The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are [Paperback]

As the founding editor of an academic literature review journal, I must say that Siegel's book is a masterpiece. Both the field of developmental psychology and neurobiology are fraught with discrepant theories, but Siegel (professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles) manages to accurately represent the findings in both fields and integrate them in a way that will profoundly affect the way therapists and doctors will view their client's problems. In particular, he shows how our sense of self is intimately interconnected with the development of the brain, the processing of emotional circuits, the construction of cognitive frameworks (the "mind") and our interactions with parents, peers and society. But this book is not for the faint of heart since Siegel presumes the reader has a general understanding of psychodynamic theory.

The essence of this book is captured in its very first paragraph, "the mind emerges at the interface of interpersonal experience and the structure and function of the brain." It goes on to explain how this is so in the various chapters that cover memory, emotion, construction of reality (via internal representations), states of mind, self regulation, interpersonal connection and integration.

The material is dense, but readable for most professionals and many educated laymen. It is particularly good at describing the integrative functions of the prefrontal areas of the brain, how they develop through social interpersonal experience and what the implications are when the right kind of developmental experiences are not present for the mind to develop to its full potential. As such, it considers the role of attachment in shaping the self, future relationships and the ability to manage emotions. The book does a very deep dive around all of these areas.

Dr. Siegel is a good writer and he packs a lot of information into this good in a highly digestible form. The most important points are repeated or mentioned parenthetically. Therefore, you can read this book and pick it up later without losing much in terms of flow. His examples are good and he doesn't sacrifice thick content. In other words, he says just enough to make his point and then moves on.

This book presents a strong argument for an "open-ended" nervous system. This notion is extended to love in another interesting book by three UCSF psychiatrists -- A GENERAL THEORY OF LOVE. Many of the concepts in this latter more accessible book are elaborated upon in detail in the Developing Mind. Lay readers, therefore, may want to start with this title and read The DEVELOPING MIND slowly as a companion text.

What this book doesn't address is the possibility of something that transcends the brain. For this, I would consider looking at THE ATMAN PROJECT by Ken Wilber. This book is more philosophical than scientific, but it presents a plausible model of transpersonal development with a lot of good psychological content. In particular, I like the way that Wilber presents the interior experience of a babies, infants, toddlers, etc. This is something that is not as clear in Dr. Siegel's book. Wilber also brings in our relationship to the physical environment and the entire universe. In short, it's a thought provoking extension to the subject of this review.

The Developing Mind is rigorous and it provides excellent references on every concept. The book hangs together well and it is written in a style that relates concepts back to day-to-day life very well. There are also good summaries of important points and useful quotes that help illustrate critical points.

If you want a quick bedside read, this is most likely not the book for you. However, if you want to understand how the mind develops and are willing to put in your time to contemplate the necessary detail to go beyond superficial explanations, you won't be disappointed. This is also a thoroughly researched and scientifically grounded text.

Some other books to consider that I feel compliment this work are Vital Lies, Simple Truths by Goleman (on the psychology of self deception), The Feeling of What Happens (by Damasio) and Philosophy in the Flesh by Lakoff and Johnson (on the embodied mind). The latter two books are more speculative, but they round out a theory of mind and are thoughtful theories worth exploring. The first book is easier to digest and will also appeal to a lay audience. The latter two challenge our traditional paradigm of the relationship of mind to body.

I can't say enough good things about THE DEVELOPING MIND. I have already read it three times and every time I pick it up I learn something new. It's a must own book for any mental health professional and should be of great interest to physicians particularly psychiatrists and pediatricians.

This is an accessible book. I'm still in the process of reading, but NOTE: This is paperback edition is subtitled differently than the hardback:
The Developing Mind: Toward a Neurobiology of Interpersonal Experience
but the copyright page states these two are the same book. Since the Amazon page for the hardback (innocently) suggests you buy both together to save, I thought I'd point out: Save even more: just buy the paperback edition! Hope this helps prospective readers.

In the meantime, the book confirms what years as a manager in large corporations has lead me to suspect - a healthy work culture affects the business in tangible ways! Still reading...