{"product_id":"the-nature-of-nurture-rethinking-why-and-how-childhood-adversity-shapes-development-9780674297197","title":"The Nature of Nurture: Rethinking Why and How Childhood Adversity Shapes Development","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom a leading expert on child development, a radical evolutionary perspective on how childhood experiences shape later life.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eChildren who grow up in troubled circumstances--experiencing deprivation or instability, living in a dangerous neighborhood or an abusive family--are more prone to aggression, recklessness, and sexual promiscuity later in life. To most of us, the lesson is clear: adverse childhood conditions make human development go awry. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Nature of Nurture, \u003c\/i\u003e renowned developmental psychologist Jay Belsky challenges this interpretation and offers an exciting alternative based on Darwinian theory. There is no reason to assume, he points out, that the psychology of \"well-behaved\" people is normal while that of \"antisocial\" adults is aberrant. Instead, the supposedly dysfunctional behaviors correlated with childhood adversity could well be ingenious adaptations to harsh environments. If you are surrounded by danger and uncertainty, then being quick to lash out at potential threats and having lots of offspring at an early age are good ways to maximize your reproductive chances. From an evolutionary perspective, having just a few children and lavishing care on each works well in a stable world, but not in a perilous one. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBelsky exposes the romanticism underlying our idealized notions that \"natural\" equals \"good\" and that nature intends to maximize human happiness and well-being. When instead we take seriously the fact that humans, too, have been shaped by evolutionary pressures, we can better understand why, how, and for whom childhood experience shapes later life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Jay Belsky\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Belknap Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/06\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.10lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.41h x 6.11w x 0.91d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780674297197\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/20\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBelsky, Jay:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Jay Belsky is Emeritus Professor of Human Development at the University of California, Davis. He is a coauthor of \u003ci\u003eThe Origins of You: How Childhood Shapes Later Life\u003c\/i\u003e.","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Jay Belsky \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":47566705885341,"sku":"9780674297197","price":65.63,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_b703bd2b-6db0-4aeb-a25b-d51bbbb69902.jpg?v=1768315342","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/the-nature-of-nurture-rethinking-why-and-how-childhood-adversity-shapes-development-9780674297197","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}