Rating: 
Summary: Excellent and thoroughly informative
Review: Babies are enigmatic. Their actions can be determined and unfocused at the same time. They seem hungry, then they spit up, smiling. How can you help these confused and inarticulate little people? This book explains what science has taught us about how the brain develops and what you should expect as it gets wired up for the senses, motor control, emotion, language, etc. For instance, did you know that the earliest baby smiles are always genuine? To fake one requires more advanced motor skills, while the real thing is an involuntary reaction. I was happy to find that out, along with the simple explanation. It's very well organized, seems quite complete, and is amenable to a close reading, a purposeful reference, or a casual browse. The technical information is very skillfully presented, propelling the narrative rather than dragging it to a stop. I am enjoying this book very much, and I hope it gets the attention it deserves. It's the sort of thorough and well written book that should become the standard popular reference for people who want more detailed information after reading the basic how to baby books (Dr. Spock et al).
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and informative
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although it was a bit too scientific for me in parts (which were easy enough to skip over if you aren't interested in that end of things) it was fascinating reading--made me look at my child in a new way.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute must-read for anyone with a brain or a mind
Review: Or both. Dr. Eliot's treatment of the important subject of brain development is not only thorough and disciplined, but it is also enjoyably readable. Besides being indispensible for parents who want to give their child the best possible start in life, this book gives all people a deep understanding of their own minds and where they came from. The facts presented in the book are based on solid scientific research. But in addition, their relevance has been enhanced by Dr. Eliot's own experience as a mother. This is a rare combination of talents that delivers a truly enrichening read.
Rating:
Summary: The essential guide for parents
Review: Required reading for any parent wanting an in-depth understanding of their child's first years. This survey of child development is both comprehensive and detailed: there is something here for every reader, be they a parent with a specific question or concern, or a serious student of the subject. New parents will find much to comfort them: many developmental problems are shown to be temporary and non-threatening.
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding book: fascinating and well-researched
Review: This book is an interesting blend of brain development research, real-life examples and personal references to the author's own children. The combination is surprisingly successful. It pleased me on several levels: As a new grandparent, a student of early child development, and a former teacher. It lives up to its excellent reviews.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Parenting Book
Review: 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 answered all our questions!It is a very technical, detailed book, but it is not too far over an average parent's head to get something out of it. I did find myself skipping over some of the parts that got bogged down in details (I just want to get to the point sometimes), but I would get the main idea. My husband and I found this book while searching for a more scientific book on brain development. We were watching a series on TLC that showed different experiements done with children and when children acquire specific skills and why. We tried finding it again without success, so we searched for a book instead. You can find tons of books that tell you when your child should do what, but they don't tell why and what is really going on in their heads. This book will explain all that!! You will even learn things like why toddlers should drink whole milk until the age of 2! It is broken up into the different senses as well as being chronological, which I found really easy to follow. This will definitely make you a better parent. As an educator myself, I find it fascinating just to have the knowledge, and I feel it is important for all parents to have this knowledge. You will learn how to stimulate your child at different ages so that his/her brain develops to its fullest. You and your child will be happier and more relaxed just having the information contained in this book. The only regret I have is not having read it sooner! I had all the other parenting books, but I never felt fulfilled reading them. I didn't want a list of milestones, I wanted to know why they do milestones when they do. This is the only parenting book you need! I recommend reading it before your children are born, but it is never too late to read it! Mine were 2 when I got this book!
Rating:
Summary: Great reference
Review: I have had this book about 12 hours and have read nearly 1/3 of it. Can you believe it is already falling apart? I can't remember buying such a low-quality book, although I would never rate a book on it's binding rather than content.
It is a refreshingly scientific book for someone that isn't interested in the lastest fads or theories. It is easy to use because it is divided into topics and you don't need to read it in order. I plan to use it as a reference after reading the parts that interest me now.
I would recommend adding this book to your baby library.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting book - Lousy binding.
Review: I have the book and an 18 ... er make that 19 month old boy and I can't put either of them down so it took me two weeks to read all the book once through. I'm reading through again and underlining and putting in "post its" - because it's that kind of book. Stimulating and thought provoking with lots of "aha" and Ahaaaaa!" moments. Very worth it for anyone thinking about becoming a parent and of course for parents of babies and young children; really still a very interesting read even if you're not thinking about having a child. A piece of advice to readers who like to share books with their partner and/or show it to others BUY THE HARDBACK or buy two copies (no I don't get a sales commision) mine started to fall apart on the first reading at page 37 and I kept it and keep it, in a ziplok bag so I won't lose any pages.
I interact differently with my son and experience more easily recognisable feedback from him after reading this book. TERRIFIC!
Rating: 
Summary: Great material but VERY poor book binding job
Review: As a first time parent, I am fascinated by all aspect of child development. This book provides great info and allows me to understand, from a physiological point of view, why babies do what they do. However, it is just falling apart!!!!!! Page by page! Never have a book so flimsy like this.......
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive and Understandable for Most Parents
Review: Lise Eliot has put together a fascinating and comprehensive book that describes how the brain and mind develop in the first five years of life. Instead of organizing the book into literal stages based on age (as you might expect), she has organized the chapters into areas of interest. This enabled her to keep the reader focused on one subject, and allowed her to show the entire development process--not just broken up pieces across several chapters. As a reader, and parent, I found this approach refreshing and helpful.
Dr. Eliot appears to have taken great pains to write a book that all parents can understand. For the most part, she achieved her goal. However, there are some concepts and theories that simply can't be explained without some developmental jargon, familiar only to those who have formerly studied human development. Regardless, I do think that most parents will be able to comprehend and learn from most of the book's content.
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