Book excerpt: ESSENTIALS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: A LIFE-SPAN VIEW, International Edition fills the need for a shorter text that emphasizes the essential, defining features of modern research and theory in human development. Using a modified chronological approach and emphasizing the biopsychosocial framework, the text provides: a streamlined, readable account of human development across the life span; conceptual foundations that enable students to become educated and critical interpreters of developmental information; and an introduction to relevant research and its application to important issues in life-span development. Among the most important aspects of this book is its integration of pedagogical features, designed to help students maximize their learning. In addition, the text emphasizes the application of human development research across diverse professional settings, making it ideal for students who are pursuing a career related not just to psychology but to other areas, such as education, health, and human sciences—be it as a nurse, physician, educator, psychologist, social worker, speech-language therapist, or others. These students are often particularly eager to see how human development research can allow them to work more effectively with future patients, students, or clients, and ESSENTIALS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT answers the call. Succinct and filled with real-life examples, this text will capture your students' interest while introducing them to the essential issues, forces, and outcomes that make us who we are.