Day-Care Books

Excellant book to help with a defiant child. Good information for practical use.

We just learned our 7 year old daughter is considered "strong-willed" and found this book to be the easiest read on the subject. It contains practical information and is written in such a way as to keep our interest. It is not bogged down with a lot of psycho babble which makes us crazier than we already are! Highly recommend you take a look at this book if you have a child in this category.

Excellent book to reduce defiant behavior. By following the suggestions, our child improved within a week and each week we see further improvement.

My 8 year old son is a defiant child. I've known it since he was born. I was always envious when I saw other parents with their children that seemed calm and happy. We lived our lives in constant stress, always ready for the next "scene" when my son would say something rude or hit his sister or even hit or push me. My husband and I wanted so desperately to be happy, but we just couldn't get through to our son.

I cried many times as I read through this book because it describes exactly so many situations that we live through on a day to day basis. I always thought I was alone in this and it would be a lifelong struggle to try to raise a kind, responsible boy... a struggle that I wasn't sure I would be successful at.

I am not yet through the entire book, but I feel compelled to write a review because it has changed my life. From the first day that we started implementing the author's suggestions, my son improved. After a week now, we are a different family. We are happy most of the time. There is no more screaming and little crying. We are talking! The book has not only taught me about my son, but also has helped me to reflect on my own choices, thoughts, and actions (which is perhaps the most difficult aspect of all) and has taught me a lot about myself.

The book gives excellent explanations and examples without being preachy or long-winded. I highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with a defiant child.

Being the parents of a 14 year old girl heading to high school and an 11 year old ADHD/ODD boy about to start middle school, we need all the help we can get. We fear that our son's ODD will eventually morph into conduct disorder and are willing to try anything to save him (and us) from that. Also, we have been feeling the pain of a defiance issue forming with our daughter as she enters her teenage years. Our home has been a literal battleground nearly every day for years now.

We purchased this book with high hopes of bringing some peace to our home and we have not been disappointed. We started seeing real results around Day Three. It's amazing how real world advice and insight into our own behaviors has brought about such dramatic results! With our new parenting techniques and a lot of prayers, we plan to keep peace in our lives. Thank you Dr. Bernstein!

This is one of the best books I have came across about personal style and definitely in my top 10 list.

The cover doesn't do any favour to this excellent book so don't be put off by it. It is very thorough and will give a good kickstart in finding your style. As the authors say, they won't tell you what to wear but will provide you with essential guidance to eventually find your style. Some very good points about the fashion industry that all lead us at one point or another to fall into fashion faux pas and some good self assessment to rectify them. I love this book for the way it's redefining clearly what style is and all the strategies you can take to define your own style (which coincidently are the ones I've been using myself for years).

The minuses are the lack of pictures or sketches and the lack of information about colour. You can't really be stylish if you don't develop a good eye for colour and colour combination. Otherwise whether you're completely unstylish or not, this book will provide an excellent read and I highly recommend it.

This little book is the absolute best fashion book I've found, and I've looked at alot of them. This book helped me, a non-fashion type person, figure out what I look good in and redo my wardrobe. Now, I only see clothes I use and like in my closet, and I have plenty of clothes! Pretty great news for a non-fashion, short and not slim person! :)

Barbara

Since I was curious after reading all the great reviews, I borrowed this book from the library. It is a pretty good book, but not worth the high prices they're asking on the used market unless it's autographed.

Good Points: Empasizes paring down your closet so that every piece you have works; lets you know it's okay to have a favorite outfit in more than one color or fabric (i.e. a "uniform" so to speak). Comes down on the fashion industry as part of the reason women don't look as good as they could in clothing (wouldn't be surprised at all if this is the reason the book is out of print). Emphasizes putting together "outfits" in your closet, as opposed to hanging your separates in sections (although if you do this paring down right, thinking of your entire closet as a travel wardrobe, then everything should go with everything, regardless of what you pull out). Great section on how to take care of your clothes.

Bad: No pictures, unless you count caricatures of the authors. No real descriptions on how to dress to cover figure flaws, just an occasional mention of some of the camouflage dressing of the authors.

