The booklet reviews the findings of a Danish longitudinal study involving 200 children (10-20 years old) at risk for schizophrenia and 100 controls. The views of the study's investigator, S. Mednick, regarding the schizophrenic Ss' learned avoidance and heightened physiological response to stress are explained. Other findings discussed include that most schizophrenic Ss had prenatal and birth difficulties and had been separated from their parents early in life. Evidence that the schizophrenic process in women may differ from that in men is considered. It is explained that Mednick views schizophrenia as an "evasion of life" which is a learned behavior: he suggests that the schizophrenic learns to avoid stress or anxiety by switching into irrelevant thinking. A second long-range investigation underway in Mauritius is reported to be examining the influence of the autonomic nervous system on children's behavior. (CL)