Benjamin Spock, MD was an American pediatrician whose book Baby and Child Care, published in 1946, is one of the best-sellers of all time. It has sold more than 50 million copies and has been translated into 39 languages. Dr. Spock graduated from Yale University and received his MD from Columbia University. He was the first pediatrician to study psychoanalysis to try to understand children's needs and family dynamics. His ideas about childcare influenced generations of parents to be more flexible and affectionate with their children, and to treat them as individuals.