Stimulated by the publication of The Nurture Assumption by Judith Rich Harris, Parenting and the Child's World was conceived around the notion that there are multiple sources of influence on children's development, including parenting behavior, family resources, genetic and other biological factors, as well as social influences from peers, teachers, and the community at large.

The text's 39 contributors search for when, where, and how parenting matters and the major antecedents and moderators of effective parenting. The chapters focus on the major conceptual issues and empirical approaches that underlie our understanding of the importance of parenting for child development in academic, socio-emotional, and risk-taking domains. Additional goals are to show how culture and parenting are interwoven, to chart future research directions, and to help parents and professionals understand the implications of major research findings.