Why Everything We Thought About Children is Wrong

Nurtureshock

Groundbreaking work that will change the way we think about parenting forever

An explosive new book... Many of the findings in Nurtureshock are not what we parents expect or want to hear, but we have to hear it

A wake-up call for parents... the Freakonomics of child-rearing... a fantastic read

The least touchy-feely [parenting book] ever... hard to put down and easy to take seriously.

Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman's New York Magazine articles on the science of children have won the magazine journalism award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as well as the Clarion Award from the Association for Women in Communications. Their articles for Time Magazine have won the award for outstanding journalism from the Council on Contemporary Families. Bronson has authored five books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller What Should I Do With My Life?

What if we told you... 
 
that dishonesty in children is a positive trait 
 
that arguing in front of your kids can make you a good role model 
 
and that if you praise your children you risk making them fail 
 
...and it was all true? 
 
Using a cutting-edge combination of behavioural psychology and neuroscience, award-winning journalists Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman have produced an innovative, counter-intuitive read that will change the way we interact with our children forever. 
 
They demonstrate that for years our best intentions with children have been our worst ideas, using break-through scientific studies to prove that our instincts and received wisdom are all wrong. Nurtureshock is the Freakonomics of childhood and adolescence, exploring logic-defying insights into child development that have far-reaching relevance for us all.

Po Bronson

Ashley Merryman

Fascinating ... Bronson and Merryman, the award-winning authors of the 2011 bestseller NurtureShock, clearly and cogently explain why, physiologically, some of us are at our best when it counts while others choke.

Bronson and Merryman’s investigation will have folks rethinking the impulse to win at work and play

The Science of Winning and Losing

Compete better... 
 
In a competitive situation our bodies can experience the same level of stress hormones as jumping out of a plane. Competition is often the key to outstanding achievement. But what is it that makes the difference between rising to the challenge and buckling under pressure? 
 
Using groundbreaking studies in diverse scientific fields, Bronson and Merryman demonstrate that understanding how to harness our competitive fire means we can perform our best – whether the contest is sporting, academic or in the workplace. 
 
Why are men typically prepared to gamble on long or even stupid odds and women aren’t? 
 
Why do some less talented students consistently outperform their smarter class mates in crucial exams? 
 
Why do higher levels of testosterone actually make you less selfish and more cooperative and cognitively astute? 
 
Why do so many market-leading companies cede their top position because they become risk averse at the wrong times? 
 
Why do sports teams where the pay differential between players is the greatest win more? 
 
The answer to all this and more is in New York Times no.1 bestselling authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman's Top Dog:The Science of Winning and Losing 
 
 
‘A great read for those paralyzed by the fear of failure as well as thosewho hunger for success’ 
Huffington Post

Top Dog

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Best-Jane-Austen-quotes_Online-Desktop_Penguin

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

sectionTitle

isEnabled

anchor

anchorLabel

prhuk/featured-book

prhuk/praise-section

maxBooks

showViewMore

prhuk/books-section

hideAuthorAlert

formName

iterableDivision

iterableBrand

buttonText

description

heading

legalText

successHeading

successText

image

alignment

variation

prhuk/email-section

prhuk/series-section

prhuk/biography-section

prhuk/articles-section

prhuk-authors

Frankenstein

Little Black Classics Box Set

Penguin Modern Box Set

Ashley Merryman

Praise for Top Dog

Fascinating ... Bronson and Merryman, the award-winning authors of the 2011 bestseller NurtureShock, clearly and cogently explain why, physiologically, some of us are at our best when it counts while others c ...

Terrific

Intriguing

Fascinating ... Bronson and Merryman, the award-winning authors of the 2011 bestseller NurtureShock, clearly and cogently explain why, physiologically, some of us are at our best when it counts while others c ...

Terrific

Intriguing

Fascinating ... Bronson and Merryman, the award-winning authors of the 2011 bestseller NurtureShock, clearly and cogently explain why, physiologically, some of us are at our best when it counts while others c ...

Terrific

Intriguing

Books by Ashley Merryman

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter