This book is about the development of human beings - from their days as fertilised eggs to their dying days. It highlights similarities as well as differences in development, and it asks fundamental questions about why we humans develop as we do. Each chapter focuses on a domain of development such as physical growth, cognition, or personality, and traces developmental trends and influences in that domain from infancy to old age. Within each chapter, you will find sections on four life stages: infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood. This unique organisation enables students to comprehend the processes of transformation that occur in key areas of human development. An important feature of the text is its emphasis on theories and how they apply to specific topics in each chapter. The text also asks students to engage more actively with the content, and includes a clear focus on the complex interactions of nature and nurture in development, more integrated coverage of culture and diversity.