... fascinating and beautifully written ... The amazing thing about a book packed with science (plus a few charts, graphs, notes and a glossary) is how poetic and poignant the writing is. Boyce is a warm narrator who seamlessly guides readers through scientific studies, case histories and his own career and family history.
The best child development books offer lucid guidance that is informed by research, inspired by compassion, and presented with lyrical prose ... Tom Boyce joins this select group with The Orchid and the Dandelion, a beautifully written book that highlights some of the most fundamental differences among children and suggests ways that parents, teachers, and caregivers can help our most sensitive kids develop and lead happy and productive lives ... Boyce writes with the composed expertise of a doctor and researcher, but his book is also deeply personal ... One of the elements of his approach that is so appealing is that he shuts down negative moral judgment about children who appear less strong and resilient than their peers ... Authors of popular books on child psychology and development like to throw in some neuroscience, and Boyce doesn’t disappoint, offering a primer on the prefrontal cortex, autonomic nervous system, and cortisol levels. Happily, I found his science lesson accessible, relevant, and brief.
This is a necessary and important book. To know that one fifth of people do not have a choice about how they physically react to stress should make us more understanding of the differences between us all. Children should be nurtured so that both orchids and dandelions can thrive. But I worry about how the orchid and dandelion theory might be employed. The danger of putting people into categories is that we unwittingly respond not to the person, but to their label.
Boyce is a scientist, pediatrician, and professor, and his book comes recommended by a slew of well-known researchers with backgrounds in pediatrics, psychology, and human relationships. That said, the content may feel hefty for parents who are struggling to navigate challenges with their children. However, the scientific studies Boyce cites are fascinating, and his explanations of their results are eye-opening. He maintains a warm and personal approach throughout, often reflecting on his experiences growing up with a sibling who struggled and parenting his own children. Well suited for teachers, medical professionals, social workers, parents, and caregivers, this is recommended for academic and public library audiences alike.
Citing exhaustive research studies conducted throughout his career, Boyce paints a compelling picture of how early childhood development and genetic makeup impact human life. Naturally, the book is full of medicalese, but for every set of data, the author backs up his work with conversational anecdotes, and his natural storytelling ability helps guide the book through the complex scientific sections. Though the book occasionally feels like a piece for a medical journal, the author’s findings are absorbing enough to keep readers engaged.
Drawing on 25 years of medical practice, along with the sad story of his orchid sister’s mental health struggles, Boyce weaves a fascinating story of discovery out of his experiments ... While the parenting advice is familiar and the prose too ornate in parts, the book shines when Boyce explains the results of his and others’ experiments in rich, elegant detail. His impassioned treatise makes a strong case, not just for Boyce’s view of child psychology, but for the policy reforms—family leave, state-supported childcare, early childhood development programs, and measures against income inequality—that would allow all children to flower into their full potential, and lead 'satisfying and meaningful adult lives.'
