Sue Gerhardt is a brilliant and trustworthy researcher, and this book is a fascinating combination of rigorous science and interesting case studies. 1,001 Days is an essential guide to some of the biggest and most compelling issues in healthcare and psychology, and it should be read by anyone interested in their own health, their children’s health, or building better societies.

Jaw-droppingly important, far-ranging, and yet easy to read. Caring for babies, in and out of the womb – and for their mums and dads – emerges as the engine of lifelong health. Personally, and politically, Sue Gerhardt’s message is of immense importance. Should we ever achieve a society of glowing health, this book will be seen as a turning point that made it possible.

1001 Days is an extraordinary tour de force, one every policymaker, doctor, parent, indeed anyone who cares about the future, should read. Gerhardt seamlessly integrates an incredible breadth of research into a riveting account of how the roots of adult health, both good and bad, lie in infancy and childhood. In contrast to the world of biohacks and quick fix quackery, Gerhardt uses the latest science to show how it’s the quality of our earliest relationships that etches our future health into our very cells, and how stress and trauma are irrefutably linked to the likelihood of later illnesses. This is a game changing book of the utmost importance, with a message that urgently needs shouting from the rooftops.