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Childhood in World History by Peter N. Stearns and Children at Play by Howard P. Chudacoff

Historians of education research the social, political, and economic influences on schooling from a variety of perspectives. Yet scholarship about education history and childhood history rarely intersect. The two books reviewed here, both of which are historical investigations of children's lives, however, should be of value to historians of education. Neither book focuses on schooling per se, but each discusses topics germane to how children learn, whether from their parents, their teachers, or their peers, both inside and outside of school. Neither author has previously written much about children (Stearns is well-known for his work in social and world history, and Chudacoff has written extensively on American urban history, bachelorhood, and aging, among other topics). Nevertheless, both authors take up the topic of childhood with scholarly enthusiasm. Both books are well researched, readable, and perceptive. Stearns's book is broader in scope since it looks at the childhood experience in general, from ancient agricultural societies to the present, while ChudacofPs book focuses only on the childhood experience of play in the United States. Childhood in World History is part of Routledge's Themes in World History Series, which focuses on the global history of topics such as migration, food, warfare, gender, revolutions, and religion. The goal of the Series is to present students (the primary audience) with concise histories of such topics viewed through the perspective of world cultures. Stearns is the senior editor of the Series and is also a contributor for books on gender, consumerism, and Western civilization. His Childhood in World History is an engaging, wellwritten, and thoughtful resource for readers who seek a solid understanding of the subject. In thirteen chapters, Stearns summarizes significant trends in child rearing and attitudes toward children in societies throughout world history, from the age of hunting and gathering to the agrarian revolution to modern times. The book's central theme is that childhood, because it mirrors society, explains the larger human experience. Stearns compares these various societies by organizing his research chronologically and