In Pioneers of Child Psychoanalysis Beatriz Markman Reubins presents the lives and theories of the early innovators of psychoanalytic theory as it is applied to child development - Sigmund Freud, Anna Freud, Melanie Klein, D.W. Winnicott, Margaret Mahler and John Bowlby. The creative thinking Markman Reubins shows lies in her unique weaving of personal history and theoretical application. This insightful elaboration of the thoughts of influential thinkers flows seamlessly from the early twentieth century to the present time. The author's unique approach of preceding theory with the personal history of the analytic thinkers amplifies and gives texture to the unfolding of their understanding of psychological development and its analytic implications for child development. She describes difficult concepts with a balanced and thoughtful approach, which sheds light and understanding for both the student and experienced clinician. By comparing and contrasting these theoretical approaches the author suggests their interrelationships and how, rather than opposing each other, they augment one another and help the reader to understand the broad depth of analytic insight which flowed from the enormous creativity of the analysts from the twentieth century. While this is a "must read" for students of child psychoanalysis, it is also enormously beneficial for parents who want to understand the fundamentals of best parenting practices.
