Born for Love. Why empathy is essential – and endangered
by Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz
Brain experts Perry and Szalavitz explain how our social experiences affect the way our brains develop, showing how harsh environments breed children with easily triggered stress systems, while stable nurturing grows empathy and rational thinking. With fascinating case examples, this book explains why teenage girls crave popularity, why going with the crowd is an evolutionary adaptation, why we care what other people think, why the most empathic people are most easily influenced, why juvenile detention centres create more crime and why ‘just say no’ campaigns don’t work. Fortunately, there is a place for free will and the possibility of making good choices despite our stress responses. A very informative and absorbing read.
