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61st out of 129 books
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What's Going on in There? : How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life
by
Lise Eliot
As a research neuroscientist, Lise Eliot has made the study of the human brain her life's work. But it wasn't until she was pregnant with her first child that she became intrigued with the study of brain development. She wanted to know precisely how the baby's brain is formed, and when and how each sense, skill, and cognitive ability is developed. And just as important, sh...more
Paperback, 544 pages
Published
June 16th 2010
by Bantam
(first published 1999)
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Just about every day as I was reading this book, I would flag an interesting sentence or paragraph to share with my partner. I found it fascinating, and before it goes back to the library I'm going to type up a few quotes to keep around for reference.
A few interesting things I learned:
* The flavor of your breast milk changes depending on what you eat.
* For optimal language development, it's important to have conversations with even young infants. You can do this with face-to-...more
A few interesting things I learned:
* The flavor of your breast milk changes depending on what you eat.
* For optimal language development, it's important to have conversations with even young infants. You can do this with face-to-...more
I didn't buy this book with the same intention as most of the people who bought it seem to have. I'm not expecting to be a parent any time soon and I don't need practical advice on raising kids. I bought this because I read the authors second book, PINK BRAIN, BLUE BRAIN. Which was roughly a larger more elaborated version on this books few run ins with gender differences in children. Given my familiarity with the author and my general interest in neuroscience, I expected this book to be exactly ...more
Great stuff, going to try to condense it a bit so it's actually accessible/actionable
Very well presented book covering mental development from conception to pre-school age. She breaks development down into several tracks: each of the senses, as well as motor, social/emotional, language, memory and "intelligence" development. She frequently cites studies in humans and animals to back her arguments, and I actually plan to track down a few of them to see if there have been more recent pub...more
Very well presented book covering mental development from conception to pre-school age. She breaks development down into several tracks: each of the senses, as well as motor, social/emotional, language, memory and "intelligence" development. She frequently cites studies in humans and animals to back her arguments, and I actually plan to track down a few of them to see if there have been more recent pub...more
Four-month olds who are physically reactive (pumping limbs) but not irritable to new stimuli (like smiling or vocalizing) are likelier to end up on the bolder end of the spectrum. -What's going on in there, p. 321
Challenging memory is good for them. Get them to recall the important facts - the who, what , when, where, how, and why. -p. 350
Infants' ability to distinguish foreign speech sounds starts to diminish by 6 months - p.368
Try to limit saying "no"
Tal...more
Challenging memory is good for them. Get them to recall the important facts - the who, what , when, where, how, and why. -p. 350
Infants' ability to distinguish foreign speech sounds starts to diminish by 6 months - p.368
Try to limit saying "no"
Tal...more
This book struck a good balance between presenting the science of brain development and practical matters that parents should think about with respect to the developing brains in their children. In particular, Eliot does a great job of describing the studies and how researchers were able to determine preferences in children. For instance, they've learned things about newborns by hooking up a pacifier to a machine that plays a tape of mom's voice if the baby sucks at one rate, and a stranger's ...more
Sheri
is currently reading it
This is an amazing book, one I wish I had started in my first trimester. Dr. Eliot writes it in a very readable way, not overly "science-y." From conception you learn what's happening in various developmental stages; what things are nature and what are nurture; why babies like certain things and why (like being bounced, which actually promotes synapses to fire in the brain - who knew!?); and other fascinating things! Reading this book is like watching a really cool science show, and I'...more
Extremely comprehensive scientific overview of how the brain develops primarily from conception to age 2 (there is not so much detail on development from ages 2-5). Absolutely amazing to read all the processes that go on during prenatal and early development in order for babies to learn to talk, walk, recognize faces and patterns, etc. Note: this is NOT a "how to raise a smarter baby" book, this simply describes how and what happens at each stage of development. Unfortunately an extre...more
I have taken a break from reading this book. I'm about halfway through it, and I have enjoyed learning about the neuroscience of infant brains. However, sometimes I just want to cut to the chase: what do I need to be *doing* for my baby's development? The first ten chapters (I am on chapter 9) focus on basic biology and then devote a chapter each to the six senses. (Yes, there are six.) As you can imagine, this organizational scheme can prove somewhat frustrating. After learning about "th...more
I thought the idea of this book sounded great--learn how to be a better parent based on the science of brain development. However, I would argue there is not much science here. Yes, the stuff about sensory development is fine and well-supported, but the rest of the stuff (about intelligence and emotional development, for example) is total bunk. Much of it is based on behavioral psychology experiments in infants, which I find very unconvincing. I know this is the best that can be done in such you...more
Katherine Parker
rated it
Recommends it for:
parents or people interested in knowing how the brain develops
Recommended to Katherine Parker by:
Tilden
Shelves:
breeder-books,
brraaaaaaains
This book breaks down how the brain develops in babies and small children into chapters on the 5 senses, movement and balance, social and emotional development, language, conscience and a sense of right/wrong and consequences, and intelligence. It details where in the brain these elements of consciousness reside and how the mature, both neurologically and developmentally. It's fascinating subject matter, whether or not you have a baby, and the author makes it accessible to a lay-person without t...more
Finally, the development process from a scientistific perspective with real facts and figures and experimental findings. Something I was really happy to have after all the other parenting books full of platitudes and sentimental drivel. The author is a mom and a neurosurgeon and researcher at Harvard Medical School.
This books goes through each developmental skill (visual, aural, motor, language, etc.) and traces how the brain and related organs and hormones develop from the womb to age...more
This books goes through each developmental skill (visual, aural, motor, language, etc.) and traces how the brain and related organs and hormones develop from the womb to age...more
This book is a fantastic review of information re neurological/psychological developoment of infants and young children. It covers everything from sensory and motor development to emotional development and gives useful, research-driven tips about how to foster development across all areas.
