When today’s gifted and talented young people emerge into adulthood will they be able to overcome some enormous 21st-century problems that are pushing us toward large-scale socioeconomic devastation? Will they be able to capitalize on unprecedented opportunities that can lead to widespread prosperity and fulfillment? This book explores these questions while yielding insights from many of the world’s leading scholars of giftedness and talent development. Until now there has been inadequate understanding of 21st-century trends and issues that influence the gifted and talented. The book provides some clarity by establishing a big-picture, interdisciplinary overview of the socioeconomic, cultural, and technological pressures emerging from 21st-century globalization and describing some ways in which those pressures simultaneously suppress, distort, and invigorate the discovery of aspirations and the development of talents. Throughout the volume, prominent scholars of gifted education and talent development use their impressive knowledge bases to clarify how we can adjust our thoughts and actions in order to give ourselves the best possible chances for success in this complex world.