It's a small, mass-market paperback and almost half of the book is repetition and/or fluff. One example is when they say that one reason to shop is to replace a proven (i.e. "workhorse") wardrobe item. An entire paragraph is spent explaining why one of the authors replaced a black turtleneck with a cashmere one after being dissatisfied with cheaper ones. Who cares?

Even though this book talks about personal style, as do other books, the authors seem to think that everyone is passionate about style--believe me, not everyone is. Some of us want to look good, but have better things to do with our time and money than spend it on clothing. Some things like comfort and ease of care are important to us.

Bottom line: 95% of what is in this book (including "capsule" or outfit dressing" is in other books, although this one does a decent job of condensing it into a compact form (but it could be smaller and then even more useful). I think the title is a misnomer, because none of their exercises is difficult to do. Get it from your library, if you can.

Until this book is back in print, I would suggest the following books:

Does This Make Me Look Fat? by Leah Feldon
Brenda's Wardrobe Companion by Brenda Kinsel
I Don't Have a Thing to Wear by Judie Taggart, Jackie Walker
Ready to Wear by Mary Lou Andre

and if you need color pictures:

The Lucky Shopping Manual by Andrea Linett

This wonderful book is not likely to be reprinted, unfortunately, after the death in 2004 of co-author Olivia Goldsmith (which was the writer name of Justine Rendal, born Randy Goldfield), who died of a reaction to anesthesia during cosmetic surgery (a facelift). That doesn't discount her as a fashion consultant, now, does it? She changed her name to suit her purposes, and she reassures us that girls who think their bodies are too big can change their style and look great in their clothes -- we've got the power if we've got the nerve! If she also wanted surgery to improve her looks and had the means to afford it, I say go for it, and don't let fear stop you. Better dead than afraid to go for what you want, and the people who criticize her for it can hole up in their apartments and tell the rest of us what not to do with our lives, eh?

Goldsmith and co-author Amy Fine Collins have written an empowering, witty, and even spiritual book in Simple Isn't Easy, which I got through interlibrary loan. Much of their advice sounds Zen: you can do more with less, and being a consumer won't fill your internal holes. I wouldn't have thought it, but I would be happy to pay $25 or $30 for this little paperback on the secondary (used) market. The strategy for weeding out one's closet is practical, and the concept of finding a personal "uniform," whatever it is, lends one a truly distinctive style. This was one of the better self-help books I've read. These women hold your hand and walk you through it, and you laugh and roll your eyes at yourself all the way.

This book gets only 3 stars because one of the authors had the audacity to die young, which frightens people ... no, wait, it's still a wonderful book, isn't it?? So how about we give it the FIVE STARS it deserves!

I've heard so much about this book from adqaintances yet none of them have a copy. It seems they've all lent their copies out and never got them back. Everything I've heard is very positive and inspiring. BUT, REALLY, $64.37 (STARTING PRICE) FOR A USED MASS MARKET PAPERBACK? What on earth is so special about this book? Do you truly believe that someone is going to pay such a rediculous price for a used soft cover book? Come on now, this is NOT A RARE FIRST EDITION!!! There probably wasn't even a hard cover edition. I understand that the author died in the O.R. while having plastic surgery recently. Well, Dr. Robert Atkins also met an untimely death last year, but his books haven't sored to a such a ridiculous price! If there are so many women clamoring to get their hands on a copy, perhaps the publisher may be enticed into reprinting it.

As a physician who spent a year in Vietnam as a Navy doctor with the Marines, Dr. Glasser's book was naturally of interest to me. I thought its strength was in the accounts where he was directly involved in the care of casualties in Japan. From the medical standpoint, there is very little in civilian life that prepares one for the horrific trauma and tragedy of combat injuries. However some of the other second hand accounts do not ring quite true. During that period, at least among the Marines, there was very little if any marijuana usage, no one was walking around on patrol chewing salt pills or indiscriminately blowing away civilians. It certainly wasn't always 110 degrees in the shade. Terms were thrown around and words used such as hutch for hootch and Ashow for Ashau that suggested questionable fact checking. Surprising as it may be to some readers, there were even individuals who elected to extend their tours past 365 days such as CAP unit Marines who lived in Vietnamese villages and worked side by side with the local Vietnamese militia to provide more security and deal with the local VC cadres. Books that refer to Vietnam as Nam all the time and the Vietnamese just as gooks raises some questions in my mind. In short, to give an accurate picture of what it was really like to serve in Vietnam, you would need to include a more balanced collection of stories from combatants and noncombatants alike.

