2 stars (Very Sketchy) - I couldn't agree more that this text is, to put it kindly, sketchy. I don't know what level it is meant for, but I'm using it in graduate school, and frankly, it isn't telling me anything I didn't learn back in Intro to Psych 101. It also appears very choppy within sections and you can tell where updates were stuck in and not well-integrated. (I always love the shoehorned-in references to women or minorities, not just a crime of this book, however.) It's also poorly written in spots, as I'm reading about something I already know and the explanation is about as clear as mud. I feel sorry for people who haven't learned some of the material elsewhere. As I will be facing this material on a licensing exam, I am in the market for another book - one that might teach me something I didn't learn in high school/freshman year in college. 5 stars (Well organized, highly informative) - There is no better book to be used for Developmental Psychology than this one. It not only provides the foundation of introductory psychology, but goes well into detail with all aspects of lifespan development. The material is extremely organized and chronological, making it very simple to use for reference and in the classroom. Highly recommended for all psychology students and instructors. 5 stars (Wonderful Educational Resource) - This book describes the very essence of life in a definite and distinctive way. There are no underlying factors or confusing verbage. The reader can simply investigate a topic of interest while receiving the information in its complete totality. The format of this book is simply wonderful. Santrock does an excellent job in allowing the reader to not only expand upon early life-span development . . . But he also introduces the reader to the various theories that helped shaped life-span development. In this book you learn of Vygotsky, Erickson, and Piaget and many, many others. I personally found this book to be of great help during m... McGraw-Hill Humanities-Social Sciences-Languages :: Psychology :: Developmental - Lifespan Development :: John W Santrock :: :: Life-Span Development with LifeMAP CD-ROM and PowerWeb