Peter Gray

Children come into the world biologically designed to educate themselves. Their natural curiosity, playfulness, sociability, willfulness, adventurousness, tendency to look ahead, and desire to do well in the world were all shaped, by natural selection, to serve the function of education. In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray describes, with research evidence, how these natural tendencies play themselves out in children who are not schooled but, instead, are allowed ample time and opportunity to exercise their natural educative drives. He explains, especially, how children learn from one another when allowed to play freely in settings where they are not segregated by age. In addition, he presents evidence that children come into the world with prosocial drives-to help, share, and comfort-that grow ever stronger when adults allow them to grow. He also discusses ADHD as a natural and valuable personality variation, not a disorder, which causes problems in the typical school environment but does not interfere with Self-Directed Education.

Theory is one thing; empirical evidence is another. Is it true that children can educate themselves well, without coercion or coaxing, when provided with a supportive environment and plenty of opportunity to play, explore, observe, and socialize? In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray presents evidence from a variety of sources that this indeed is true. One essay points out the amazing amount that little children learn before anyone attempts to teach them in any formal way. Another presents evidence from anthropological research that children in hunter-gatherer cultures educated themselves well, for life in their culture, with no formal instruction. This is followed by an essay summarizing the results of research showing that graduates of the Sudbury Valley School-a school designed for Self-Directed Education-have succeeded very well in higher education, jobs, and life in general. The final seven essays all deal with the results of research, conducted by Peter Gray and Gina Riley, into unschooling families and the lives of adults who grew up unschooled. "Unschooling" here is defined as the variety of homeschooling in which children are not subjected to an imposed curriculum but are allowed to follow their own interests and thereby educate themselves.

Children, like all human beings, crave freedom, but they are not free in school. Schools operate by methods of coercion (a "request" in school is really an order), enforced with reward, punishment, and threats. Coercion interferes with children's natural, joy-filled and interest-filled ways of learning and turns learning into "work." In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray describes also how schooling promotes bullying, cheating, and showing off; contributes to high rates of anxiety, depression, and even suicide among students; aims to push everyone, regardless of the shape of their personality, through the same square holes; and leads to a lifetime of anxiety dreams. The last two essays show how the harm has moved down even to the youngest students, caused by the misbelief that academic training should start in kindergarten and before. This collection is for everyone who cares about children's wellbeing.

Color and shade the birds of the world with this incredible coloring book, featuring original ornithological illustrations by Audubon and more Beautiful Birds Coloring Book contains over 45 avian artworks to color. These designs include garden favorites such as wrens and woodpeckers, to more rarely glimpsed birds like owls and the jewel-like kingfisher. These illustrations have been selected from the ornithological classics The Birds of Europe and John James Audubon's world-famous Birds of America. Full-color images are shown beside the line drawings, should you wish to refer to the birds' original colors. The perfect gift for bird-lovers and budding artists alike. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Sirius Classic Nature Coloring series includes illustrations by some of history's most acclaimed naturalists, including Audubon, Pierre-Joseph Redoute and William Lizars. These original full-color illustrations are presented beside the black and white designs for inspiration.

This delightful butterfly coloring book features an exquisite range Victorian illustrations taken from The Naturalist's Library. From the painted lady to the Old World swallowtail, this coloring book includes 45 butterfly designs to color. Beside each line drawing you will find full-color reference images so that you can choose accurate shades for each butterfly. The exquisite reference illustrations are from The Naturalist's Library, a hugely popular Victorian series edited by the Scottish naturalist, Sir William Jardine (1800-1874) and illustrated by William Lizars (1788-1859). The perfect gift for natural history-lovers and budding artists alike. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Sirius Classic Nature Coloring series includes illustrations by some of history's most acclaimed naturalists, including Audubon, Pierre-Joseph Redoute and William Lizars. These original full-color illustrations are presented beside the black and white designs for inspiration.

This wonderful full-color drawing book is a treasure trove for anyone who loves fairies. Abound in story books and animation, their delicate form, fluttering wings and magical powers are a source of constant wonder. In this enchanting new book, renowned artist Peter Gray takes readers through step-by-step drawing projects, teaching different drawing techniques and styles. You'll learn: - How to create fairy and elf faces, with their large eyes and small, pointed chins. - Varying the proportions of your characters, from lithe and slender to rounded and chubby - Creating beautiful clothing, taking inspiration from flowers and the natural world- Drawing fairy wings, and the techniques to make them sparkle and flutter Step into the spell-binding world of folk tales and magic with this accessible drawing guide.

