Nature-Nurture Debate: The Essential Readings (Essential Readings in Developmental Psychology) - Softcover

"...this is an excellent book that provides a valuable introduction to the nature-nurture debate...Ceci and Williams have selected papers...which are...thorough, thought-provoking and wide-ranging...Every chapter is stimulating, and the range of topics covered gives an indication of how important it is for psychologists to understand the subtle interplay between genetic and environmental factors in development. The book is also pleasingly presented and has clear charts, diagrams and tables. It is a book that I hope will find a wide readership." The Psychologist, December 2000

Will a child who is genetically male, but raised female as a result of a surgical accident during infancy, grow up to identify as female? Do all children have the wherewithal to become expert musicians if provided with the same opportunities for extensive practice, or are there genetically determined constraints that no amount of practice can countermand? These are just two of the provocative questions addressed in The Nature-Nurture Debate: The Essential Readings. No issue is more central to the field of developmental psychology than the nature-nurture debate. Its resolution promises to have profound implications for the way we view children's behavior, and the nature and malleability of their temperament, personality, intelligence, and gender identity. Stephen J. Ceci and Wendy M. Williams have gathered together fourteen of the most scientifically compelling papers, each introduced by the editors, which not only provide an authoritative resource, but will also serve to stimulate meaningful classroom discussion about the most important developmental issue of our time.