Nurtureshock: New Thinking About Children

Nurtureshock: New Thinking About Children

One of the most influential books about children ever published, Nurture Shock offers a revolutionary new perspective on children that upends a library's worth of conventional wisdom. With impeccable storytelling and razor-sharp analysis, the authors demonstrate that many of modern society's strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring--because key twists in the science have been overlooked. Nothing like a parenting manual, NurtureShock gets to the core of how we grow, learn and live. Released in hardcover in September 2009, Nurture Shock remained on the New York Times best seller list for three months, and was one of Amazon's best selling books for 2009. The book has become a worldwide phenomenon with editions published around the world - in fifteen languages, to date. In addition to Bronson and Merryman's writings on praise -- first made famous in New York magazine -- there are nine more equally groundbreaking chapters. Among the topics covered: Why the most brutal person in a child's life is often a sibling, and how a single aspect of their preschool-aged play can determine their relationship as adults. When is it too soon - or too late - to teach a child about race? Children in diverse schools are less likely to have a cross-racial friendship, not more - so is school diversity backfiring? Millions of families are fighting to get their kids into private schools and advanced programs as early as possible. But schools are missing the best kids, 73% of the time - the new neuroscience explains why. Why are kids - even those from the best of homes - still aggressive and cruel? The answer is found in a rethinking of parental conflict, discipline, television's unexpected influence, and social dominance. Parents are desperate to jump-start infants' language skills. Recently, scientists have discovered a series of natural techniques that are astonishing in their efficacy - it's not baby videos, sign language, or even the richness of language exposure. It's nothing you've heard before. Review "The Freakonomics of child rearing... a fantastic read... a wake-up call for parents." ? Good Morning America Astonishing... prepare to be slack-jawed... This tour de force is one of the best parenting psychology books in years and will likely be seismic in influence." ? Library Journal (Starred Review) "Blinding... Brilliant." -- Washington Post Compelling... Captivating... Explains cutting-edge research to the lay readership... It's riveting." -- San Francisco Chronicle "A highly readable Malcolm Gladwell-esque look at the social science of child rearing." -- 'XX Factor,' Slate.com "The most important book I've read this year... If you only read one thing I review, please make it this." ? Wired "Some of the most groundbreaking research on children conducted in years... will knock your socks off." ? HuffingtonPost.com "Engaging.... revelatory... A funny, clever, sensible book. Every parent should read it." ? Financial Times "Adds insight to irresistible nonfiction subject matter... destined to turn up in conversations among working parents." ? Susan Dominus, New York Times "The least touchy-feely [parenting book] ever... hard to put down and easy to take seriously." ? "A.V. Club," The Onion About the Author Po Bronson is the author of seven books, including What Should I Do with My Life?, a #1 New York Times bestseller with more than ten months on the list. Po has been on Oprah, on every national morning show, and on the cover of five magazines, including Wired and Fast Company. He is Strategy Director at IndieBio. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children. Ashley Merryman's journalism has appeared in Time, Newsweek, New York, the Washington Post, and many other venues. She lives in Los Angeles.