This chronologically organized book uses a psychosocial (Eriksonian) emphasis as an integrating theoretical orientation to help readers synthesize the large body of information that makes up the study of child development. The authors' goal is to bring students face to face with the intricate way in which the lives of children at each stage of their development are interwoven with the influence of adults and larger social institutions. It offers a blend of story telling, detail, research studies, examples, and explanations to illustrate the study of child development.