"By examining each theory through a cultural lens, Human Development Theories provides readers with the unusual perspective of being able to step outside of our own cultural heritage and to view other cultures as being equally viable, reasonable, and comprehensible. . . . The writing is crystal clear, and the author has done a superb job of defining the 25 theories in a way that is at once accessible and stimulating. . . . I would rank Human Development Theories as outstanding."
--Ann C. Diver-Stamnes, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Education, Humboldt State University, California
The contents of the book are based on the observation that the human perceptual system and a camera are both bound by the same limitation. Neither the camera nor the person can focus on everything at once. The camera, in order to portray a panoramic landscape in all its detail, must take a succession of individual snapshots, each featuring a particular center of interest. The person, in order to comprehend a culture in all its complexities, must perceive the culture from a succession of vantage points. Throughout the book, those vantage points are provided by 25 theories of human development. Each theory is intended to delineate a particular aspect of culture, including many global examples of culture, thereby contributing toward a broad understanding of culture and its influence on human development.