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The Scientist in the Crib : What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind [BARGAIN PRICE] (Paperback)

~ (Author), Andrew N. Meltzoff (Author), Patricia K. Kuhl (Author) "Walk upstairs, open the door gently, and look in the crib..." (more)
Key Phrases: powerful learning abilities, explanatory drive, studying babies, Star Trek, Big Bird, Intimations of Immortality (more...)

3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A trio of nationally respected childhood-development scientists hailing from Berkeley and the University of Washington has authored The Scientist in the Crib to correct a disparity: while popular books about science speak to intelligent, perceptive adults who simply want to learn, books about babies typically just give advice, heavy on the how-to and light on the why. The authors write, "It's as if the only place you could read about evolution was in dog-breeding manuals, not in Stephen Jay Gould; as if, lacking Stephen Hawking's insights, the layman's knowledge of the cosmos was reduced to 'How to find the constellations.'"

The Scientist in the Crib changes that. Standing on the relatively recent achievements of the young field of cognitive science (pointing out that not so long ago, babies were considered only slightly animate vegetables--"carrots that could cry"), the authors succinctly and articulately sum up the state of what's now known about children's minds and how they learn. Using language that's both friendly and smart (and using equally accessible metaphors, everything from Scooby-Doo to The Third Man), The Scientist in the Crib explores how babies recognize and understand their fellow humans, interpret sensory input, absorb language, learn and devise theories, and take part in building their own brains.

Such science makes for great reading, but will likely prove even more useful to readers with a scientist in their own crib, acting as tonic to pseudoscientific how-to baby books that recommend everything "from flash cards, to Mozart tapes, to Better Baby Institutes." As the authors put it, "We want to understand children, not renovate them." --Paul Hughes --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Although Gopnik, Meltzoff and Kuhl have each conducted groundbreaking research into the cognitive development of infants and its philosophical implications, this book evokes less excitement than their more straightforward research. With breathless enthusiasm, the authors review recent findings in developmental psychology and explain, in a tone somewhat self-consciously aimed at the "lay reader," their hopes that they will help answer fundamental philosophical questions. They focus on Kuhl's work in early infant phonetic recognition and language acquisition, Meltzoff's work on imitation in infants and Gopnik's exploration of philosophical development in infants, as well as other important work in the field. How do babies learn? they ask, answering that "they are born knowing a great deal, they learn more and we are designed to teach them." They also give refreshing emphasis to the evolutionary basis for infant-caregiver interactions. For example, they explain that "motherese"Athe high-pitched, slightly louder than normal speech with elongated and articulated consonants and vowelsAis not only preferred by babies but also optimally suited to their developing auditory systems. It's ironic, though, that these authors, who from the first pages decry ill-informed condescension to children, should be themselves so unthinkingly condescending in their tone and presentation: "children and scientists," they repeatedly aver, "are the best learners in the world." Agent, Katinka Matson, Brockman Inc.; 5-city author tour.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 0688177883
ASIN: B000GG4ZFY
Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces

Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,098,304 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
Walk upstairs, open the door gently, and look in the crib. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
powerful learning abilities, explanatory drive, studying babies, biological computers, psychological causality

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Star Trek, Big Bird, Intimations of Immortality, Logic Lane, Sir Walter Scott

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Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 24 books:

Child Psychology by Ross Vasta on 6 pages
Child Development by Brown in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
Child Development by Lewis Lipsitt in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
Child Development by Nora Newcombe in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Child Development by John Mitchell in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 24 books this book cites

30 books cite this book:

Conceptualizing Music: Cognitive Structure, Theory, and Analysis (Ams Studies in Music Series) by Lawrence M. Zbikowski in Front Matter, page 115, and Back Matter
Moving Beyond Your Parents' Divorce by Mel Krantzler on page 29, and Back Matter
Moving Beyond your Parents' Divorce by Mel Krantzler on page 29, and Back Matter
Raising America: Experts, Parents, and a Century of Advice About Children by Ann Hulbert on page 297, and Back Matter
Drawing the Line: Science and the Case for Animal Rights by Steven M. Wise in Back Matter

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Early Category and Concept Development by David H. Rakison

