The second edition of this ground-breaking and widely adopted interdisciplinary exploration of cross-cultural human development remains the leader in the field. Presented in a chronological-within-topics approach, covering the entire lifespan, this text focuses on cultural contexts throughout the world while emphasizing links between theory, research and practical applications. Combining the latest research with vignettes, stories, and personal experiences in their highly-praised, scholarly, yet engaging conversational and frequently humorous writing style, Gardiner and Kosmitzki make the study of similarities and differences an exciting experience. The primary goal of this textbook is to bring a cross-cultural dimension to the study of human development across the lifespan. It focuses on major developmental topics and provides a global and multicultural perspective by introducing the reader to contemporary and classical research. Basic principles and research findings are connected to practical, everyday situations in order to enrich one's understanding of and appreciation for development as it occurs in diverse cultures throughout the world.