I got a copy from the local library, read it, then ordered a copy for my collection. It's well-written and difficult to put down once you get started. Buy it!

Dr. Glasser has written a great story on the Vietnam War and the Hospital and personnel envolved. Having read it almost right through it brought back lots of memories stored in the deep of my mind. I had lived a time in a Naval Hospital and was put back together in a wonderful way by many good Doctors and Nurses in the Boston area. I will always remember them and hope that many that have never associated the hospitals with the war will now understand how many men went through those portals in those years. Many to never be the same, God bless them all, and God bless our wonderful country.

This book is a series of short stories detailing personal accounts of US infantry combat operations during the Vietnam War. Fast-paced, vivid and well-written. Stories cover the individual spectrum from the most gung-ho Airborne-Ranger to the most reluctant drugged-out draftee. Helicopter, river, armored, long range recon and regular infantry operations are all part of 365 Days. The book shows clearly the human tragedy of war at a personal level. Recommended reading for the hawk and the pacifist.

Dr. Glassner provides a unique perspective on the American experience in Vietnam -- that of a medical officer responsible for treating the shattered, burned, and exhausted men caught up in that conflict. There is plenty of heroism in his short tales, but usually it is the heroism of brute survival, of adapting to impossible conditions, of enduring the unendurable.

I have heard this book referred to as an "anti-war" work, and one that derides America's involvement in Southeast Asia. I disagree. Glassner simply tells it like it was -- he pulls no punches, so oftentimes reading this book is very unpleasant: how many "John Wayne shoot 'em up" memoirs of Vietnam recount the suffering endured on a burn ward?

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Vietnam War, the continued psychological and physical suffering of combat vets from all eras, or to anyone concerned with the consequences for our sons and daughters when politicans send our troops to war. Should be required reading for college students,...

As a nurse who has worked in Oncology, I have found this book very interesting and thought-provoking. It brought back many memories of patients and similar situations. Could anyone ask for a physician any more compassionate than Dr. Groopman? Something for all in the medical field to strive for.

I don't remember why or where I bought this book. I think it came highly recommended to me, as I have worked in HIV research and bioethics for the disabled for years, not as a job, but because it is what I care about. I think I accidently put this book up to sell, thinking it was another book on these same issues I had read years ago. When I got it out to send to another reader, I realized I hadn't read it. I can read quite fast when necessary and after the first few pages in this book, I realized I did not want to send it until I had read the whole thing. So I read it in one evening, and I am so glad I did.

After just undergoing a horrendous couple of years with my own personal physician who threw medication at me in hopes something would help (and he just made things worse), I needed to be reminded there are outstanding and wonderful physicians out there still who see their work not as a way to make money but a way to make a living and provide for their families while still doing the most they can for humanity. I'd read Groopman's work before. He is a very prolific writer, as well as a physician and researcher into HIV and cancer. I don't know how he does it. The man must not sleep ever, and that also earns my admiration. His patients are not easy ones. They are the more difficult ones, and he see his job as being to give them the most time he can possibly squeeze out of their conditions. And that time he gives them, he makes them as comfortable as possible and as able to continue their life's work...this is what is meant by providing people with chronic illness and even illness whose end result is death with a quality of life equal to that, or better than that, than the life they had lived before. Why? Because they know their time is limited, and they seek to fill their remaining time with the most they can stuff into it. EAch of these individuals have different ideas of what constitutes a meaningful life, and each of them learn something from Groopman during their time under his care, and their stories not only taught Groopman something, but in this book they teach the reader something.

I'd always been one of those people who didn't want to undergo chemotherapy for a cancer that would end in death anyhow. But now I understand from Groopman why you would prolong your time here, as long as it could be done in such a way as to achieve my goals and those for my family and friends, and give something back to others as I have always wanted to do (but often had to put to the side while I raised my family).

