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98th out of 163 books
—
86 voters
Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby's Brain
by
Sue Gerhardt
Why Love Matters explains why love is essential to brain development in the early years of life, particularly to the development of our social and emotional brain systems, and presents the startling discoveries that provide the answers to how our emotional lives work.
Sue Gerhardt considers how the earliest relationship shapes the baby's nervous system, with lasting consequ...more
Sue Gerhardt considers how the earliest relationship shapes the baby's nervous system, with lasting consequ...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
January 1st 2005
by Routledge
(first published January 7th 2003)
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This informative and accessible book brings together neuroscience, developmental psychology, attachment theory and common sense to build up a fascinating picture of the effect our earliest experiences of love - or the lack of it - can affect the development of our personalities and by extension our ability to love and empathise with others.
From the ages of 6 - 18 months, a period of rapid brain development occurs in infants, the catalyst for which is the emerging social brain and the interaction...more
From the ages of 6 - 18 months, a period of rapid brain development occurs in infants, the catalyst for which is the emerging social brain and the interaction...more
This was a really interesting interpretation of more recent findings in neuroscience from a developmental psychology & psychotherapy perspective. She draws on Science, literature and her own clinical experience to produce a (generally) easy to read, informative and sensitive book.
While books like this rapidly go out of date as further research is produced (particularly in a rapidly developing field like neuroscience), much of what is written here is still relevant. The author presents a the...more
While books like this rapidly go out of date as further research is produced (particularly in a rapidly developing field like neuroscience), much of what is written here is still relevant. The author presents a the...more
Thought-provoking, challenging, worrying and informative. An important read for parents, especially first time parents who are particularly vulnerable to often well-intentioned but misguided advice. This book looks at how stress under the age of two affects a baby's brain and social development, and how our early parenting choices-to leave baby to cry or not-can affect the long term physical and emotional health of our children, and by extension, the health of our society.
This book presents the...more
This book presents the...more
This book has been an amazing discovery. The way the author has been able to translate recent hard-science evidence into intelligible information is great. I'd like this book to be made compulsory reading at university, when one is mature enough to reflect about what it means to create a new life, and to try to gather information about our own infancy and how it may influence our emotions around parent-motherhood. This book is an invitation to think, not only about family but also about society,...more
Well, I am now terrified at the thought of my impending motherhood :-)This book discusses the importance of our early interactions with our children. The irony is that emphasises the importance of not being stressed while baby is interuterine and yet the more you read of it, the more you realise how much you can screw up your childs life (I believe that is irony...although Alanis Morriset confused the concept for most of us).
It is a well constructed book, with lots of compelling evidence. Those...more
It is a well constructed book, with lots of compelling evidence. Those...more
Useful overview for a comparison between recent discoveries in neuroscience and advanes in psychotherapy. Containing an acknowledgement perhaps or a nod towards theories of the unconscious, stemming from Freud, if critical of his conclusions. However Gerhardt does veer towards a certain normalising current that seems to appear occasionally in therapies centred around attachment parenting theories. She seems to be aware of contingency but at times tends to not apply it to her own moral vision. I...more
This is such a fantastic read. The author explains in easy to understand writing how important the relationship is between mother( main caretaker) and child the first 6 months of life. The amount of stress a baby feels can affect brain development and how stress is dealt with for the rest of his life. Not tending to a babies' needs can have disastrous results for the baby.
I especially enjoyed the research studies done in this area.
I especially enjoyed the research studies done in this area.
This is a fantastic book! A must read for every parent and specially for parents-to-be. Now, we positively know that psychological problems are also physiological ones, and that those are shaped in babyhood and toddlerhood. This comes as great responsibility for all of us who are parents, as we certainly can do a lot to build the basis for our children to live a fulfilling life in a better society.
Fascinating book giving a solid argument for importance of empathic and responsive care in early infancy. The care we receive as babies sews the seeds for future adult relationships and how feelings are regulated psychologically and physiologically. If a baby is not regulated well by the parent he will find it difficult to regulate his own feelings as an adult. Being cared for by a depressed and unresponsive mother can have a devastating effect on a babies ability to develop good secure coping m...more
This book blew my mind. Along with Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn it's one of the most important books on parenting I've read. Drawing together compellingly presented, well researched evidence from neuroscience, psychology, psychoanalysis and biochemistry, Sue Gerhart provides an excellent account of why a developing brain requires responsive nurture.
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Why Love Matters is a very read-able and accessible foray into the world of attachment between a baby and their caregiver. Gerhardt uses scientific evidence to illustrate the importance of a loving bond but does so in a way that is easy to follow. I believe that this book is useful for practitioners but also invaluable for parents.
Aug 02, 2011
Jo
added it
this is an amazing and important book - as a psychology student it's really helped me fine-tune my interests - this is the kind of book anyone around children or anyone interested in the improvement of life for all should really read - that includes everyone from parents to politicians
FANTASTIC! Recommended reading for my Neuroscience for Therapists course, this has been a joy to read, in no way the chore I was anticipating. Written by a British author (sorry my American friends, but what a lovely change!) this has revealed the complexities and nuances of baby and child development in a comprehensible and fascinating manner. Here's a non-p.c. "should": should be required reading for all parents.
Fantastic book to help you understand aspects of why people are like they are and why you think as you do. Recommended as part of a management delve elopement programme at Henley College.
great book. some of it is a little academic/intellectual but overall it gets a strong message across backed up with a lot of different sources and examples. would definitely recommend it.
Important reading for any parent (or parent to be). Although it was a bit guilt inducing - for most of us who struggle to be the perfect parents we aspire to be.
Marvellous account of the link between biological and emotional factors in early childhood development. A good reminder that it's not a case of nature vs nurture.
This book supports the theory I made in my own book that trauma suffered in childhood can severely affect your health both as a child and in later life.
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Highly recommend to anyone interested in attachment theory, psychology and/or neuroscience. Very informative.
Amazing book. Everyone should read this, especially parents or to-be parents. This book showed me why I react to stressors the way I do and how I can change my reactions. It also hopefully will stop the cycle so my daughter will be raised differently than how I was.
this book was so interesting and i highly recommend it.
Fascinating book! A must read.
its a must read for the whole world
Fascinating read on the importance of early responsive care of babies and toddlers. A little heavy going in places on the imgdyala [or something] part of the brain's oochymulda [I really made that one up] then some slightly out of place passing references to more accessible and known stories e.g. Billy Connolly and the boys who killed James Bulger. Absolutely not a how-to guide.
Too technical for what I wanted, haven't finished it and won't. Great if you want the scientific details. I want love and hugs matter kinda stuff.
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loving this book, great for everyone to learn about attachment, child psychology, counseling, grand-parenting and parenting. In fact most people
would find this interesting form the view of your own relationships, your childrens or from a professional view.
would find this interesting form the view of your own relationships, your childrens or from a professional view.
Oct 15, 2007
Cameron
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people interested in psychology.
Shelves:
non-fiction
This book changed my life. Really. I had never thought about social development in the terms in which Gerhardt proposes. And I've never been so self-aware. Still, sometimes I can't help thinking ignorance is bliss...
I have to admit, I didn't get through it before I had to return it to the library. BUT, the first half was very interesting. I may check-it out again, if there aren't mroe pressing books on my list . . .
Child nurturing from a modern scientific perspective: neuroscience, psychology, psychoanalysis and biochemistry.
Every mother should read this book.
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