Ingrid Schoon is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Centre for Human Development and Well Being at City University, London.

'Much previous work on resilience has been American: it was therefore with great interest that I read this important book based on work done in Britain. It is large scale and its conclusions are authoritative and robust … I think that it is required reading for all psychologists working with children.' The Psychologist

• Foreword Glen H. Elder, Jr; 1. Risk and resilience: definitions; 2. A developmental-contextual systems model; 3. Persisting inequalities in times of social change; 4. Selection, causation and cumulative risk effects; 5. Protective factors and processes; 6. Stability of early adjustment over time; 7. Personal goals and life plans; 8. Conclusions and outlook; 9. Implications of findings for interventions and social policy.

Ingrid Schoon is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Centre for Human Development and Well Being at City University, London.

'Much previous work on resilience has been American: it was therefore with great interest that I read this important book based on work done in Britain. It is large scale and its conclusions are authoritative and robust … I think that it is required reading for all psychologists working with children.' The Psychologist

• Foreword Glen H. Elder, Jr; 1. Risk and resilience: definitions; 2. A developmental-contextual systems model; 3. Persisting inequalities in times of social change; 4. Selection, causation and cumulative risk effects; 5. Protective factors and processes; 6. Stability of early adjustment over time; 7. Personal goals and life plans; 8. Conclusions and outlook; 9. Implications of findings for interventions and social policy.

Ingrid Schoon is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Centre for Human Development and Well Being at City University, London.

'Much previous work on resilience has been American: it was therefore with great interest that I read this important book based on work done in Britain. It is large scale and its conclusions are authoritative and robust … I think that it is required reading for all psychologists working with children.' The Psychologist

• Foreword Glen H. Elder, Jr; 1. Risk and resilience: definitions; 2. A developmental-contextual systems model; 3. Persisting inequalities in times of social change; 4. Selection, causation and cumulative risk effects; 5. Protective factors and processes; 6. Stability of early adjustment over time; 7. Personal goals and life plans; 8. Conclusions and outlook; 9. Implications of findings for interventions and social policy.