It was a pleasure to review this book which is very timely in its publication. The stated aim is ‘To convey an understanding of recent research that has illuminated how the human child develops in its context’. I found that the book achieves this with clarity of language and cogency of reasoning that makes it easy to read and think about.

The book is set out in five parts dealing with key elements in early development, attachment theory, culture and neuroscience. These initial chapters provide the foundation for later ones on language, influence of past on future experiences, and gender differences. This is followed by a focus on alloparents (individuals other than parents who take on a parental role) and adolescence. The book ends by considering the impact that early experiences have on later-life trajectories.

The chapter on biology and the brain catches attention, not least because of its attractive rough sketches which illustrate the points being made in a very memorable fashion. Following a logical thread, the conclusion is that, at least to some extent, the brain remains plastic throughout life and that there is always reason for optimism in the face of adversity.

Resilience and good feelings are very much in the news at the moment and this chapter provides a summary of some of the evidence base for promoting both. The quality of care that a child receives has an impact on their internal characteristics with a consequent impact on their resilience. However, the very negative effects of child maltreatment are seldom escaped and the author makes the point that ‘loading’ of factors such as poverty, birth order, parental unemployment and poor health must be considered alongside genetic determinants.

The introduction to the book includes a section about the importance of evaluating research findings very carefully. This warning must be borne in mind when reading the whole book as assertions and conclusions reached by the author must be actively evaluated by the reader.