The Origins of You : How Childhood Shapes Later Life

A Marginal Revolution Book of the Year

“Brings the groundbreaking research of the top developmental psychologists of the past quarter-century to a wider audience…A masterpiece!”—Dante Cicchetti, Institute for Child Development at the University of Minnesota

“Deliver[s] a flood of insights around the book’s central question: To what degree do our childhood personalities and behaviors predict our adult selves?”—Wall Street Journal

“One of the best and most important works of the last few years…Fascinating.”—Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution

Does childhood temperament predict adult personality? What role do parents play in shaping how a child matures? Is day care bad—or good—for children? Does adolescent delinquency forecast a life of crime? Do genes influence success in life? Is one’s health shaped by childhood experiences? In search of answers to these questions, four leading psychologists dedicated their careers to studying thousands of people, observing them as they grew and emerging with unprecedented insight into what makes us who we are.

They found that human development is not subject to ironclad laws so much as a matter of possibilities and probabilities—multiple forces that together determine the direction of one’s life. The early years do predict who we become, but they do so imperfectly. At once actionable and revelatory, The Origins of You is an invaluable guide for parents, teachers, and anyone working with or caring for children.

MEDIA REVIEWS

This book’s authors, having plumbed their data in depth, deliver a flood of insights around the book’s central question: To what degree do our childhood personalities and behaviors predict our adult selves? - John Donvan, Wall Street Journal

Will prove one of the best and most important works of the last few years…Fascinating. - Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution

The Origins of You brings the groundbreaking research of the top developmental psychologists of the past quarter-century to a wider audience. The book captures the genius and visionary stature of its authors and illustrates their profound influence on the current and future thinking of the field. A masterpiece! - Dante Cicchetti, Institute for Child Development at the University of Minnesota

It’s hard to imagine a better introduction to the way that contemporary developmental scientists think than The Origins of You, and it is hard to think of a more qualified group of writers, themselves among the most important, creative, and accomplished scholars in the field, to serve as guides. In much the same way that Bronfenbrenner’s The Ecology of Human Development forever changed the way we think about the environment, this book will change the way we think about the process of development itself. The Origins of You is destined to become a classic. - Laurence Steinberg, author of Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence

The Origins of You poses a question that is both timely and timeless: how does each of us become the unique person we are? Drawing upon the most authoritative psychological studies ever conducted on the topic, the authors offer a treasure trove of remarkable insights that both underscore the complexity of human development and affirm the power of human resilience. - Dan P. McAdams, author of The Art and Science of Personality Development

For those new to cohort literature, The Origins of You is an engaging introduction. For those familiar with this work, it is a chance to hear the authors thinking aloud, debating the best approaches and pondering what to study next. We can be certain that those conversations will now include how best to use these rich longitudinal resources to understand the effects of COVID-19. - Barbara Maughan, Nature

A fascinating book from an outstanding team of scientists, dedicated to answering the central questions about how lives develop. - Anne Petersen, University of Michigan

The Origins of You deserves to be read by everyone who wants to understand human development. - David P. Farrington, Cambridge University

Engaging…Displays scope and curiosity, as the authors look at genetic factors, whether early circumstances can forecast certain later developmental outcomes, how and if the family experience and the environmental situation shape aspects of later life, and the role of the childhood experience in determining elements of adult health. - Kirkus Reviews

This thought-provoking volume should fascinate psychology students. - Publishers Weekly

Tells us which types of children grow up to be which types of adults, and it offers hints as to how childhood experiences can aid or hinder human development…A must-read. - Robert VerBruggen, Institute for Family Studies blog

A compelling journey exploring the results of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study…Its findings are the x-marks-the-spot treasure trove that will help teachers, school administrators, and child psychologists support the growth and development of children. - Laura Petillo, New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies