The bright, shiny, multicolored, soft binding of this well-planned and well-executed volume suggests that it is not always advisable to "judge a book by its cover," for it is not meant for parents, as might be surmised initially, but for nurses, nurse practitioners, and especially for physicians who care for infants and children. Throughout the book these professional groups are referred to as "caregivers," a word that may soon be found in standard dictionaries.
The book is an up-to-date discussion of growth and development as related to children, beginning in the prenatal period and continuing through puberty. These fields have expanded since the beginning of pediatrics as a medical specialty, and since World War II there has been an explosion of books and articles on every conceivable facet of child development. This volume summarizes these studies, both old and new, and suggests how to use this knowledge in day-to-day professional