When I received this book I decided that I couldn’t review it because I no longer have any babies (cue sobbing and sniffing of blankies).

I couldn’t NOT get it reviewed though.

Luckily Kevin Campell-Wright who lives in the next valley with his lovely wife and baby daughter Amy offered to help out.

Here is his review;

The Philosophical Baby by Alison Gopnik

Published by Bodley Head

As a new parent I pick up lots of books that tell me the definitive way to look after my new daughter.  Much like the rules for what to avoid eating and drinking during pregnancy, the theories seems to change all the time.  Maybe that’s the reason I’ve tended to mistrust parenting books.  So, I picked up Alison Gopnik’s “The Philosophical Baby” with some trepidation.

Opening it, I was put off further – chapters with titles like “Babies and the meaning of life” sounded all a bit too new-age for me and I was expecting a bit of a ultra-hippy read.  That’s why I was delighted to find that the book is anything but an airy-fairy parenting guide – instead its an amazing and articulate insight into those thoughts you know your baby is having but are never quite sure about.

It started well, setting out it’s mission clearly – this isn’t a book that going to tell you how to bring up your child; it’s not a parenting guide.  What it is is a journey through the thought process and psychologies of a baby, answering the question every new parent asks: “What do you think she’s thinking about?”

While the book is seriously academic in content, it’s seriously readable in writing style, which is refreshing for the subject matter.  I can’t pretend I didn’t struggle on occasion to read it over Amy’s crying, but I did find it was a book I could pick and and put down, something such books don’t often offer.

The book is a journey on what children are capable of thinking, how we know this and conclusions we can draw.  There are lots of startling revelations, as well as some comforting ones (such as a sound explanation of imaginary friends and their purpose in a child’s development).  Finally the theme of a child and parent’s love is brought up and the book takes its time looking at this bond, its evolutionary purpose and how it might be interpreted by a child.

I’d recommend this book for anyone – even if they’ve not got children. However, if you’re a parent a child under 2, this book is a treasure as you can examine what’s going on in that cute little head right now….your child loves you more than you would know!

Kevin Campbell-Wright’s blog Wesenwille is a personal blog about professional interests which, while reflecting on professional practice, is additional to ADCOLOG, his blog around his employment.

You can buy The Philosophical Baby by Alison Gopnik at Amazon.