In author Judith Rich Harris's latest book, "The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do; Parents Matter Less Than You Think and Peers Matter More", Harris is igniting a flare of controversy in her essential argument. Harris states the belief "that what influences children's development ... is the way their parents bring them up ... is wrong". If this statement is true then why have parents at all? Parents in my opinion are the most influential people in your life. College professors from Cornell, Temple, and Harvard University discuss within this dissertation also critique Harris's statement. Although the opinions vary, Harris seems very confident and supplies personal experiences supporting her thesis throughout this paper.
             Within the first page of the Newsweek article Harris gives personal examples of her two daughters, and the difference in their behavior. Harris discusses how she became ill and was forced to remain in bed for a long period of time. In her ill state she started realizing the difference in behaviors between her two daughters.
             Nomi was her natural born child and was very well behaved. During her bad health Harris was immobile and began seeing Nomi stand out as more of an angel as opposed to her other daughter Elaine. Harris stated that Nomi "didn't want to do anything we didn't want her to do". As Nomi reached high school she was a model student and barely ever presented complex problems at home. Harris began wondering why she was not having the effect on Elaine.
             Her other daughter, Elaine age six was adopted at two months old and became gradually defiant by age eleven. At age fifteen Harris grounded Elaine, Elaine became enraged and by no means returned home that night. Elaine proceeded heading on a downward spiral, and eventually dropped out of school. This frustrated Harris greatly having a good vs. evil daughter environment.
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