Though not for the impatient, What s Going on in There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life will undoubtedly make you a better parent. It is thick, detailed, and scientific. But it is also accessible to parents who have the time and patience to immerse themselves in the latest research on brain development. And for those who do, the rewards can be great. 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. But most importantly, you ll understand--maybe for the first time--exactly how great your contribution as a parent can be to the development of your young child s brain. Written by Lise Eliot, Ph.D., a neurobiologist and mother of three, What s Going on in There? is an immensely intelligent labor of love. It is based on the author...

#The Best Parenting Book (2004-05-20) This book is for the parent who wants to know all the ",Whys. ", I have identical twins, so it is very interesting to me to see why their personalities might be different. Identical twins are used in many experiments, so I found this book especially interesting. My mother-in-law is also a pschologist and did many ",experiements", with my husband (wish they had video cameras back then -- would have been neat to see). :) My husband and I have always been fascinated with child development since our children were born. This ans...

#Absolutely Excellent, A MUST Read (2004-05-06) If you are pregnant or thinking about starting a family I definitely recommend that you buy What s Going on in There? by Lise Eliot. This book is very informative and should be eccential to your prenatal (and even post-natal) reading. Eliot ia a neurobiologist and a mother of three, so not only does she provide more than enough scientific information but she supplies plenty of personal anecdotes involing her children. Unlike most books of this sort that divide the book into ages (0-3 months), Eliot divides her book into developmental s...

#Great book for a parent interested in baby s mind & brain (2004-04-07) I really enjoyed this book. It s well written, informative, and downright interesting. Much of the information is presented in the form of results of studies, not just rules of thumb. For example, the first chapter has useful details about prenatal influences on the brain. There s a summary of research results on how caffeine affects development, and similar sections for alchohol, aspartame, MSG, and other (harmless and not-so-harmless) things that parents-to-be often worry about. Then there s a fascinating ...

#the only parenting book I ve used (2004-01-30) I ve browsed through other parenting books written by parenting experts, but a quick glance always let me know that their claims were dubious and didn t pertain to all the different kinds of children out there. This book does not try to tell you how to act as a parent, instead it tells you what is physiologically going on inside their bodies and brains so that you can figure it out for yourself. For example, when my son was around 1 1/2 I recognized that he was going through a verbal growth phenomenon (that every child experiences) refer...

#Scientific and Easy to Read (2004-01-10) Even with a 9 month old this book was a breeze to read, but not because it lacks in substance. Lise Eliot does a fantastic job of explaining the cognitive development of children without sounding like an article in a scientific journal. Her conversational tone makes her detailed descriptions of brain development fascinating to read. So far this has been my favorite book on child development.

Is our baby eating enough? Is this much crying normal? How do I know when she is really sick? This hefty, 671-page guide to your baby s first year is brought to you by the creators of the bestselling What to Expect When You re Expecting. The three authors, all mothers themselves, are calm, clear, and encouraging as they tackle the first year of child-rearing, month by month. The easy-to-absorb, chronological format includes sections such as What Your Baby May Be Doing, What You Can Expect at This Month s Checkups, Feeding Your Baby This Month, What You May Be Concerned About, and What It s Important to Know. Part Two addresses special concerns such as illness, first aid do s and don ts, the low-birthweight baby, the adopted baby, becoming a father, and sibling relationships. You ll also find discussions of breastfeeding and bottlefeeding, selecting a physician for the baby, diapers and clothing, safety, and many ways of stimulating the baby s development. The recipes for...

#A must have for any parent!!! (2006-02-18) This book was excellent and informative! As the mother of a preemie, I especially enjoyed reading the section on the low birthweight baby. I loved reading about different milestones that a baby may (or may not) be reaching each month. This book answered so many of my questions, and I would recommend it to any new parent!!

#Great ",Quick", Reference (2005-11-09) I believe this book was fabulous for a quick reference guide. I found it very informative on certain issues such as illness, or rashes etc. Instead of having to call the pediatrician with every little occurance, this book was a great look up reference. Like all books on the market, everyone will tell you what you ",should or should not", do with your new child, but as every experienced parent will tell you -- do what works for you and your baby. I am not pushing this book for any of the parenting issues, I would recommend...

#good reference but major flaws (2004-06-30) This is a good parenting book to have in your library but it should definitely not be the only one. All parenting books have their own bias about co-sleeping and breastfeeding and this one was definitely biased against co-sleeping at all and breastfeeding after the 9th month or so. When I first brought my baby home from the hospital, the only way she would get a decent night s sleep is to sleep with us. Otherwise she cried and fussed the entire night. After two months she was ready to sleep in a cradle but initially we had to adjust ou...

#you get what you expect! (2004-06-25) This is THE book you want to read if you re a first time parent and don t have much experience with babies. You re given very practical explanations on how to deal with your newborn and it helps to solve all the simple troubles you go through everyday, from treating fever and skin rashes to deciding which toy to buy. It is very helpful up to 7/8 months of age of your child, then it becomes less accurate.

#There are much better books out there! (2004-05-26) I bought this book as a resource for my first child. Although it has some useful information, it is very ",middle of the road", and I felt it didn t go in depth enough with research and information I felt to be important. One *huge* area that is lacking is the breastfeeding information. They do not adequately explain the differences between breastfeeding and formula, and recommend weaning a child at 9mo. The AAP recomments nursing for *at least* a year, and the WHO (World Health Organization) recommends at least 2 years...