Ofra Mayseless, PhD, is a professor of developmental psychology at the Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Israel and a certified clinical psychologist. She served as Dean of the Faculty of Education University of Haifa and as Head of the National Pedagogical Secretariat, at the Ministry of Education Israel. Her research spans over 80 published articles and chapters and two edited books focused on close relationships and children's, adolescents' and adults' attachment manifestations and caring.

• Chapter 1: Introduction Part I - Conceptual Frameworks Regarding Caring Part 1 Introduction Chapter 2: Spiritual views of caring: Caring as divine Chapter 3: Evolutionary approaches to caring/caregiving Chapter 4: Empathic processes as key experiences in caring Chapter 5: Biological bases of caregiving Chapter 6: Attachment theory and caregiving Chapter 7: Feminist perspectives Part I Conclusion Part II - Manifestations of Caring and Caregiving in Different Domains and Contexts Part II IntroductionChapter 8: Caring for familiar others Chapter 9: Caring for strangers - conceptual perspectives Chapter 10: Caring for strangers - examples of caring and nurturance Chapter 11: Caring for non-human entities Chapter 12: Caring in different social roles and contexts Part II Conclusion Part III - The Development of Caring and Individual Differences Part III IntroductionChapter 13: The developmental course of the motivation to care (ontogenic development of caring) Chapter 14: Individual differences in caring Chapter 15: Sex/gender differences in caregivingPart III Conclusion Part IV. A Conceptual Model of Caring as a Motivation Part IV IntroductionChapter 16: The 'caring motivational system' - fundamental, innate, complex and sophisticated Chapter 17: The 'caring motivational system' - general, encompassing, diverse and flexibleChapter 18: Tying the diverse conceptual perspectives together - ultimate and proximate causes Chapter 19 : The nature of our species - conceptual and applied implications Chapter 20 Summary and Major Contributions References About the Author Index

"The importance of care for education and society cannot be over emphasized. In her remarkable book Professor Mayseless has made a major contribution to the field. I recommend it to all with a concern for our future." --Arthur Zajonc, Past President, Mind & Life Institute, and Professor Emeritus of Physics, Amherst College"A comprehensive review and critique of research on the motivation to care. This is a wonderful addition to the literature on care theory." --Nel Noddings, PhD, Lee Jacks Professor of Education Emerita, Stanford University, and Author of Caring: A Relational Approach to Ethics and Moral Education"This is a deep, important, and beautifully written book providing a multidisciplinary perspective on a core and definitional motive of the human essence-our capacity for empathy and compassion and to provide care to needy others. This book compels us to look at one character strength that transcends the selfish gene and provides an optimistic outlook about the future of humanity and planet Earth." --Mario Mikulincer, PhD, Founding Dean, School ofPsychology, and Provost, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Israel"Care for others enriches our lives as human beings but is under-conceptualized in psychology. Ofra Mayseless offers a scholarly and passionate argument for care as a fundamental human motivational system. This lucid and informative book should be required reading for psychologists. It draws our attention to the origins and development of the good that people manifest in tending to others-in all its complexity." --Ruthellen Josselson, PhD, Professor ofPsychology, Fielding Graduate University, and Author, The Space Between Us"[A]n extremely scholarly, informative, and thought-provoking book, filled with insights and extensive literature reviews. It will certainly help to put caring motivation more center stage and support those interested in promoting compassion in different social contexts. I learned much from it and highly recommend it." -- volume 61, issue 52 of PsycCRITIQUES