This is one of the most compassionate books I have ever read. I hate to send it away but at the same time, I want others to read it. It teaches us to put into practice our religious beliefs rather than just spout them. It isn't enough to say 'this is what I believe.' Groopman teaches us that we can put our religious beliefs into daily practice and do the most good by doing that. I would definitely recommend this book as required reading for all students in all medical fields, even research...as we too often lose sight of the very human faces that we are researching for. By putting a human face on these usually unseen people it forces us to work harder and with more focus on moral behavior, whether as researchers, or as medical personnel in daily contact with those who are suffering. Our job is not to judge, but rather to alleviate suffering... Groopman is an outstanding example to all of us, and I hope to incorporate his teachings in my own life and my own work...

Karen L. Sadler

An excellent book of choice for anyone looking to find meaning in the field of health care, who feels swept away by torrents of robotic practices of academic medicine and scientific prejudices.

No small number of my loved ones have required the care of hematologists -- mother-in-law, nephew, two aunts, father, husband. I worked closely with a group of hematologists for several years and had a close friend in that branch of medicine. How, I always wondered, do they maintain the emotional and spiritual resources needed to continue in this challenging line of work?

Dr. Jerome Groopman addresses that very question in the prologue to "The Measure of Our Days." He writes, "I identify several elements that give me hope and strength in the cold company of death. One is modern science and the potential for change it offers. Another is the wisdom and solace found in faith. And, perhaps most important, as the following stories reveal, I draw on the particular lessons -- of courage and endurance -- gained from my patients."

There is Kirk, a venture capitalist with kidney cancer who learns too late what makes a life worthwhile. Dan, a research fellow with hemophilia, contracted AIDS from Factor VIII concentrates before routine screening of the blood supply. Cindy, in her mid-thirties, tried to get over a broken relationship by taking a "freedom week" at Club Med, and came home infected with HIV; she could not face life without the love of a child so she expressed her faith by adopting an orphan from overseas.

Matt contracted AIDS from a transfusion for his acute leukemia in the year before screening of donated blood. Debbie tried to fight off her metastatic breast cancer with the principles of Tao rather than radiation and chemotherapy. Alex always insisted that he wanted to be assisted to die at the first sign of debility from his AIDS, but when the time came he clung to life and his young lover.

Elizabeth used her social status to bring a power play into her relationships. And finally, Elliott, a lifelong friend of Dr. Groopman, learned to reassess the meaning of worldly achievement.

These patients brought their personal strengths to the engagement, and in the retelling of their cases, Dr. Groopman shows his own spiritual depth and the faith that feeds it.

"The Measure of Our Days" has good layman's explanations of the medical situations involved in the eight cases. If this type of language is within your context at all, then I recommend this book to you. Its message of hope goes beyond the dire medical scenarios and speaks volumes about the human spirit.

Linda Bulger, 2008

If Sherwin Nuland hadn't already written "The Way We Die," Jerome Groopman could easily have used the title for this book. Dr. Groopman specializes in cancer, blood-disease, and AIDs patients, so he is very familiar with the way we die. His emphasis in this book is more on the spiritual aspect of dying, although there is also plenty of physical agony and degradation in "The Measure of Our Days."

If I had to sum up the book's theme, it would be: patients who love and are loved struggle hardest to live, sometimes way beyond the point where physicians have given up on them. When they finally do die, their deaths are more fulfilling (easier? better?) than those who die with full wallets and empty hearts.

That sounds kind of hokey, like "Love Story" as written by a doctor, but Dr. Groopman handles the theme very effectively. He's even slightly more optimistic than in his book "Second Opinions," although no one in "The Measure of Our Days" dies as romantically as Ali McGraw. Just the opposite. Most of Dr. Groopman's patients in this book die after extensive chemotherapy, surgery, and physical therapy--the whole painful and nauseous armamentarium of modern medicine (If it hasn't yet struck you how closely physicians resemble the monks of the Spanish Inquisition, you've probably never undergone chemotherapy. Both wield their instruments for our own good).

"The Measure of Our Days" speaks like a modern day Koheleth (Ecclesiastes):

"A man may have a hundred children and live a long life; but however many his days may be, if he does not get satisfaction from the good things of life..., then I maintain that the still-born child is in better case than he. Its coming is an empty thing, it departs into darkness, and in darkness its name is hidden..."

Change 'get satisfaction from the good things of life' to 'love' and I believe you will understand Dr. Groopman's measure of our days.

