What makes an adult? Is it living independently, having a stable career path, getting married, or becoming a parent? In the digital age, particularly in Western societies, such traditional markers have been increasingly postponed and redefined. Thus, the concept of emerging adulthood, first described by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Ph.D., is a period between adolescence and adulthood properly characterized by identity exploration, instability, self-focus, feeling in-between, and a sense of wide-open possibilities. Many contemporary researchers have defined emerging adulthood as the period between ages 18 and 29 years, but this new volume argues that it is more useful to look at early emerging adulthood, or late adolescence (ages 18–23), and later emerging adulthood (ages 24–29) separately. Although certain broad trends characterize the entire decade in question (role experimentation, focus on self-discovery), the developmental capacities and tasks of the earlier years are distinct from those of the mid- to late 20s. In accessible chapters made even more applicable by the use of illustrative vignettes and videos that provide an individualized depiction of the broader concepts addressed more abstractly within the book, Emerging Adulthood: A Psychodynamic Approach to the New Developmental Phase of the 21st Century examines the overarching similarities and developmental distinctions between these two periods and subsequently delves into • The identity process in contemporary society, and its inevitable intersection with the digital world, focusing on domains such as race/ethnicity, gender and sexuality, values, and professional roles • The centrality of youth culture in aiding the individuation from family of origin, particularly through the lens of technology, connection to peers, and trends in music and fashion • How to distinguish between typical emotional experiences and behaviors in the years leading up to adulthood and psychopathologies that require mental health interventions • Treatment modalities for individuals in this phase of life, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, digital enhancements, and peer involvement Key points for each chapter will help readers reference the most salient takeaways as they gain a deepened understanding of the interface of culture and society, family, development, and individual psychology during these dynamic life phases.

Normal Child and Adolescent Development: A Psychodynamic Primer presents a complete picture of mental development, informed by contemporary research and psychodynamic thinking. Dr. Gilmore and Dr. Meersand have taught human development to psychiatric residents, psychology doctoral students, and psychoanalytic candidates for more than a decade, and found an acute need for accessible material integrating recent findings in the psychodynamic literature and psychology research with information on development as a dynamic interaction of the growing mind (including the unconscious mind), the maturing body, and the evolving demands of environment. The book is their response to this need, and it is as unique as it is useful, as compelling as it is comprehensive.

Replete with new ideas and fascinating connections, the volume is also beautifully written and a pleasure to read. The clinical vignettes in the text are vivid narratives that make the child at different stages recognizable and memorable. In addition, online video illustrations reinforce the key characteristics at each phase of normal development. In brief:

- The authors begin with an introduction to the book's theoretical orientation and end with a brief reprise of the importance of developmental thinking in clinical practice, forming a clear framework for the authors' perspective.- The authors use familiar developmental demarcations, informed by current thinking, to present chapters on infancy, toddlerhood, oedipal age, latency, preadolescence, early and mid-adolescence, late adolescence, and the still-controversial phase of emerging adulthood.- The section on the oedipal-age child merits two chapters, testament to the authors' belief in the critical nature of this phase, which marks a momentous transition in mental development.- Grounded in the belief that an understanding of development is a building block of clinical thinking, the book emphasizes that every patient encounter demands familiarity with developmental concepts, as well as the understanding that past and present are inextricably woven together, and that present consciousness is an amalgam of all experience.

The book's multisystem approach shows the complexity and diversity of human development. Truly, Normal Child and Adolescent Development: A Psychodynamic Primer is a twenty-first century text, and one that both students and practitioners in psychiatry, psychology, and psychoanalysis will welcome as a valuable resource.