First published 2009
Recent scientific research has overturned long-held beliefs about infant cognition and development. Psychologist and philosopher Alison Gopnik examines how babies and young children actually possess remarkable intellectual capabilities that scientists previously dismissed. The evidence shows that infants learn faster, think more creatively, and experience emotions more intensely than adults do. Gopnik traces how a newborn's focused attention on her mother's face establishes the foundation for moral reasoning and emotional bonds. She shows how a toddler's relentless exploration of his environment mirrors the process of scientific investigation. The wild imaginative play of three-year-olds demonstrates the same cognitive mechanisms that allow humans to envision future possibilities, craft stories, and develop new technologies. Drawing from recent advances in psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, Gopnik argues that very young children may actually surpass adults in consciousness, creativity, and learning capacity. The book challenges readers to reconsider what they think they know about early childhood development and offers parents fresh insights into their children's remarkable mental lives.
Genres: psychology, non-fiction, parenting, academic
Vibes: informative, insightful, thought-provoking
Tropes: challenging-assumptions, new-perspectives
288 pages · Hardcover · Farrar, Straus and Giroux