NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children

Ashley Merryman & Po Bronson:

Parents often rely on two things when they go about the complex business of raising children: instinct and conventional wisdom. When instinct and the culture's knowledge about caring for babies don't magically kick in, new parents suffer a panic commonly referred to as "nurture shock."

San Francisco writer Po Bronson and Los Angeles journalist Ashley Merryman play off this term for the title of their fascinating new book, "NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children." The jolt they're delivering is that much of the conventional wisdom about children and child rearing is based on outdated theories and studies often influenced by incorrect assumptions and wishful thinking.

The good news is that scientific research over the past 10 years has illuminated our understanding of how children develop and behave. But because these significant findings have been overlooked, unenlightened practices in parenting, education and public policy persist. The authors, who have collaborated on articles about the science of parenting for New York and Time magazines, throw open the doors on this research to create a book that is not only groundbreaking but compelling as well. Even if you don't have children, or your kids are grown, you should find the revelations about how the brain works and the rigors and frustrations of the scientific process captivating.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at September 15, 2009 1:13 AM
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