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	65% buy the item featured on this page: The Scientist in the Crib : What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind 3.7 out of 5 stars (31)
	19% buy The Philosophical Baby: What Children's Minds Tell Us About Truth, Love, and the Meaning of Life 3.9 out of 5 stars (8) $16.50
	9% buy What's Going on in There? : How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life 4.5 out of 5 stars (139) $13.60
	5% buy NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children 4.4 out of 5 stars (70) $14.61

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31 Reviews

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3.7 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for parents and teachers, July 11, 2001

By	audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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This review is from: The Scientist in the Crib: Minds, Brains, And How Children Learn (Hardcover)

This book presents the latest research concerning child development, but does so in an accessible and friendly way. This is not a how-to book, rather containing information about how children learn and develop over time. Chapters include: What Children Learn About People; What Children Learn About Things; What Children Learn About Language; What Scientists Have Learned About Children's Minds; What Scientists Have Learned About Children's Brains.

To a small extent the book suffers from the usual dilutory effects of having multiple authors. They also try to be a bit too cute sometimes, but this does not overly detract from the book's success as a layman-friendly introduction to child development research.

There is a very useful Notes section, References, and a good Index.

My advice, for all it's worth: If you are going to get one book about child development research, get Lise Eliot's 'What's Going On In There?', which is less precious, more extensive, and better organized. If you are going to get two books, add this to your list. I find myself referring back to the former book fairly often, but I do browse through this one occasionally as well.

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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a How-To Guide to Parenting, and a Better Book For It, October 31, 2000

By	Joel Jacobsen (New Mexico USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Scientist in the Crib: Minds, Brains, And How Children Learn (Hardcover)

If you want practical advice on child-rearing, check out Penelope Leach or Dr. Mom. But if you're interested in reading about the latest research in the mental development of infants, this book is absolutely wonderful. It's full of surprising information about how observant and analytical babies are(at less than an hour old, they mimic faces), and gives details about the structure of the experiments used to deduce such information, allowing you to decide for yourself how much weight to give it. Much of the information confirms those of us who have always suspected two day old kids are as intelligent and tuned-in as, say, the typical graduate student -- they just have fewer ways to express it, and less experience to build on.

Better yet, the book is written in a thoroughly engaging and often humorous style that possibly owes something to the first named author's brother, the New Yorker writer Adam (or, more likely, both Gopniks inherited the same literary genes).

But don't expect pointers on burping technique.

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36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A subtle, deep, yet entertaining book, April 11, 2000

By	P. Schafer (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Scientist in the Crib: Minds, Brains, And How Children Learn (Hardcover)

I read this book for a book group and began without much interest. I was caught. This is a beautifully crafted piece of writing. Some of the reviewers seem to be treating it as though it were a manual or reference book for young parents. Rather it is an examination of the status of research into the development of the mind -- research at the trickiest and most preconception-filled level, at the level of the youngest brains -- written for anyone interested in how we learn to perceive and make sense of the world around us. The presentation is enlivened by the authors' own observations. Is there a more accessible analysis and ultimate rejection of the whole nature vs. nurture controversy? A wise and wonderful book I have recommended to friends, and I've been thanked for recommending it. Incidentally, I've recommended it to friends who do not have young children, the hardest to interest in books about young children! The science is formidable when you pause to think about it, yet this remains a humane and accessible book.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Window on the Mind
Ms. Gopnik is one of our best researchers and also a truly gifted writer. This is a book that continually delights. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Robert D. Shepherd

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1.0 out of 5 stars How many PHD's does it need to compile worthless book? 3.
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Published on July 27, 2007 by dan

5.0 out of 5 stars at least 6 stars
the most amaizing and surprising book, written
with humour and love ; as a physical therapist i am working with small babies,
i recommend this book to everybody who... Read more

Published on June 27, 2007 by Ruti Dvir

2.0 out of 5 stars Dull and not what i expected
Too much filler, not enough actual content regarding how babies learn and how their brain and minds develop. I found this book boring, repetitive and slow- a real disappointment.

Published on January 9, 2007 by D. Kirwin

4.0 out of 5 stars Technical but informative
Not written to entertain but to help explain their research into the thoughts of babies and how they learn. Read more

Published on November 5, 2006 by Brenda Dean

4.0 out of 5 stars a must-read for new parents
There have been so many times since my son was born that I've wondered just what's going on in there. Read more

Published on August 13, 2006 by L. Baggerman

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-writen survey of current developmental psychology
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Published on July 8, 2005 by Steve Conover

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