This is an introduction to the factors which develop or inhibit the mind in all stages of life, from a psychoanalytic point of view. Following the major developmental phases from infancy to old age, it explores those vital aspects of experience which promote mental and emotional growth and those which impede it. The book traces the interplay between factors, internal and external, which contribute to a person's character strength and sense of identity. Offering a detailed and accessible introduction to contemporary psychoanalytic thought, the book's breadth should engage readers from an academic context, the professional practitioner and the concerned parent. In bringing together a wide range of clinical, non-clinical and literary examples it provides a personal and vivid perspective on the relationship between psychodynamic theory and the nature of human development.