This streamlined, readable account of human development gives you the conceptual foundations that enable you to become an educated and critical interpreter of developmental information. ESSENTIALS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: A LIFE-SPAN VIEW, 2nd Edition offers an introduction to relevant research and its application to important issues in life-span development. In addition, the text emphasizes the application of human development research across diverse professional settings. If you're pursuing a career related to psychology, education, health, or human sciences -- be it as a nurse, physician, educator, psychologist, social worker, or another similar profession -- this text will show you how human development research can allow you to work more effectively with future patients, students, or clients. Succinct and filled with real-life examples that aid your understanding, it will capture your interest while introducing you to the essential issues, forces, and outcomes that make us who we are.