Summary

The field of human development focuses on the growth and development of the human being including physical, social, psychological, and emotional development. Under the broad umbrella of the term human development you find countless topics that range from charting the emotional attachment of an infant to his or her parents and its long-term effects on well-being, media violence and adolescents′ behavior, or factors moderating the natural decline in physical and mental abilities associated with aging.

The Encyclopedia of Human Developmentis the first comprehensive, authoritative, and informative reference work that presents state-of-the-art research and ready-to-use facts from the fields of psychology, individual and family studies, and education in a way that is not too technical. With more than 600 entries, this three-volume Encyclopediacovers topics as diverse as adolescence, cognitive development, education, family, gender differences, identity, longitudinal research, personality development, prenatal development, temperament, and more.

Key Features Provides cross-disciplinary coverage, with contributions from experts in the fields of psychology, education, human development and family studies, and gerontology Highlights classic studies and theories and provides brief biographies of notable researchers and theorists Takes a lifespan approach by including several "anchor essays" that cover specific phases of development such as prenatal, infancy, childhood, adolescence, early and middle adulthood, later adulthood and aging Begins with an Introduction that details the scope, rationale, and audience for the work

The cross-disciplinary field of human development is one that captures interest among and holds practical relevance for the general public as well as academia, therefore this engaging Encyclopedia will be a welcome addition to any academic or public library.

Booklist Review

Social evolution, human evolution, developmental psychology, and human behavior are the focus of this encyclopedia. The creation of a complete and thorough review of the cross-disciplinary topic of human development is ambitious; the editor and advisory board, as well as the distinguished list of more than 650 contributors, are to be credited with realizing this goal. A wide and general audience will find much to praise in this work, beginning with the entries themselves. Here are approximately 600 signed entries that range in length from 400 to 5,000 words and cover the life span, from birth and infancy, early childhood development and education, and adolescence to aging and older development. Here, too, are entries, as outlined in the topical "Reader's Guide," on "Intelligence, Ability, and Aptitude," "Language and Communications," and "Mental Health, Mental Disorders, and Special Groups," among others. See0 references and lists (including Web sites) for further reading and reference are attached to reviews.\b \b0 The encyclopedia is arranged in alphabetical order. The quotations that begin each letter section--a quote by Leonardo da Vinci on the subject of death serves as a header for the D0 s, for example--are a nice touch. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that many of the entries are highly readable; indeed, readers might forget they are actually "in" an encyclopedia. The entry on Egocentrism0 begins with reflections on our everyday conception of the topic and then continues with a brief history of the concept--from Jean Piaget's pioneering work to information about more contemporary research within developmental psychology. Further along, the entry includes references to other important traditions in psychology that have also advanced our understanding of the topic. The writing is informative but not too scholarly or technical, accessible through and through. This entry, and many others, succeeds in capturing interest--readers will want to pursue references and suggestions for further reading. The set has several shortcomings. Some issues throughout the life span--health, family, cognition, physical development, language, self and gender, and personality, for example--are not as well covered as they might have been. Coverage of new frontiers, such as the legal, political, and economic dimensions of development as a human right, the cultural nature of human development, or millennium development goals, could also have been stronger. Entries on relevant social policy are also lacking. Stephen J. Farenga and Daniel Ness' Encyclopedia of Education and Human Development0 (Sharpe, 2005) provides some competition, although it focuses primarily on educational psychology. Overall, this set is recommended for academic and large public libraries, where students and general adult readers will find it to be an excellent "starting point." Scholars, practitioners, and researchers will need to turn to more focused and specialized works in their fields or areas of interest. --Sarah Watstein Copyright 2006 Booklist

Choice Review

This fine reference work on a topic of general interest presents 650 well-researched, well-written entries that expand and supplement information found in related works across disciplines. It offers explanations, definitions, brief biographies, and connections among them in a highly readable text. All articles are signed and have "Further Readings and References"; many have see also references that reciprocally connect entries. Topics cover the life span. Examples of some broad topics with specific examples are education (literacy), learning (reinforcement), health (sexually transmitted diseases, World Health Organization), physical development (circadian rhythms), social (interracial marriages), cognitive development (divergent thinking), political (assisted suicide), race and religion (anti-semitism), statistics and research methods (Framingham Study), and stages of development (baby boomers). Access points include the complete list of entries and the Reader's Guide (topic groups) at the beginning of each volume, and a detailed index in volume 3 (which also has two extensive appendixes). The 23 tables and figures in appendix 1 will interest those looking at trends, changes in culture, and country comparisons. The "Master Bibliography" (Appendix 2) is a gold mine of books, articles, and Web sites. Finally, each alphabetical section marker has a witty quotation about the human condition. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. All levels. L. L. Scarth Mount Mercy College