Includes appendix, glossary, reference and index.

Contents: Part One:The beginnings: Introduction: Understanding how and why -- Including all kinds of people -- As time goes on -- Using the scientific method -- Cautions and challenges from science -- Theories: What theories do -- Psychoanalytic theory: Freud and Erikson -- Behaviorism: Condioning and social learning -- Cognitive theory: piagey and information processing -- Sociocultural theory: Vygotsky and beyond -- The universal perspective: Humanism and evolution -- What theories contribute -- The new genetics: The genetic code -- New calls, new functions -- From genotype to phenotype -- Nature and nurture -- Chromosomal and genetic problems -- Prenatal development and birth: Prenatal development -- Birth -- Harm to the fetus -- Low birthweight: causes and consequences -- The new family -- Part Two:The First two years: The first two years: Biosocial development: Body changes -- Brain development -- Perceiving and moving -- Surviving in good health -- The first two years: Cognitive development: Sensorimotor intelligence -- Information processing -- Language: What develops in the first two years? -- The first two years: Psychosocial development: Emotional development -- Brain and emotions -- The development of social bonds -- Theories of infant psychosocial development -- Infant day care -- Part Three: Early childhood: Early Childhood: Biosocial development: Body changes -- Brain development -- Improving motor skills -- Injuries and abuse -- Child maltreatment -- Early childhood: Cognitive development: Thinking during early childhood -- Language learning -- Early-childhood schooling -- Early childhood: Psychosocial development: Emotional development -- Play -- Challenges for caregivers -- Moral development -- Part Four: Middle childhood: Middle childhood: Biosocial development: A health time -- Health problems in middle childhood -- Brain development -- Developmental psychopathology -- Special education -- Middle childhood: Cognitive development: Building on theory -- Language -- Teaching and learning -- Middle childhood: Psychosocial development: The nature of the child -- Families and children -- The peer group -- Children's moral values -- Part Five: Adolescence: Adolescence: Biosocial development: Puberty begins -- Growth and nutrition -- Brain development -- Sexual maturation -- Adolescence: Cognitive development: Logic and self -- Two modes of thinking -- Digital natives -- Teaching and learning -- Adolescence: Psychosocial development: Identity -- Relationships with adults -- Peer power -- Sadness and anger -- Drug use and abuse -- Emerging adulthood: Biosocial development -- Cognitive development -- Psychosocial development.