Résumé: That's twice now that Sarah Hrdy has written the book I wish I had. At least this time I got a paper out before I read her book. This is an excellent book on how the need for parenting help beyond mothers has shaped the evolution of the human species. It's well-written and easy to read for both academic and general audiences.

What's striking about humans is just how much parenting children can get from such a wide range of people: mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts/uncles, siblings, cousins, friends, teachers, daycare workers, etc. That's unlike virtually any other animal, especially the other Great Apes. Hrdy examines how and why this kind of extra parental care, known as alloparenting, arose. Her examples are thoughtful and well-researched, although a little light on the psychology side (versus anthropology- her forte). I agree with virtually every hypothesis she presents, whether it's the importance of grandparents or the driving evolutionary pressure of an increased need for parenting resources beyond what a typical mother could provide on her own.

This book is not like Mother Nature in that it takes a bigger view of parenting. It's less about how and why we parent then who and why parents. There's a couple of places where I'd like to see more info, but I'm splitting hairs as this book is a really detailed and indepth look at parenting throughout different times, places, and cultures via an evolutionary lense. For the average reader, this book will be a highly revealing look at how and why the human species parents the way it does. In that regard, I enjoyed her final chapter where she explores the implications of our alloparenting history for modern parenting and the "myth" of the nuclear family. I disagree with her final prediction/lament about the direction we're going with families, although I absolutely believe that the move away from extended alloparenting is not in the general benefit of children. Perhaps only the extensive resources available to mothers today makes this possible, but it still might not be the best developmental path for most children.

Overall, this is a superb book on human evolution and parenting. For any student or scholar in the area of parenting, evolution, and/or anthropology, this is REQUIRED reading. For the general public, this is a fascinating look at why we parent the way we do. For a more indepth, smaller-scale approach to parenting Mother Nature makes a little better book for the general public, but Mothers and Others has a lot to offer for anyone wanting a bigger picture. Especially if you're expecting your first child and are thinking of moving away from friends and family! In that regard, I think this book will strongly resonate with a lot of parents who have moved away from traditional sources of support and who can compare themselves to friends and siblings who didn't. It may not require a village to raise a child, but it certainly can help!