The first four chapters--one per age--provide fairly exhaustive study material on five topics: temperament, learning, moral development, building relationships, and separation and independence. To make the reading more engaging, Brazelton and Sparrow whip up four imaginary children, each with a distinct temperament, learning ability, and level of adaptability. Their shared experiences--from exploring the playground at age 3 to "entering the real world" during their 6th year--provide a helpful backdrop for discussing a myriad of pertinent issues. Smart dialogue, accurate depiction of parents' emotional responses, and surprise discoveries both amusing and serious all add to the breadth of information covered. The second half of the book offers about 200 pages of alphabetically arranged "perennials" and "current issues," for troubleshooting specifics like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, computers, divorce, habits, sadness, and toilet learning. An excellent resource for those who support empathetic parenting. --Liane Thomas