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jrobles76's review against another edition
5.0
I first read this book when it originally came out and decided to reread it as a refresher on child development (lots of my friends have kids). It was as informative as I remember. This is truly the instruction manual for babies. I don't mean it gives you tips on how to raise them, no, it tells you how their brains actually develop and how they learn about the world. Based on tons of research but written in a way that you don't need a degree to understand (though if you have a degree you appreciate that every idea is backed up with experimental data.)
If you ever wondered why your kids make goo goo sounds or why they call every four legged animal "doggie" this book is for you.
If you ever wondered why your kids make goo goo sounds or why they call every four legged animal "doggie" this book is for you.
hjbolus's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting discussion of what babies come into the world knowing and what they have to figure out from scratch! I wonder how it’s held up over time though.
mokey4's review against another edition
I had high hopes for this book, and I got bored with it pretty quickly. I don't like the writing style and found the information only slightly interesting. I didn't like the way the book was organized, it made the subject matter even more tedious to me. And I just found myself thinking "so what?" a lot while reading it.
lwrieger's review against another edition
5.0
I got this book for Christmas from my Dad and Stepmom for Christmas and was just able to pick it up now. I wish that I would have read it sooner as it is one of the best books I have read.
I don't know...maybe it's because I'm a new parent (still I think!) but the studies of kids in different scenarios was so interesting and it allowed me to look at my daughter is a new light. Not that I didn't think she was always learning as I already knew that...but the level of things babies know is crazy. They are very smart even at such young ages.
Chapter 4 was a little slow, but not slow enough to take a star away. The last chapter was just wonderful. It's a wrap up of the book, but it also makes some statements about parenting that I love and fully agree with.
I think if you have kids this is a must read. If you don't I still think it's an interesting read. I for one am fascinated with child development research now. In fact Lucy will be participating in a study at Northwestern this afternoon.
I don't know...maybe it's because I'm a new parent (still I think!) but the studies of kids in different scenarios was so interesting and it allowed me to look at my daughter is a new light. Not that I didn't think she was always learning as I already knew that...but the level of things babies know is crazy. They are very smart even at such young ages.
Chapter 4 was a little slow, but not slow enough to take a star away. The last chapter was just wonderful. It's a wrap up of the book, but it also makes some statements about parenting that I love and fully agree with.
I think if you have kids this is a must read. If you don't I still think it's an interesting read. I for one am fascinated with child development research now. In fact Lucy will be participating in a study at Northwestern this afternoon.
teachermaryreads's review against another edition
4.0
Our 5th pick. Susanne, Kirsten, Darcie, Tricia and I met on 11/17/06 at Child's Play Cafe with all 4 babies.
eandrews80's review against another edition
2.0
I guess I shouldn't complain that a book with the word "scientist" in the title was too science-y, but it was. The book starts out strong, combining fundamentals of develomental psychology and cognitive science with fascinating research and experiments. The authors initially keep the discussion grounded in concrete, observable infanct behavior, but eventually the discussion gives way to an overly technical and dry description of brain function with nary a baby in sight. I'd recommend the first few chapters, but skip the last few. I wasn't expecting a parenting book, but I found myself more interested in the research narratives than the science behind it.
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