Margaret Donaldson was educated at the University of Edinburgh, where she later continued as a teacher and became Professor of Developmental Psychology. Her main research interest has always been in the study of human thought and language. At an early stage in her career she spent some time at Piaget’s research institute in Geneva and was much influenced by the experience, although she later came to question some important aspects of Piagetian theory. She is the author of ‘A Study of Children’s Thinking’ and ‘Human Minds’, and the co-editor of a book of readings entitled ‘Early Childhood Development and Education’.

• The school experience; the ability to "Decentre"; learning language; failing to reason or failing to understand?; what is and must be; what is said and what is meant; disembedded through social values; why children find school learning difficult; what the school can do; the desire to learn; the shape of minds to come.

‘One of the most powerful, most wisely balanced and best informed books on the development of the child’s mind…Its implications for education are enormous.’ Jerome Bruner‘A book of great, and very general significance…a classic.’ Jack Tizard