This is a collection of eleven essays. Most of the pieces are published for the first time and many are radio broadcasts in which groups of parents participated. Winnicott's style is both lucid and lyrical; he has a way of communicating complex psychoanalytic concepts in a simple, down-to-earth manner. The talks focus on issues of security and the building up of trust, on guilt, on the child's emerging sense of right and wrong, on jealousy, and on parents' more negative feelings towards their children. The respect with which Winnicott listens to parents is striking. The book has a fresh and airy quality in its direct, conversational style.