I will start off by saying that I am biased because I used to work for suburban daycare centers in college and I decided then that I was never going to leave my own children in daycare. Kids wander around aimslesly just waiting for parents, the food was unnutritious, coworkers chat and pay no attention to the kids, and the turnover is outrageous as these people make little over minimum wage.

When I started this book I thought it was a little sensational talking about how the killers in the Columbine shooting were raised in two income familes. It is not likely your child, even if in 80 hours of daycare a week, will turn out that bad. However, you had kids and someone has to take care of them. Who do you think is best qualified for that job? Hopefully it is you. The bond between mothers and infants is not myth. However, I think some people feel this bond more than others. I think a lot of women try to deny it as they head out the door to work.

Now, I am aware that some women do not have a choice in working because of their families' financial situation. This book describes policy (usually disguised as something "family friendly") that makes it easier financially for women to work than stay at home. The book also points out that daycare is a billion dollar a year profit industry that pushes propaganda so that it can get profits-as it is a business. Parents at home are a negative economic force, they do not have the political pull that the massive daycare industry has in creating policy.

The author points out that the business you work for has weighed you leaving against inticing you to stay with "family friendly" benefits. They have done their math and figure it is cheaper for them to give you these benefits, than to have you leave. So, they get to keep you as an employee and your child gets to be in daycare. Businesses are concerned with what is most profitable for them, not with what is in the best interest of your children.

I have nothing but praise for this book.
As a mother of four children, and an educated woman, I have been called a "traitor to feminism" for choosing to stay home with my four children.
Mr. Roberston's book illustrates, and provides data to support, just how important the mother-child bond is during the first four years of life. Day care is not, and never will be, an appropriate substitute for being a mother. Mr. Robertson goes into great detail to explain, with evidentiary support, why the media exhalts the "superiority" of day care without cause and/or data to back it's claims. Mr. Robertson also provides examples of more sinister tactics taken by the media and/or policy makers to wilfully misrepresent data to fit their agenda.
If you have your children in day care, or are thinking of placing your child in day care, the statistics and references in this book are hard to ignore. If you're a stay-at-home mother, this book will reaffirm your decision to stay at home.

As a former accountant, I prefer hard numbers to mere opinions. This was exactly the book I needed to read when I was debating whether to continue working or start staying at home with my children. I suggest it to my friends, family, even strangers because the information is so well presented. Some of us may not be able to replace the years we had our children in day-care, but we can move forward with the valuable information provided in this book. Sure, it requires some sacrifices when you depend on one income to raise a family, but isn't the outcome of your children more important than the size of your apartment/home, etc.

It's about time that parents start realizing that the "mommy wars" and the "daycare wars" are not about THEM, but the KIDS. Daycare is hurtful to children, and that's more important than any mother's "guilt" over the issue.

I spent some time after college "teaching" in a "preschool" which was nothing more than a hyped up babysitting service. One of our teacher's was even investigated for stomping on toddlers. It was NOT enriching for the children, and not worth anything except a last resort for parents who had no choice. But parents like that would never have been able to afford the tuition!

As to the woman who wants to know how she can afford to give up her income when her husband only makes $30k/year, my husband makes just that and I do not work. Our fifth child is due in about a month. We live in a modest home in the city (Houston), with two cars and cable internet. We are not on any kind of welfare, and our kids are well fed. It can be done. The question is -- are you willing?

As a graduate of Barnard College, I would consider myself a feminist. However, after reading this book, I must say that I am disgusted by the influence of the modern feminist agenda in the media, acadamia and politics, and the subsequent damage which this "feminist" influence causes to children.

New mothers who are trying to make a crucial decision about whether or not to stay home or to return to work are unwittingly given incomplete information. Isn't the women's movement about educating women and giving them the freedom to choose their own path? If so, shouldn't feminists be truth-seekers, educating themselves and other mothers about both the pros and cons of daycare? In Robertson's book, I found example after example of the opposite happening in our society.

Studies showing detrimental effects of daycare have been vilified, or simply refused publication. Childhood experts have taken their anti-daycare (or pro-mother-at-home for the child's early years) comments out of their books because of backlash from feminists. I could continue to give mortifying examples, but please read the book because Robertson does a very thorough job of spelling out for the reader just how bad daycare is for children and why we never hear anyone say so.

