Judith Rich Harris - The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do

Pros: Genial, fun-to-read, original ... and THE best work of scientific argument I've ever read.

Cons: Some of her parenting advice (a very minor part of the book) bugs me.

The Bottom Line: On a subject I find endlessly fascinating - the ways kids turn into grownups - Harris not only taught me, but un-taught me first (which is waaay more impressive).

Review: (" 3. The advantage of twins is… a. Having a spare in case one blows out. b. Having both a control and experimental group to test out your theories on nature versus nurturing, love versus neglect and human parents versus wolf pack. c. Fooling ...

Pros: thought-provoking, well-written

Cons: none

Review: As a new mother, I am very glad I read this book, and I am perpetually nagging my husband to read it, as well.

This book has been dismissed by many as being "that book that says parents don't matter." This is a shame, because...

Pros: Solid reseach, easy to read, revolutionary idea

Cons: Breeziness may put some off

Review: Just why the heck do kids turn out the way they do? We all know good parents with bad kids, and bad parents whose kids are marvels. According to Harris, Freud was wrong, the Behaviorists were wrong, and chances are that you are, too.

Harris...

Pros: Intriguing book that takes parents off the hook for bad behaviors.

Cons: Ignores some important research.

The Bottom Line: Frustrated with certain behaviors in children? This book will probably interest you. I don't buy 100% of it, but challenging some closely held assumptions is good for us.

Review: ~=~ Define Parenting ~=~

Recently, some friends and I got in a heated discussion about parenting. I'm sure those of you interested in how parenting influences future citizens have given this issue some thought. How many times have you...