Worms have more purpose than Tim, and a better love life. They break waste down into rich fertile soil; Tim just makes the rich richer. Worms copulate for three hours at a time whereas the closest thing Tim has to love is his lesbian friend Jo. Salvation comes from Jo's flaky niece Charlotte who asks him three profound questions. Inspired, he sheds his old life to become Habitat Man, giving advice on how to turn gardens into habitats for wildlife. His first client is the lovely Lori. Tim is smitten, but first he has to win round Ethan her teenage son. Tim loves his new life until he digs up more than he bargained for, something that threatens to bring out all the skeletons in his cupboard.

The first volume of readings for the Child Development in Social Context series concentrates on the imporatnce of social relationships in the young child's life. Early readings summarise recent research on childres's emotional attachments. But relationships are also the context of much of their early play and learning. There are readings to illustrate how parents 'frame' , guide and 'scaffold' young children's development, with special reference to the way childfren are intiated into using language as a tool for learning. The cross- cultural dimension of early development is a particular focus of this volume, which concludes with readings on the construction of personal identity. First published in 1991. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.