A full understanding of the developmental process in individuals requires contributions from disciplines including developmental biology and psychology, physiology, neuropsychology, social psychology, sociology and anthropology. This ambitious and wide-ranging book is an attempt to present the findings from these and related areas to motivate a holistic view of human development from conception to death.

Based on a Nobel symposium, the topics discussed range from the function and development of single cells to the whole organism interacting with its environment. Chapters fall into six parts, dealing with early development, the changing brain, cognition and behavior, biology and socialization, social competence and aging.

Drawing upon new theories and models, including the study of nonlinear dynamic systems and chaos theory, this book represents a major step in the move towards an integrated science of human development.