About the Author

Judith Rich Harris is the author of No Two Alike: Human Nature and Human Individuality . A former writer of college textbooks, Harris is a recipient of a George A. Miller award, given to the author of an outstanding article in psychology. She is an independent investigator and theoretician whose interests include evolutionary psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, and behavioral genetics.

Reviews

"A graceful, lucid, and utterly persuasive assault on virtually every tenet of child development." -- Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker

Harris both annoyed and intrigued specialists everywhere last year with the publication of her theory that neither nature nor nurture has the greatest influence upon child development. Rather, she asserts, the peer group is the determining factor in children's growth and personality development. Beginning with a look at traditional child development theories, Harris then builds a convincing case for her theory based on observation, anecdotes, and research-based data. Inspired partly by her desire to relieve the guilt and anxiety felt by parents determined to provide the best environment for their offspring, Harris contends, through narration by Paula Parker, that the only true impact parents can have is to encourage children to identify with appropriate peers and to ensure that children fit in. Although her theory is extreme, there is much to consider and react to, making this an interesting addition to library collections that include parenting resources.ÄSusan McCaffrey, Haslett H.S., MI Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

"A graceful, lucid, and utterly persuasive assault on virtually every tenet of child development." -- Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker