We are deeply grateful to the many people who contributed to this book and made it possible. In particular, we would like to thank Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, Dr. Penelope Leach, Dr. Bruce Perry, and Irving Harris, not only for their significant contributions to our effort, but also for their passionate work and eloquent voices on behalf of infants and toddlers and their families. We would also like to thank Dr. Allan Schore and Dr. Geraldine Dawson, whose incredible work spans the disciplines and transcends the centuries-old nature-nurture dichotomy. And to Dr. Ronald David, our gratitude for your support from the beginning.
Many other researchers also generously contributed their time, shared their work, and, in many cases, read and commented on the manuscript: Kathryn Barnard, Stella Chess, Craig Ramey, Ed Tronick, Charles Nelson, JoAnn Robinson, David Olds, Harry Chugani, Bob Bradley, Mary Rothbart, Jim Satterfield, Breena Satterfield, Sarnoff Mednick, Adrian Raine, Patricia Brennan, Susan Clark, Mary Schneider, Gary Kraemer, Linda Mayes, John Reid, Gerald Patterson, William Greenough, Robert Cairns, David Chamberlain, Ludwig Janus, Charles Golden, and Matthew Melmed. Friends, both professional and personal including Dave Frohnmayer, Ken Magid, Wade Horn, Barbara Fendeisen, Julian Sturton, Susan Conklin, and Eileen Rossick, contributed information and helped put us in touch with a wide network of people.
We would be remiss not to mention our indebtedness to Ron Kotulak for his Pulitzer Prize–winning series of newspaper articles, “Unlocking the Mind,” which was published by the Chicago Tribune in 1993 and was the first widely disseminated exploration of the new research on early brain development.
We also wish to thank Jeffrey and his family who shared their private lives and painful experiences with us in order to make a difference in the lives of other children. When the task of synthesizing and translating the brain research became at times overwhelming, it was Jeffrey’s courage that spurred us on. Also providing their voices and support to this material were Jeffrey’s lawyer, his former child welfare caseworker, and a former district attorney who had known Jeffrey as a victim of abuse and neglect. Our thanks, too, to Tammy, who really wanted to help.
Without our editor, Joan Bingham, and the staff at Grove/Atlantic the embryonic vision of this book would not have been born; it was this group who nurtured a concept into reality. Assisting this process on the other coastline was our research assistant Gretchen Berkey, who juggled her babies and household to spend hours in the library and on the Internet finding elusive materials—even when the cites were incomplete. Thanks also to Jan Laird whose remarkable computer skills saved the day on more than one occasion, and to Stephen Dow and Janelle Pierce who gave of their hearts as well as their talents to help Robin put the “face of the baby” on the cover in spite of an impossible timeline.
We give a special thanks to Colin, whose quiet voice and critical thinking contributed more than we can possibly convey. His love and unshakable belief in the value of what we were doing invariably pulled us forward when we became discouraged.
And special appreciation goes to our children and their spouses, our grandchildren, and friends who put up with our frequent and lengthy disappearances to Black Butte Ranch and who loved us anyway—especially Jordy.
This revised version of Ghosts from the Nursery would not have happened without the support of our insightful editor, Joan Bingham—once again—and Judy Hottensen, who made it all happen with grace and in record time. Thank you both, along with Zachary Pace, who lent his talents to editing throughout.
For this revision we owe special thanks to Dr. Vincent Felitti for his review of the manuscript and his thoughtful introduction. And to Dr. Robert Anda, Dr. Robert Scaer, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Bruce McEwen, and Dr. Daniel Siegel for their pioneering work in illuminating the long-term impact of childhood trauma. Finally, our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Kanwaljeet “Sunny” Anand, who, by shining his light on the sensitivity and potential of the infant nervous system, continues to change the world.