The Child: An Encyclopedic Companion - Hardcover

Richard A. Shweder (Editor in Chief) is a cultural anthropologist and the William Claude Reavis Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Comparative Human Development at the University of Chicago. Shweder has written several books on cultural psychology and human development, including most recently Why Do Men Barbecue? Recipes for Cultural Psychology.Thomas R. Bidell is an independent scholar who received his graduate training in cognitive development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Anne C. Dailey is the Evangeline Starr Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Connecticut School of Law. Suzanne D. Dixon is a behavioral and developmental pediatrician, a professor emerita at the University of California, San Diego, and a clinical professor at the University of Washington. Peggy J. Miller is a developmental and cultural psychologist and a professor in the Departments of Communication, Psychology, and Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. John Modell is professor emeritus of education and sociology at Brown University.

"Although the mind of a child remains an enigma even to those who spend a lifetime studying it, much has been discovered through scientific research and observation. Bringing together the latest findings on children and childhood from pediatrics, psychology, anthropology, and other related fields, The Child comprises over 500 articles on children's development from birth through adolescence, considering the ways in which race, ethnicity, gender, and cultural traditions affect children's experiences of physical and mental health. This resource will be of great interest to parents, social workers, researchers, educators, and anyone else who works with children."

"If the common thread connecting U.S. toilet-training theories, divorce customs during the French Revolution and Spot, the family dog, eludes you, pick up a copy of The Child: An Encyclopedic Companion, the new reference book weighing only slightly less than an actual newborn."--Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune

“This work covers a broad global spectrum of basic questions about the mental, social, biological, and spiritual development of children from the time of conception to late adolescence. . . . First, the language used in the articles is very readable and extremely approachable, especially for undergraduate students. Second, this work is truly multidisciplinary--including the typical disciplines of psychology, medicine, and education as well as the often-excluded disciplines of literature, religion, folklore, and communications. Third, the work includes a brief listing of legal citations mentioned in the text--a valuable resource for social policy research. . . . This authoritative work makes unique contributions to the field. It would be an excellent selection for undergraduate libraries.”