The Orchid and the Dandelion

Dr W. Thomas Boyce

24 January 2019
9781509884360
624 pages

Synopsis

'A necessary and important book.' Philippa Perry, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read

The Orchid and the Dandelion is based on groundbreaking research that has the power to change the lives of countless children - and the adults who love them.’ – Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Quiet


Why do some people succeed and others struggle? Why are some people’s lives filled with satisfaction and happiness and others with frustration and despair? Why do some people die young, while others live into healthy old age? Is it simply chance and luck, or are there early patterns of development revealing potentially determinative pathways into bounty or calamity?

In The Orchid and the Dandelion, Dr W. Thomas Boyce – one of the world’s foremost researchers in the field of paediatric health – presents findings that children have two very different responses to their environments. While some children are like dandelions and can thrive in almost any environment, there are others who, like orchids, are much more reactive and susceptible to their surroundings. Now we finally have a scientific framework to understand people and how to address their unique needs to help them find their fullest potential.

This groundbreaking book draws on extensive research, examples and real stories that will re-frame how we think about orchid and dandelion children and the adults those children have become.

This is a necessary and important book.
The Orchid and the Dandelion is based on groundbreaking research that has the power to change the lives of countless children—and the adults who love them.
This is the first parenting book I've read in a while that is based on common sense and science. It made me step back and look at each of my four children through different eyes. It is a powerful, groundbreaking read. And if you do have an orchid, it will help you parent them through even the hardest of times.