A Nation of Wimps: The High Cost of Invasive Parenting by Hara Estroff Marano
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Book Reviews of A Nation of Wimps: The High Cost of Invasive Parenting
Book Review: Food for thought, but a half sandwich would have been fine
Summary: 4 Stars
I agree with other reviewers that this book was rather repetitive and could have been 1/2 or even 1/3 the length. That aside and being the first book of this nature I've read, it is essential reading for all parents and educators. The title will turn off the target audience that needs to read it the most. The first few chapters will give you a taste of the rest of the book. The Crisis on Campus is well worth reading and perhaps, the best chapter of the book! The research points are sprinkled in enough to save the reader from losing interest. I read half the book, the college chapter, and skimmed the rest. Her cell phone arguments seems a bit of a stretch...that they limit kids from reaching outside their social circles. Conclusions: More free play, no more silver spoons nor pillows for every anticipated fall. Book Review: An extended essay with a lot of repetition
Summary: 3 Stars
The major theme that wealthier children are weakened by overprotection is compelling, but the idea is belabored to full out the 264 pages. That said, there are more hits than misses. Higher income parents would be well served by reading and taking seriously the idea that too much sheltering of children makes them fragile and unable to face adult life. Ms Marano has very solid critiques of perfectionism and the parental quest for disability status for their children. I have taught public schools and have seen how much damage has been done by the disability industry: damage to children, schools and society. There are fine discussions of real versus imagined risk in chapter 4, on the damage done by cell phones in chapter 9 and on the need for stress in chapter 10. On the miss side, chapter 5 goes overboard on the benefit of unsupervised play, chapter 8 sounds strident alarms about college life as if there weren't problems in the 60s when I was there, and the school described in chapter 12 would only convince people who have never taught school.Book Review: Sensationalism--no more, no less.
Summary: 1 Stars
The author is combative and singles out--what she perceives to be "smothering"--parents as the source of all that is wrong with the world.
Sorry, I don't buy it. Is it a bad idea to smother your child? Yes. Is the "helicopter parent" the only source of trouble in today's world? Hardly.
Also, her glaring generalizations about home schooling parents and their children are an insult even to those of below-average intelligence.
There are many loving and wonderful families who choose to educate their children at home through tutoring, distance learning, and/or through teaching them on their own. Yes, some may be control-freaks, but it is unfair to paint an entire group of people with that brush simply because you, the author, personally, prefer another method.
If Aristotle was correct regarding the notion that virtue lies between the extremes, then this sensationalist book falls short of being virtuous on a variety of levels. But, if you are a reasonable adult, it is easy to guess that much from the title alone.
Estroff-Marano's book belongs in the dustbin with the rest of the rubbish. It is banal, it is repetative, and it does very little (if anything at all) to solve any current societal/parenting problems in a productive manner.
Book Review: Makes a good article, not a book
Summary: 1 Stars
I was initially drawn to this book based on the blurb on the cover. While I agree with the author that there are an increasing number of children in the US similiar to those she profiles in her book, the author sums up the bulk of her research and general thoughts on this topic in the first chapter. The remaining chapters are a move fleshed out version of chapter one. Several times I felt that the sentences I was reading were verbatim the ones set out in the first chapter! I was looking for a bit more depth.
The author concludes with a chapter on what parents can and should do to prevent raising their children in this manner. The recommendations are not anything that I (or most readers) would not have guessed before picking up the book. If you are interested in this book, read the first and last chapters and you won't have missed anything from the chapters in between.
Book Review: A Most Important Book for Our Times
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is extremely important for the survival of American culture. It demonstrates, from many different and well-documented perspectives, the serious dangers that threaten the initiative, creativity, independence, and moral fiber that have distinguished our country throughout its history. It is an absolute "must read" for anyone concerned about our future. Get it, read it, and pass it on to all your friends; better yet, get them to buy it too!