. 

That's not what it means. Book smart implies that they have knowledge that they read in books but they don't know how to apply that to real world situations. Common sense is a similar term for what they supposedly lack. 

Generally used by people who aren't that intelligent in conjunction with something along the lines of "at least I have common sense" as if someone intelligent or smart couldn't also have common sense.

Book smart vs street smart. Theory vs practice/experience.Shottayouth13-

This. Case in point, there was a guy I worked with that I also took classes with at the local college. He knew the material, but wasn't that good of a mechanic whereas I was able to take what I learned and was able to put it to use as I had previous experience as a mechanic (and I was book smart too). 

[QUOTE="Shottayouth13-"]Book smart vs street smart. Theory vs practice/experience.WhiteKnight77

This. Case in point, there was a guy I worked with that I also took classes with at the local college. He knew the material, but wasn't that good of a mechanic whereas I was able to take what I learned and was able to put it to use as I had previous experience as a mechanic (and I was book smart too). 

[QUOTE="WhiteKnight77"]

[QUOTE="Shottayouth13-"]Book smart vs street smart. Theory vs practice/experience.chessmaster1989

This. Case in point, there was a guy I worked with that I also took classes with at the local college. He knew the material, but wasn't that good of a mechanic whereas I was able to take what I learned and was able to put it to use as I had previous experience as a mechanic (and I was book smart too). 

4.0 GPA over 4 semesters and President's Honor Roll. Suck it. That is working full time, going to school one credit hour short of full time and working on a race car after class and working on the car at the track on Saturday night.

[QUOTE="chessmaster1989"][QUOTE="WhiteKnight77"]

This. Case in point, there was a guy I worked with that I also took classes with at the local college. He knew the material, but wasn't that good of a mechanic whereas I was able to take what I learned and was able to put it to use as I had previous experience as a mechanic (and I was book smart too). 

WhiteKnight77

4.0 GPA over 4 semesters and President's Honor Roll. Suck it. That is working full time, going to school one credit hour short of full time and working on a race car after class and working on the car at the track on Saturday night.

"Bah.  They're only smart becasue they read a lot of books."

Hmm...

 

I don't really understand what distinction is being made with this phrase / stereotype.  My gut reaction is that it's just dumb ... if you read a lot of different books, you're going to tend to be a pretty smart / intelligent person.

Is it part of a continuum related to effort?  Like people who are "book smart," have a lot of knowledge and really try to be intelligent but, maybe, don't seem to "get it?"
 
This would be opposed to the person who is just naturally smart and, maybe, dropped out of college to start a major business -- like Bill Gates (NEVER MIND that he read the entire World Book Encyclopedia, as a child!)

***
Does reading books come at the expense of real world "common sense?"

Is real world common sense sometimes superior to the complex, multifaceted perspective that book reading tends to promote?  

Is this stereotype aimed at a certain type of reader? 

Discuss.

Meinhard1