I recommend this book to any parent struggling over their employment-childcare decision. I would also recommend this to mothers raising their children full-time because it will support your choice to put your children first. Most of all, I recommend this book to policy makers who falsely believe that government funding of center-based childcare will solve problems. Please read this book.

This book was a great read and jammed packed with statistics and pertinent information. Mary does not tiptoe around the hard facts and tells it like it is. The truth is never easy and rarely uncomplicated. I hope that this book gets read by many, many parents and that it becomes a wake up call for those who desire what's best for their kids, not what's the easiest.

The author clearly knows little about raising a healthy, happy family. Anyone following the suggestions in this book probably also raises their children to be sent to evangelical bible camp to fight a bloody battle against Islam.

In the best sections of the book, Eberstadt is an insane alarmist, advocating raising children perfectly sheltered from the real world, denying basic critical medical treatment, lying to them about basic biological facts, and preventing children from learning how to fend for themselves, ever (not to mention leaving them utterly dependent on religious fiction for a basis of an ultimately flawed morality). At worst her methods equate to raising zealous christian warriors, with a militant view of Christianisty, an absolutely xenophobic view of other cultures, and a gross disrespect for people of other faiths, backgrounds, race, or political views. This is a guide toward raising your own little hate mongering, torch wielding, backwards religious nutcase. If you have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on therapy for your children later in life, then you can afford to try some of the things suggested in this book.

Contrary to popular belief, not even a "village" can substitute for a mother.

Unlike many "committed" treatments of this subject, this author adopts a scientific approach, citing studies and reasoning in a clear and cogent way.

The problem: (p. 20)
In 1975, 33 percent of children under six had employed mothers.
In 1993, 55 percent of children under six had employed mothers.
In 2000, 70 percent of children under six had employed mothers.

The ideological battles are exactly what you would expect. Militant feminists regard these numbers as good news: more women are employed. Family people regard these numbers as bad news: children are growing up without their mothers (or fathers or grandmothers, as it turns out).

But there is more bad news: enraged children, fat children, drug-addicted children (not yesterday's drugs like marijuana but prescribed drugs, legal drugs), rage-driven pop-music-addicted children. With a younger generation like this on the way, who needs terrorists, Reconquistadores and the like? We've got them anyway, of course, and nothing is being done about them. To see how the problem of alienated children fits into these other problems, read While America Sleeps: How Islam, Immigration and Indoctrination Are Destroying America From Within. America is one "village" that is bent on self-destruction.

I was highly impressed by this book. Finally there is a children activist. The parenthood crisis we are living is what our society represents now: desire. Now, the woman who is the manager or president of a company is very admired and encouraged but the home-stay-mom value goes to "0". Consequently and obviously women will seek happiness into what society accepts. If we all genuinely really focus in what is best for our children well being and happiness this society will be so different.

This may be the first time in history that we have forced a generation of kids to be separated from their own parents. The results of this grand social experiment are beginning to come in. And Mary Eberstadt does not like what she sees. Nor should we.

We have embarked upon a unique historical trial of seeing what life is like for children who have been for the most part separated from their parents. And while there may have been some benefits for the parents, few people were asking the really important questions: What about the children? Is parent-absence good for the kids?

While Eberstadt recognises that correlation does not always equal causation, she rightly questions why adults always try to put a positive spin on child separation when children seem to take a much different view. We need to stop looking at this problem as if it is all about adult choices, and start focusing on the possible harm our children are experiencing.

And there seems to be plenty of harm. We have witnessed in the past few decades a huge rise in childhood problems, whether sexual promiscuity, mental health problems, the rise of the prescription drug generation, childhood obesity, and many more worrying symptoms.

Eberstadt argues that all of these problems, at least to some extent, can be tied in to parental absence. Consider the issue of obesity. Eberstadt looks at possible reasons for this, but then focuses on the real culprit: absent parents. When kids are kept home-alone, they are usually kept inside for safety sake. Thus they usually end up in front of the TV or computer, instead of running around outside.

Also, without a parent at home to prepare a healthy meal, kids are often left to live on junk food. These two factors alone explain much of the childhood obesity problem. Common sense bears this out, and research helps to confirm it. For example, we know that kids are less at risk of obesity problems if breastfed. But absent mums means no or little breast-feeding.

