This is a timely and impressive volume from many of today's leading scholars in the field of evolutionary developmental psychology, a perspective that is much misunderstood by mainstream developmental psychologists. The volume includes a nice mix of broad theoretical overviews of the discipline and detailed analyses of a wide range of social and cognitive phenomena. As such, it serves both to introduce the perspective to scholars and students who are unfamiliar with it and to illustrate the ways in which evolutionary thinking can inform the study of numerous aspects of development. It would make a marvelous textbook for instructors in search of something to stimulate and challenge the thinking of advanced undergraduate or graduate students interested in child development. Indeed, the next time I teach an advanced course in developmental psychology, I likely will build my syllabus around this book.--Laurence Steinberg, PhD, Department of Psychology, Temple University
A cornucopia of new ideas on human development, Origins of the Social Mind is required reading for developmental psychologists.--Steven Pinker, PhD, Department of Psychology, Harvard University
This volume represents the cutting edge of transdisciplinary scholarship. Relying on the theories and methods of evolutionary psychology, it broadens the reach of this emerging discipline to the field of child development. Particularly provocative are integrative, novel theories by Ellis and Belsky on topics of relevance to scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and parents. There is something here for everyone.--Kenneth A. Dodge, PhD, Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University
- An admirable illustration of the fertility of an evolutionary perspective to study human development. Many of the chapters are excellent and replete of new, stimulating ideas. It also brings together numerous viewpoints on a large number of topics of interest to developmentalists. I highly recommend this book to developmental psychologists and, more generally, to psychologists interested in an evolutionary approach to the mind. --Infant and Child Development, 11/24/2004ff The contributors to this text have excellent credentials, and Ellis and Bjorklund have done a thorough job editing the text. I was impressed with how incredibly well referenced the chapters are in the book....This is a novel text with many excellent contributing writers....The book is a landmark in the field because it applies evolutionary theory to child development and adds to the nature-nurture debate. --PsycCRITIQUES, 11/24/2004