What's Going On in There?: How the Brain And Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life - Hardcover

Eliot, Lise

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0713992913 ISBN 13: 9780713992915

Publisher: Allen Lane, 2000

Synopsis

A lively, thought-provoking book that charts the brain's development from conception through the crucial first five years of life. This informative book lays out all aspects of the brain's development, from the refinement of the faculties so immature at birth - touch, smell, vision, hearing, balance and motion - to the emergence of high cognitive functions such as language. It explores questions critical to every prospective parent. How much of a baby's development is genetically ordained? How much is determined by the environment? Is there anything parents can do to make their babies' brains work better?

About this title

Review

Although the brain of a newborn has 100 billion nerve cells, babies are capable of little beyond the most vital functions such as breathing and sucking. Sensory ability is primitive and higher cognitive functions such as attention, reasoning and conscious memory are absent because babies' brain cells are only poorly connected. What firms up these connections are the experiences and stimulation the baby receives in the critical first five years.

Though not for the impatient, What's Going on in There? presents a comprehensive overview of current scientific knowledge about infant and early childhood brain development with impressive depth and clarity. Along the way, it richly demonstrates the innumerable ways in which parents can help their children develop better brains. Eliot, a neuroscientist and mother of three, starts her immensely intelligent labour of love with a richly detailed yet accessible tour of the growing embryo, guiding readers through the developing sensory, motor, emotional and cognitive systems. You'll understand the inner workings of the brain like never before. You'll learn the latest thinking on the nature vs. nurture question. You'll gain invaluable insights into the evolution of the senses, motor skills, social and emotional growth, memory, language and intelligence. Throughout, Eliot maintains a neutral voice, meticulously steering away from thornier social and ethical issues. In such a vital and contentious area, this can be either an advantage or a detriment, depending on the interests or needs you bring to the book. What's Going on in There? is another landmark in popular science.--Fiona Buckland

Synopsis

Although the human brain has 100 billion nerve cells at birth, newborns are capable of little beyond the most vital functions like breathing and sucking. The infant's ability to see, hear, touch, smell and taste is primitive. Higher cognitive functions like attention, reasoning, language and conscious memory are absent. Scientific research proves that a baby's brain cells are only weakly connected. What firms up these connections are the experiences and stimulation the baby receives in the critical first five years. While every child is born with the capacity for higher thinking, how fully the brain and mind develops is determined in equal measure by genetics and by the richness of the environment surrounding the child. This is true of all environments, both rational and emotional - cuddling, touching, comforting, bouncing, hugging, smiling, soothing, talking and playing are as vital as mental stimulation. Every aspect of a child's evolving brain can be affected by the quality of the world to which he or she is exposed. "What's Going on in There?" demonstrates the innumerable ways in which parents can actually help children develop better brains.

Edition details

• Publisher: Allen Lane
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0713992913
• ISBN 13: 9780713992915
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 544
• Illustrator: Rubenstein Deborah