

#5553
Mentioned in 5 episodes
The gardener and the carpenter
Book • 2016
In this book, Alison Gopnik illuminates the paradoxes of parenthood from a scientific perspective and challenges the myth of 'good parenting'.
She argues that the contemporary approach to parenting, which has become obsessive, controlling, and goal-oriented, is not only based on bad science but also detrimental to both children and parents.
Gopnik draws on human evolution and her own research to show that children are designed to be messy, unpredictable, playful, and imaginative, and that caring for them should not involve shaping them into a particular type of adult.
She argues that the contemporary approach to parenting, which has become obsessive, controlling, and goal-oriented, is not only based on bad science but also detrimental to both children and parents.
Gopnik draws on human evolution and her own research to show that children are designed to be messy, unpredictable, playful, and imaginative, and that caring for them should not involve shaping them into a particular type of adult.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 5 episodes
Mentioned by 

as the author of several books on child development and cognition.


Sean M. Carroll

232 snips
308 | Alison Gopnik on Children, AI, and Modes of Thinking
Recommended by ![undefined]()

as an amazing book on parenting that changed his attitudes about parenting and relationships.

Sean Illing

12 snips
Best of: Alison Gopnik changed how I think about love
Mentioned by 

as books she authored.


Alison Gopnik

Cultivating More Childhood Wonder with Dr. Alison Gopnik
Mentioned by 

to illustrate the shift from traditional child-rearing to expert-driven parenting.


John Ortberg

9. How to Find Peace in a Digital World | John Ortberg
Mentioned by 

to describe the concept of parenting like a gardener.


Lenore Skenazy

Stop Helicoptering! Raise Free-Range Kids & Beat Fear | Author Lenore Skenazy
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

as a remarkable book about childhood development, love, and care.

Sean Illing

This changed how I think about love (with Alison Gopnik)
Recommended by 

as a book about parenting.


Esther Dyson

Presenting: Passion Struck with John R. Miles
Mentioned by 

as being about parents and children.


Alison Gopnik

Forum from the Archives: Alison Gopnik and Anne-Marie Slaughter on Why We’re Not Paying Enough Attention to Caregiving
Mentioned by 

as the author of the books discussed in the podcast.


Dan Harris

What We Can Learn About Happiness from Babies | Alison Gopnik