Eberstatd also looks at the alarming rise in psychotropic medicines. Kids are being plied with various drugs at an unprecedented level, be it for ADHD, for depression, or whatever. Yet a growing body of literature is showing that there are many risks associated with drugs such as Ritalin, Paxil, Risperdal and the various anti-depressants, and stimulants such as methylphenidate.

Why are we drugging our children as such high levels, even with the known risks? Eberstadt again suggests that parental absence is part of the reason our children are experiencing so many problems. Most of these drugs are really behaviour-management or performance-enhancing drugs, designed to give a technological quick-fix to what may just be old-fashioned discipline problems, or what may be largely manageable when a parent is around.

But with parents absent in such great numbers, more and more of our child-carers resort to drugs to fix the problem. And the ironic thing is, it may well be the stresses and unhappiness caused by parental separation that is getting the kids into more trouble to begin with.

Eberstadt also looks at the day-care industry, and how we are allowing a generation of kids to be looked after by strangers. She examines the huge increase in emotional and psychological problems plaguing our children. She also looks at the rise of violence among children.

All in all, our kids are experiencing an unprecedented tidal wave of physical, social and psychological problems that we normally associate with adults. And these problems have arisen at exactly the same time that we have seen absentee parenting mushroom.

Adults living in denial will want to say that the two are simply not connected. Perhaps they are right. But the correlation seems to be strong, and some type of causality seems to be involved. If so, then for the sake of our children we need to slow down and take stock of how this rise in parent-separation is affecting our children.

Eberstadt finishes her volume with a simple plea. She does not offer a checklist of policy options or steps on what must be done. She instead summarises the findings of this book by stating what most of us should know by common sense and experience: children do better, generally speaking, when parental absence is minimised, and they do worse, generally speaking, when it is not.

Parental presence will not solve all the problems mentioned in this book, but it will help quite a bit. But unless we are ready to get real about the damage being done to our children by parental absence, things will continue to worsen. We can turn things around if we are really concerned about the welfare of our children. And this book helps point us in the right direction.

not your usual baby book. but that's why I love it! I was looking for something different and more meaningful. this book is perfect. with entries like...how we welcomed you into this world...and our hopes and dreams for you...I enjoy writing in it and love the art as well.

A beautiful book that is great for anyone, but particularly nice for gay and lesbian families, single parent families, or others who don't fit the mom-dad norm. I had a lot of trouble finding a baby book that didn't keep talking about "Dad." This is it, and it's really lovely too.

The one downside is that it's not as big and heavy-duty as some- probably not suitable for pasting photos in, for example.

Someone gave me this gift and I have bought at least 5 books for people who are expecting. It is a wonderful beautiful book for new moms.

I bought this book a couple of months ago, based on the positive ratings I'd read about it and I'm so glad I did! The images are absolutely beautiful, and there is ample space to write down memories, based on the prompts the author provides, as well as other things of your choosing. It's especially great if you're not really a fan of the usual "fill in the blank" style baby book, or if you want something else to going along side your other baby book...which allows you to go into more detail about things, or talk about topics of your own choosing. I can't wait to fill mine in!

I really enjoyed filling out this journal. I didn't start until my son was just over a year, but in a few hours I was able to jot down lots of notes from memory and fill it most of the way out. McClure includes thought-provoking questions on some pages while leaving most of the pages blank (with only the month denoted) for free-form writing. Her art is simple and heartwarming and adds an element of fun and class to the journal. After I added a few pictures here and there it seems complete, even though I don't have every white space filled out.
Please know, a 4x6 picture fills up most of a page, so there isn't a lot of room for pictures. I am using this book in conjunction with a photo keepsake book. Also, you should be aware that about half of the journal covers month 0-24 and the other half is for jotting down "firsts" and the songs you sing, books you read together, drawings, and other inspiring things.

Everything in the book is well organized, there are many different themes,each themed party includes creative tips and fun ativities on everything--from decorations to cakes to party favors.

This book is an excellent resource for parents seeking help with children's birthday parties. It is filled with lots of terrific ideas for putting it all together, including: invitations, activities, cake decorations and favors all tied in to appropriate children's themes. A perfect way to make your birthday girl/boy feel really special.

