The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Growth and Development

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Growth and Development is a comprehensive but accessible account of the current understanding of the factors affecting human growth and development. Over 120 internationally renowned experts have contributed to the book, covering topics such as fetal and postnatal growth, the relative impact of genetic and environmental factors, behavioral development, growth abnormalities, the human lifespan, and the prospects for future generations. Extensively illustrated with photographs, graphs, and diagrams, it offers a great breadth of topic coverage, providing insights into the subject for those not familiar with the area.

Human growth and development are complex processes that can be studied in many ways. This encyclopedia, containing articles written by physicians, anthropologists, and psychologists with academic appointments, uses a multidisciplinary approach to explain the changes that happen during the course of life.

The book begins with a general introduction and a history of the study of human growth. The signed articles are organized into parts by broad subject area: Measurement and Assessment, Patterns of Human Growth, Behavioral and Cognitive Development, the Human Lifespan. Each part has an introductory overview essay. The articles within cover more specific topics, such as growth disorders, migration and changing population characteristics, nutrition, and aging. See references appear as article numbers within parentheses in the text. See also references are in a box at the end of each article. Photographs, charts, tables, and drawings augment the text. Three appendixes offer brief biographies of major scientists in the field, a glossary, and an extensive bibliography by subject. An index and a detailed table of contents provide access to the material.

The articles are written at a very technical level with British spelling, but educated lay readers will be able to understand them. Many interesting topics not covered in other sources appear here--the comparative development of mammals, dental development, the effects of war and famine on growth, and prematurity and development. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Growth and Development will be most useful for academic health-sciences and social-sciences collections, but large public libraries where there is sufficient interest will also want to consider it.

Written by many distinguished academics from around the world, this work presents human growth and development in short, easy-to-understand chapters. The result is a rich resource full of detailed and relevant information on all aspects of growth and development across the human life span, from genetics and the environment to anthropometry (body measurements) and cognitive skills. The heavily illustrated chapters often include sidebars to clarify terms, processes, and ideas. Because of the work's broad scope and accessibility, it is limited in the depth that can be devoted to topics, though an extensive list of further readings is included. Still, no other current work looks at growth and development in this same way. Of interest to a wide range of readers, from high school students to healthcare workers, this new work is recommended for most libraries.?Eric D. Albright, Duke Univ. Medical Ctr. Lib., Durham, NC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.