NurtureShock is on Twitter –

http://twitter.com/nurtureshock

We'll be posting regular links to our Newsweek.com column, info on events, links to blogs and articles we find interesting, etc.

So please join us on Twitter (and as a Facebook fan)!

Emotional Intelligence - Mano-a-Mano?

Po and I have written, in both our book and the Newsweek blog, about how the evidence we've seen shows that emotional intelligence has failed to live up to the hype: it doesn't predict academic achievement, career success, or better life choices.

Well, Daniel Goleman – author of the hugely successful book Emotional Intelligence – has now contacted us, and, after a couple rounds of emails, we've all agreed to a sort of on-line debate in our Newsweek blog. I believe the fun should start Tues. (or Weds, if Tues. doesn't work out).

It promises to be an exciting week, and we really hope that you will join us.

Writing About Babble on Babble & The Latest Review...

Today, Po and I have a piece, 11 Ways to Jump-Start Language Skills, on Babble.com, which gives new parents' some more specific thoughts on how to use the research from our language chapter with infants and toddlers. There's also a companion piece / interview with Po there as well.

And this morning, we were delighted to see a rave review from Library Journal:

"Prepare to be slack-jawed as Bronson (What Should I Do With My Life?) and Merryman excavate astonishing research that reveals why our parenting strategies have backfired . . . . The book presents a panoramic view of the latest research and is further distinguished by pragmatic prose that avoids alarmism and sanctimony. Verdict: This tour de force is one of the best parenting psychology books in years and will likely be seismic in influence.—Julianne J. Smith, Ypsilanti Dist. Lib., MI"

Check out Dual Essays on Pokemon & Marshmallows

I have two essays up today, Friday - one on The Daily Beast and one over at Newsweek.com. The two essays go together; they're both about dopamine's effect on the brain, and the importance of nurturing children's intrinsic motivation, ie., the activities that make their heart sing. Please check them out.