‘Orchid and the Dandelion’ by Thomas Boyce MD
WHO: W. Thomas Boyce MD
WHAT: THE ORCHID AND THE DANDELION:
Why Some Children Stuggle and How All Can Thrive
WHEN: Published by Knopf February 1, 2019
WHERE: The author lives in Oakland.
WHY: “A fascinating story of discovery.
“Pediatrician and child psychiatrist Boyce proposes a novel way of understanding children’s sensitivity to their environment — as a spectrum, from dandelion to orchid. Sturdy dandelions are less reactive to childhood stressors and more likely to thrive wherever they are, while orchid children—one in five, by Boyce’s estimate — display a heightened sensitivity that causes them to ‘founder’ in poor environments but thrive in good ones.
“Drawing on 25 years of medical practice, along with the sad story of his orchid sister’s mental health struggles, Boyce weaves a fascinating story of discovery out of his experiments exploring ‘how children’s social and emotional experiences might affect their physical bodies,’ and more generally, how health ‘imbalances are the interactive products of environments and genes operating together.’
“The book shines when Boyce explains the results of his and others’ experiments in rich, elegant detail. His impassioned treatise makes a strong case, not just for Boyce’s view of child psychology, but for the policy reforms — family leave, state-supported childcare, early childhood development programs, and measures against income inequality — that would allow all children to flower into their full potential, and lead ‘satisfying and meaningful adult lives.'” –PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“The scientific studies Boyce cites are fascinating, and his explanations of their results are eye-opening.” –Joyce McIntosh, BOOKLIST
Media Resources:
About the book and author | Author tour | Download the jacket | Download the author photo
Knopf. 26 illustrations. 304 pages.
$27.95 ISBN 978-1-101-94656-5
To interview the author, contact:
Kathy Zuckerman | 212-572-2105 | kzuckerman@penguinrandomhouse.com