How Children Invented Humanity: The Role of Development in Human Evolution By: David F. Bjorklund (Oxford University Press:2021) Reviewed by Ronald F. White for Choice Magazine
Obviously, the title of this book is not to be taken literally. Children did not “invent” “humanity.” Nevertheless, children do develop into adult humans and the process of “development” throughout childhood has been long neglected by evolutionary scholars. This book is rife with esoteric scientific jargon, from both older and emerging sciences: ontogeny, phylogeny, mismatch theory, development, humanity, plasticity, hypersocial, neoteny, baby schema, and heterochrony. Some readers may find this abundance of technical terminology distracting if not overwhelming. The author argues that the neglect of development science has contributed to an increase “adult-directed play” and a precipitous decline of “self-directed free play.” As a result, the feelings, thoughts, and behavior of children today (and later adults) have become increasingly mismatched with their natural familial environment, which has spawned a generation of emotionally fragile children suffering from a variety of maladi