The Developing Mind: Toward a Neurobiology of Interpersonal Experience (Hardcover)

by Daniel J. Siegel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
We know that what other people do and say to usAespecially when we're youngAhelps shape our later ideas and emotions. We also know more than ever about how neurons, neurotransmitters and the structures in our brains create and affect our minds and personalities. Siegel, who directs the Infant and Preschool Service at UCLA, connects our life among others to the life in our brains: his hefty, ambitious work tries to show how both create our selvesAhow "human connections shape the neural connections through which the mind emerges." A chapter on memory explains how "neural networks," "engrams" and "retrieval cues" help us form stories about our pasts; a chapter on our attachments to parents and others links current neuroscience to some of the most exciting and useful work in recent clinical psychology. Why can't we remember what we did at age three? Why are some children unusually shy? What is the biochemistry of humiliation, and how can it be "toxic to the developing child's brain"? New and plausible answers to these questions emerge from Siegel's synthesis of neurobiology, research psychology and cognitive science. Siegel explains all the technical terms he uses, and assumes no prior knowledge. And despite his frequently dry and quite detailed prose, his subjectAhow we become the people we areAdeserves to hold many readers spellbound.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
The mind is a fascinating but not a simple subject. Siegel's current, thorough, closely argued text will reward those who stick with it. A psychiatrist specializing in children and families, Siegel is intrigued by the processes of human development and the relationships between individuals. The broad field of neurobiology has many theories, much data, and a variety of viewpoints to offer the lifelong student, and accordingly, Siegel presents a vast amount of material, carefully ordered in sequence of presentation to point up the lessons it has to teach. Genetics and experience help produce the mind, he shows, but also combine and react with each other. One of Siegel's major gifts is for presenting anatomical, neurological, research, and clinical information while still pointing out what remains unknown. He explores infant-parent relationships, emotions, states of mind, and how knowing about them can help one improve one's relationships and capabilities for developing successfully. William Beatty

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 394 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (April 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572304537
• ISBN-13: 978-1572304536
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #270,600 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent foundation for understanding the brain., March 25, 2000

By A Customer

This very well written book outlines how the brain developes and integrates what we know about the impact of life experience with the unraveling mysteries of the brain. Emotional disorders such as PTSD are informed by Siegel's elegant discussion of how memories are created. This is a very well written, challenging book; each sentence contains important information. While the subject matter may not be familiar to the reader, Siegel presents this valuable information in a very accessable manner. Very Strongly recommended to therapists and counselors.

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars despite a few flaws, October 19, 2000

By	Thea Hardy "vintner, cheesemaker, et al" (Corvallis, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This book is a heavily research based volume detailing the ways in which parenting styles affect brain development, brain wiring structure with the implications for our lives and civilization. Although it's sometimes a bit redundant and disorganized in presentation, the information is potent and important and the quantity of research staggering. This is truly worth reading - for those who may prefer a less academic presentation, try it anyway. The value of this book is extraordinary.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Understanding of Interpersonal Experience, January 30, 2001

By	Kevin Hogan "Author of The Psychology of Pers... (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Siegel writes clearly and accurately. He is passionate about the mind and it's development. This book is written at a college level which means your average reader won't be picking it up. You'll take a grand tour of brain/mind development, memory,attachment, emotion and interpersonal relationships. This is must reading for the clinician and parents who want to do it right. This book deserves 6 stars but there are only five to offer. This was a wonderful read! Kevin Hogan,...