This book has no ideas that I didn't already find on free sites on the internet. What a disappointment. Ultimate Birthday Party, My Aunt Fanny!!!Save your money.

This book provides lots of idea for kids' birthday parties - themes, activities, decorations, cakes, etc. On first glance, I thought it was exactly what I wanted, and indeed, it is a help. But the problem with the book is that with very many of the activities, the children get some sort of prize - a piece of candy, a little toy, etc. And then comes the cake, soda, and goody bag on top of that. I was looking for a book that offered activities which are done for their won sake and not for the reward (also because it costs money to buy all these things). Some of these activities, of course, can be done without the prize at the end. But for many of them, the prize plays a central role, like in the activity involving a lollipop tree.

The themes are creative as well as the decorations (except for the home made piñata which is a little too fake) but the games are really very much the same ones in each of the different parties. You can just read the first one and nearly know the rest. I think they wasted a lot of paper to tell us the same things all over again in each party.

Margo's plan is beginning to take place when a little baby named Daisy is with Winston.I loved it when Elizabeth and Todd came back together.Margo wanted a shot at Daisy,but never got her.Josh goes as Sherlock Holmes to unmask Margo but Doesn't.I think he gets Jailed.All those close calls the the twins got to losing their lives.

This is a very good book! Liz gets mad at Jessica when she finds the letter Todd wrote her and liz and todd FINALLY get back together! Winston has to babysit a baby when his parents are out of town but doesnt really know how to so all the girls help him. It's hilarious when he takes her to school and all day everyone takes turns watching her. Anyways this was a really great book!!

I thought this was an exhilerating and exiting read. definitely one of Kate Williams best books to date. i would recommend it highly and you are warned once you start reading it you won't be able to put it down

I had mixed feelings on some parts of this miniseries(like Jessica throwing herself at Todd- I wanted to smack Todd for being so dumb!) but I like this one. I like how Winston is stuck with a baby, and all the girls help him take care of her. This book is like the climax of the miniseries. I also like how Margo has the final parts of her plan in place- creepy(That girl has issues!) My favorie book in this was "A Night to Remember. After that, I like this book, and my third favorite in the miniseries is "The Morning after." But I highly reccommend this book, plus the other six. (A Night to Remember, #95-100.)

SVH definitely took a new turn when Francine introduced Margo Black as a character. It made this 'series' a lot darker. I found Margo incredibly disturbing with the way, she would dispose of the children/people with such ease. I also found the 'voices' that she heard to be pretty creepy as well. I assume that she was supposed to be a schizophrenic. I think Francine did well with this new character but, at the same time, I don't think she should have turned SVH into something serious. I've always found the series lighthearted and amusing, sometimes thrilling. Yet, this 'series' of Margo stories were creepy and disturbing. I mean, this character was pretty violent, yet at the same time she looked like Liz and Jess. I found that, that just made it kinda dumb. I think that she should have wanted to take over their lives without looking like them. It would have made it a lot creepier..

This was entertaining for all my grandchildren. It was a gift to one of them for Christmas and we looked at all the pages together and then each of the three preschoolers picked it up on their own to review it themselves. I am a great proponent of this author's books and this was just a delight. Would recommend this book to anyone with a preschooler.

My 3 year old daughter loves the Carl series. While she didn't enjoy this as much as "Carl goes shopping" she still reads it all the time. The books have very little dialog and let the child figure out the story for themselves.
There are also many new things for the child to discover in the illustrations each time they read the book. I highly recommend this series!

It is great to see a rottweiller as a protagonist in a book. This book shows how important a pet can be to all of the family members. Rottweillers are wonderful family pets, and this is a cute story of Carl and his favorite little girl.

This book is adorable! There are two parallel story threads, with Carl and baby at daycare, and the daycare provider being locked out of the daycare. My 3-year-old children love it, and I do, too.

I know the Carl books are based on whimsy, that Carl can take care of baby. But seriously, the series makes me want to call CPS. Nice to see that the parents have FINALLY tried to get an adult to watch the baby. Of course, the adult is incompetent, but it's a start.

4 stars for the parents not entrusting their child to the dog!