SOCIAL SCIENCES

The Human Spark: The Science of Human Development

by Jerome Kagan
Basic Bks: Perseus. Jun. 2013. 336p. notes. ISBN 9780465029822. $28.99. PSYCH
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Eminent psychologist Kagan (emeritus, Harvard) states that his 1984 seminal text, The Nature of the Child, was primarily concerned with three major themes: that significant changes in behavior occurring in the first years of life are mainly due to brain development; that the emotions and behavior of infants don't predict the psychological profiles of adolescents; and that a sense of right and wrong emerges in the second year. The vast majority of developmental psychologists concur with Kagan, whose third revision of his original ideas emphasizes three broader questions: What is the expected course of development for all children? How does variation in experience affect the rates at which children develop? What factors determine behavior variability among children and adults?
VERDICT For readers who enjoyed Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate or Andrew Solomon's Far from the Tree. Both entertaining and intellectually engaging.
Reviewed by Mary Ann Hughes, Shelton, WA , May 01, 2013
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