... an enjoyable and stimulating book. Briggs' study breaks new ground, in that it attempts to operationalize psychoanalytic concepts with the long-term aim of opening them up to empirical study. [The] case studies cover a wide range of family situations and the range of difficulties observed includes maternal depression, the effects of loss and separation, feeding difficulties and speech delay. The pain and complexity of these situations comes across vividly. From the therapeutic point of view perhaps the most valuable insight is how these difficulties are resolved or ameliorated. [F]or new or experienced clinicians it is a rich mine of ideas. Hopefully it will inspire some therapeutic projects as well as further research.

- Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry,

Brigg's descriptive document is impressive. There is a detailed and sensitive account of the relationship between himself as an "observer" and each baby, with fine detail on moments of contact that have an authentic emotional quality. The attempt at graphically summarising results of comparative measures of functions in the communicative and experiential life of the infants and their parents is interesting, and may point the way to better designed systems of assessment with great value in health and social work.

- The International Journal of Infant Observation,

I like Briggs' way of conceptualising some aspects of development. His concepts of "container shape" and "grip relations" are exciting... Its subject is exciting and the method described has great potential... a glimpse of some interesting possibilities, which should be explored further [are given]. Growth and Risk in Infancy should be read by researchers of infancy who have an interest in a naturalistic and qualitative approach to the topic. It will also be of interest to those working in the psychoanalytic tradition with parents and babies.

- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,