Eliot has a great style that makes the research accessible without dumbing it down too much for the general audience. She mixes stories about hypothetical kids and tidbits from her own experienc...more
Eliot has a great style that makes the research accessible without dumbing it down too much for the general audience. She mixes stories about hypothetical kids and tidbits from her own experienc...more
Fascinating. A scientific take on the nature/nurture debate, as well as an intricate explanation of how the major parts of the brain develop from conception on. Easy to follow, even for someone whose last science class was about ten years ago, and so interesting. Cool factoid: humans are actually getting smarter -- each generation has scored better on IQ tests (an admittedly fallible and questionable measure of intelligence) than the previous generation.
This book really helped me understand how my son is developing physically, cognitively, and emotionally and why. Individual chapters discuss nature vs. nuture, prenatal influences on the brain, the five senses, motor milestones, memory, social-emotional growth, language, and intelligence. Each chapter begins describing the biological changes that occur in the brain for a particular type of development and outlines the timeframe for when these changes occur. It also gives examples of medical a...more
Follow along as your baby's brain gets wired up. Totally fascinating. Unlike most parenting books, this one is aimed at the intelligent, scientifically minded adult rather than the lowest common denominator. I read this through before he was born, which was an interesting overall perspective. But it's been much more interesting to go back and reread specific sections as he gets to those milestones.
Not the usually 0-9 months account of your pregnancy or development of your unborn child. Takes a more in depth look into how the brain and its functions are developed and works much more interesting than 'what to expect when your pregnant'. Well at least you don't have to fret about when you are going to get hemorrhoids but more marvel at the ongoing development of your child.
Explains the changes that happen from conception to about five years. About half the book focuses on prenatal development. Very little focus is on ages three to five. The chapters are not organized completely chronologically. Each one focuses on a different aspect of development - smell, taste, language, etc. The first half of each chapter is physical and neurological changes. The rest provides development signs to look for, and situations that would encourage or stunt development.
Um, awesome. So, so good.
It was probably made especially good for me since I'm in day-to-day contact with a baby whose inner workings I happen to find unbelievably interesting. But for people who are just generally interested in brain development this is amazing.
Brains are awesome.
It was probably made especially good for me since I'm in day-to-day contact with a baby whose inner workings I happen to find unbelievably interesting. But for people who are just generally interested in brain development this is amazing.
Brains are awesome.
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Despite the fact that the book is little old, and therefore likely out of date in some areas, it is very stimulating and well written. I learned many interesting things about development, all described thoroughly and at the level of someone who is certainly no expert in neuroscience. Definitely a recommended read for anyone who wants to know what their child is thinking.
Hannah
rated it
Recommends it for:
expectant and new parents with children up to age 5
Shelves:
raising_babies_and_children
I only wish I'd found this book when I was pregnant. I hunted high and low for a book that would outline children's mental and social development in the first few years, and came up lacking.
"What's Going on in There" can be dense, especially if you don't know anything about neurology, which I don't. Sometimes I find myself flipping back and forth to keep reminding myself what the limbic system is, for instance, by re-reading the part where it's explained.
The g...more
"What's Going on in There" can be dense, especially if you don't know anything about neurology, which I don't. Sometimes I find myself flipping back and forth to keep reminding myself what the limbic system is, for instance, by re-reading the part where it's explained.
The g...more
A detailed, comprehensive, yet readable work that will interest parents who have seen the "wheels" turning inside their baby's brain and wonder just what's going on in there. The book describes the sensory and intellectual development beginning in the womb until the preschool years. I especially loved the chapter on language since my 18 mo. old is learning words every day. I would have liked more about children's emotional development and how their early experience affects their relati...more
This is probably the most useful child development book I've read. I now have a much better understanding of the physical limits of a child's brain at different stages. Also helpful are the motor milestones to look for in case early intervention is needed.
Reignited my interest in the brain. Better than most books of this type, cos it's more focused on explaining the science of brain development than giving you 10 ways you can nurture your child's inner spirit, yadda yadda. Points off for having a stupid picture of a baby on the cover. Gah, I hate how all baby books have a picture of a baby on the cover.
Lots of technical info makes this hard to read BUT, its got great information on what affects a baby from conception on. Better to read before you get pregnant.....needless to say I am not going to read this whole book.
This book took me awhile to get through, but it had so much great information in it. It is a very technical subject, but Lise writes in such a way that it is understandable to us non-scientists.
It helped me understand my son's development. I'm a lil' bit of a control freak, and knowing what's going on in there helps me to feel a little less powerless in the face of my little one.
Fantastic book. A neuroscientist mom discusses fetus and child development in a technical yet completely accessible fashion. I couldn't put it down until I was done.
Very informative. Describes how and when neurons make connections for various senses, and describes external factors that could improve or impede the process.
Melanie
is currently reading it
A neruobiologist and mother investigates brain development from conception to 5 years of age. Fascinating, engaging. Easy to read.
Not as good as her most recent book, but still contained some interesting information. I am told that some of it is already out of date.
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“It's the strangest feeling at the end of pregnancy: you look down at this huge belly and try to imagine how some little person, whom you haven't even met, is going to emerge from it any day and completely change your lives. First, you wonder how this pregnancy, to which you've grown so accustomed over much of the last year, can, with barely any notice, come to an abrupt end. Then you try to fathom how this baby is ever going to come out; your bowling ball stomach seems misproportioned for what lies between it and the outside world. And only then do you realize what it all means-that the easy part, pregnancy, is almost over, and it's time to gear up for the tough stuff: childbirth!”
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