Art & Science of Personality Development, The

“This fascinating book presents an integrative ‘big picture’ of personality development from the earliest days of life through old age. McAdams strikes a great balance between theory and empiricism; he articulates a broad theoretical model of personality development that is informed at every point by contemporary research. The book is beautifully written, remarkably clear, and thoroughly engaging. The case studies, tables, and figures draw the reader in and illustrate how complex and interesting the emergence of personality is. The book will be of great use to researchers from a variety of fields, as well as undergraduates and graduate students.”–Rebecca L. Shiner, PhD, Department of Psychology, Colgate University “This is a powerful book that succeeds on two levels. First, it communicates how personality research is done and how researchers arrive at scientifically defensible answers to questions about human nature. Second, it invites readers to introspect–to ask themselves how they came to be who they are. The book is broad and deep. Like the best of teachers, it is intellectually satisfying and great fun!”–Avshalom Caspi, PhD, Edward M. Arnett Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University “The Art and Science of Personality Development is a landmark achievement in an already illustrious career. This volume heralds the first comprehensive theory of personality development to emerge in the 21st century. While demonstrating a breathtaking grasp of research in neuroscience, traits, motives, goals, and narrative identity, McAdams writes in a lucid and accessible manner. This combination makes this book the ideal text for both undergraduates and more advanced students. It should be required reading for any student or scholar interested in how human personality develops and changes over the course of our lives.”–Jefferson A. Singer, PhD, Elizabeth H. Faulk Professor of Psychology, Connecticut College

“McAdams thinks broadly and boldly. This is an exceptional work for which scholars of personality development have been waiting for a long time. Like all of McAdams’s work, the book is well written and consistently interesting. More important, it fills a void in the field by reviewing and integrating current research in personality and developmental psychology. This book would be perfect as a supplement in any standard course in human development or as a primary text in a course devoted to personality development. There is nothing else like it currently available.”–Paul W. Griffin, PhD, Department of Psychology, Pace University