This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

The global arms race has shifted from satellites and drones to cyber warfare, and everything with a hard-wired internet connection is vulnerable. The only fail-safe defence is to be hidden away from the ever-searching eyes from the sky and to be always moving deep under the ocean. The US Navy has laid vast arrays of listening sondes on the ocean floor from the northern tip of Scotland all the way to Greenland to track the movements of the Russian nuclear submarine fleet leaving their northern port of Severomorsk on the Barents Sea two degrees north of the Arctic Circle. In response, the Russians have developed top secret multi-frequency listening technology that can accurately locate the American listening sondes, and the Russians plan to use it in a series of hunter-killer submarine drones to destroy the American system. This Russian listening technology is based on large, flawless crystals of carbon which have a constant oscillation frequency, even in the freezing conditions of the Norwegian Sea. The best carbon crystals to use are ones with a slight pinkish colouration... pink diamonds. The hunt to secure the world's best pink diamonds becomes a high priority of the Russian External Intelligence Service or SVR. They devise an elaborate plan to force Charlie Robertson to sell his diamond empire to Russian businessman, Nikolai Kasimov, by kidnapping Charlie's daughter, while at the same time kidnapping the daughter of the President of the United States to distract him from a naval problem in the Norwegian Sea...

This botanical coloring book features an exquisite selection of flower illustrations, taken from the classic botanical publication Choice of the Most Beautiful Flowers (1827). From yellow dahlias to blooming tulips, this collection features 45 flowers to color and shade. The original illustrations were created Pierre-Joseph Redout (1759-1840), a French painter known as 'The Raphael of Flowers'. Each design appears beside the original full-color illustration for reference. Featuring a key for species identification, this is the perfect gift for flower-lovers and budding artists alike. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Sirius Classic Nature Coloring series includes illustrations by some of history's most acclaimed naturalists, including Audubon, Pierre-Joseph Redoute and William Lizars. These original full-color illustrations are presented beside the black and white designs for inspiration.

Brilliant Cut is the sequel to 'Rough Cut', where the newly married Charlie Robertson continues his struggle to establish his international diamond business, but now having enemies more determined than ever trying to stop him. Two South African murderers, Jan Kruger and Marius Botha were outplayed by Charlie in Rough Cut and now will go to almost any lengths to prevent Robertson Mining ever selling diamonds. But Kruger and Botha look like Florence Nightingale compared to the evil but highly intelligent Konrad Lubbe, the ex-Stasi Colonel now out to make Charlie pay, and pay dearly. Fortunately, Charlie has his lifelong friend Jack Foster as his Head of Security to help protect him, supported by Sir Alan Kingston running his state-of-the-art diamond cutting and finishing business, Groots & Co, in London. But to make matters even worse, Groots Finance Manager, Elizabeth Jenkins, discovers that diamonds are missing in London. Charlie's journey ranges from Mt Robertson in Australia's Kimberley, to London, Hong Kong, New York, and Paris, trying to outplay his enemies as well as satisfying the hedonistic desires of the super-rich to own the world's most desirable diamonds, pink diamonds...

Pink diamonds, the rarest, most expensive diamonds on earth, bring out the worst in people. Desire always... Corruption inevitably... Murder as a matter of course... Charlie Robertson went from penniless Cockney kid dodging the Nazi bombing raids, to successful businessman lying in a coma in St Thomas's hospital in London, all because of pink diamonds. They drew him into a world of corrupt Government officials, sleazy international bankers, a global diamond monopoly, South African killers, and a ruthless ex-Stasi Colonel which nearly killed him. They also made him half a billion pounds.

Education has become synonymous with schooling, but it doesn’t have to be. As schooling becomes increasingly standardized and test driven, occupying more of childhood than ever before, parents and educators are questioning the role of schooling in society. Many are now exploring and creating alternatives. In a compelling narrative that introduces historical and contemporary research on self-directed education, Unschooled also spotlights how a diverse group of individuals and organizations are evolving an old schooling model of education. These innovators challenge the myth that children need to be taught in order to learn. They are parents who saw firsthand how schooling can dull children’s natural curiosity and exuberance and others who decided early on to enable their children to learn without school. Educators who left public school classrooms discuss launching self-directed learning centers to allow young people’s innate learning instincts to flourish, and entrepreneurs explore their disillusionment with the teach-and-test approach of traditional schooling.

Colour and shade the birds of the world with this incredible colouring book, featuring original ornithological illustrations by Audubon and more! Beautiful Birds Coloring Book contains over 45 avian artworks to colour. These designs include garden favourites such as wrens and woodpeckers, to more rarely glimpsed birds like owls and the jewel-like kingfisher. These illustrations have been selected from the ornithological classics The Birds of Europe and John James Audubon's world-famous Birds of America. Full-colour images are shown beside the line drawings, should you wish to refer to the birds' original colours. The perfect gift for bird-lovers and budding artists alike.

A delightful colouring-in book for anyone with a love of butterflies. The perfect gift for natural history-lovers and budding artists alike, 45 colour reference images are shown alongside clear line drawings ready for the addition of colour. Each plate is numbered and there is a key for species identification. The exquisite colour reference illustrations are from The Naturalist's Library, a hugely popular Victorian series edited by the Scottish naturalist, Sir William Jardine (1800-1874).