I have taught (and taken) courses in Child Development and Lifespan Development with numerous textbooks, and this was definitely my favorite. The text is exceptionally thorough and includes a balance of theory and application. Relevant research is discussed throughout, in a way that is interesting and engaging and emphasizes the importance of scientific rigor in studying development. Most of all I appreciate the personal, direct voice of the text, as if I am listening to the author talk. Some other texts actually make reading about lifespan development boring (hard to do but can be done!) This one very effectively illuminates how fascinating it can be. My only criticism might be that I found it very difficult to cover the entire text in a one semester class, precisely because it is so rich in information.

Hellen Bee is able to carry one through the years of adulthood through many avenues. Using scientific studies she interprets the data in meaningful ways. Inclusion of personal accounts and her conversational style make the reading interesting. The book continually ties previous ideas to new concepts giving a nice continuity. I especially enjoyed her occasional insertions of the not-so-scientific spiritual aspects of the adult experience, which I was not expecting in a textbook. My ideas of what it means to grow old were challenged and changed during the reading of this book. Some myths of adulthood are adeptly smashed making the thought of aging not such a frightful one. The only criticism I would include is that occasionally the point being made was not clear to me and a few conclusions seem to have contradictory statements in following chapters. That may be expected in the field of psychology, however.