Family Resources Books

I enjoyed the book and it has an incredible amount of resources in it. It addressed a lot of homeschooling concerns for gifted kids. I don't feel it is a stand alone resource and maybe after a few years and some revisions it will seem more "complete".

I read several dozen books on homeschooling when I decided that my kids were going to be homeschooled. Creative Home Schooling by Lisa Rivero was by far the best book I came across. Initially I just checked the book out from the library as I did with the rest of books on homeschooling I read. I actually bought this book and am happy about it. Most of the home schooling books are designed for the average family that pulls its kids out of school, often for religious reasons. Ms. Rivera targets the audience of people who homeschool because their kids are just too smart for normal public school. She discusses different learning styles, the differences between gifted children and high achievers, child-directed learning, and asynchronous learners.

This is absolutely the best book I have read about homeschooling. It is intended for gifted children, but is so much more than that. It talks about all types of homeschooling methods, suggests materials, gives experiences from parents already homeschooling - it is just wonderful. I have given this book to friends considering homeschooling and they agree - this book is a MUST READ!

Book provides many helpful hints for homeschooling gifted children. It does focus more on families that are newly considering homeschooling so it was less of a help to me than expected. It still helped me with some insight into alternatives for gifted children and provided many lists of resources.

If you are new to homeschooling and your child is gifted, this book is a must-have. The different styles of homeschooling are reviewed and presented in an objective manner. The first section of the book deals with gifted children and why homeschooling is an ideal solution for many. The next section helps you to find your homeschool style, and the final portion is a resource guide. Informative quotes from kids and parents are liberally sprinkled through the text. Go ahead and borrow it from your public library, but you're going to want to buy it after you see it!

This is a great bedtime story in general, but it is even more applicable for those moms who travel for work and want to reassure their little ones that they will ALWAYS come home to them. (e.g. via airplane, riding a leopard, the space shuttle, etc) Wonderful illustrations! Also highly recommend her other book "I love you Stinky Face".

Kinda have to slow down reading it to my son as the pictures are so intricate and he likes to see every aspect of them, but a great story.

My granddaughter has chosen this as her second favorite book next to the original Stinky Face book..... as always it asks questions that are probably on the minds of children with whimsy answers that are reasurring... lovely pictures too!

Like other reviewers, we have two copies. One comes with me in my suitcase so I can read bedtime stories and the other one stays home so my sons can read along.

Several years ago my daughter and I saw this book on Between the Lions. We instantly fell in love with it. I missed the title and author. I've been looking for it for years. I finally found it! My daughter is now 6. She still loves it. I don't travel much, but we have family far away and are preparing her for her first extended stay with grandma. This book is perfect for reassuring her. There are books that I hope to give my daughter so that she will share with her children many years from now. This book is definitely one of them. This books portrays all the sentiments of what I would like to do for my daughter

There is no wasted verbiage in this book. Counting the index, it is but 205 pages in length. In those 205 pages are jewels of wisdom that most management teams are lacking.

The most prevelant gems are pithy observations set aside by top and bottom border lines. One example:
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"The atmosphere in most American companies is so riddled with fear of expendability that workers are afraid totell a boss what they think of his methods of managing."
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The book is organized in such a way as to point out the shallowness of bottom line neurosis and the strengths of inclusive decision making. Over and over, Dr. Jones identifies "Spirit Killers," i.e., those actions in an organization which diminish productivity and, subsequently, profitability, educational insight, and family harmony.

This book intertwines management schemes in business, education and the family. such integration serves to:
-Expose the fallacies of autocracy.
-Explore the possibilities of democracy in an organization.
-Break up management notions that have been set in stone.
-Propose better methods for bringing about civilized organizations.

The book seems to be intended as a tool in business, a text in academia, or a how to book for families. Personally, I'm inclined to recommend it to business schools and/or corporate trainers, though not to the exclusion of the other two entities.

_________________________________________________________________

Norman Jones is a leadership specialist and a keen observer of what management has done to discourage productivity. He encourages management to lift up the human spirit and to create a more harmonious work environment, therefore creating a people-oriented and inspirational place for ideas to thrive and businesses to succeed.

He compares the Autocratic and Democratic management styles. In the Autocratic world, the boss has a sharp voice, speaks in a commanding way, asserts his/her power, demands cooperation, imposes ideas, criticizes, punishes and has sole responsibility of the group. The Democratic way to run a business puts the "boss" in a different light altogether. He now becomes the "leader," with a friendly voice, he uses his/her influence in positive ways, wins cooperation, tells what he/she would like to have done, sells ideas, guides, encourages, acknowledges achievement, helps employees solve problems, discusses ideas, and shares responsibility with his team players/employees. One of the main problems in business is an impersonal approach to dealing with people.

Norman Jones calls this ..."Spirit Killing." It is one of the reasons so many people are dissatisfied with their work environments and turn to drugs or alcohol to stop the "mental pain." Spirit Killers include: distrust, ridicule, resentment, retaliation, alienation, harassment, deceit, humiliation, stress, tension, fear, sarcasm, belittlement and embarrassment.

These "Spirit Killers" produce demotivation, apathy and insecurity. Not exactly the ideal environment for a healthy productive company. Instead Norman Jones encourages institutions to create self-motivation through: trust, promoting self-esteem, giving employees a sense of belongingness, helping employees obtain job satisfaction, providing a means of recognizing accomplishments, and actually treating employees in a caring manner by listening and showing a genuine concern. When managers learn to listen to their employees the company can grow. Too often, their is a "top-down" philosophy in which all employees are dependent on their ideas from the top. This stifles creativity. Most companies which have our respect not only listen to their employees, they listen to their customers. Amazon.com is one of those companies. They answer every single e-mail from their customers in a very prompt and courteous manner.

"Today's top-down management wants highly energetic, conscientious people, but fails to see how it deprives these people of fulfillment of psychological needs that could stoke the energy." page 34

Since we all have a natural inclination to strive for achievement and need to feel job satisfaction, Norman believes America is hungry for business leaders who not only inspire us to be better human beings, but also encourage us to be internally motivated to meet company goals and be more successful in our jobs.

"When people believe they are helping a company or organization, their self-esteem blossoms." page 19

Unfortunately, modern day businesses use the threat of expendability to attempt to gain optimum productivity and in the process destroy the human spirit. Like a row of dominoes tumbling over, Norman Jones knocks over old ideas of management and shows the way with new principles and creative solutions. He focuses on how business has neglected the research available to them. He sees this as the cause of many problems.

In order to see America's work centers enter a new era of high energy, thriving and productivity in the years to come, the leaders, parents, teachers and even government will need to evaluate their approach to the current dehumanized workplace. Norman believes our country's success will depend on creating a productive arena where the thoughts, feelings and ideas of employees can be expressed. To do this managers must know how to nurture "good attitudes."

An example of a poor motivational statement which is all to common:

"Your report was a good one, but we need them faster and more often."

An example of a good internal motivational statement:

"You can sure be proud of that report; it took a lot of work."

It was also enlightening to compare two letters written by a manager to a difficult employee. In the first letter the use of "I" permeated the letter and caused it to seem demanding and arrogant. In the "improved letter," the use of "we" helped the employee to see they were an integral part of the company. In the first letter, they were expendable.

While the main focus of this book is business, a few chapters are devoted to family and the school system. I believe your religious beliefs determine how you raise your children in most cases. Norman Jones did not write this book from a religious standpoint and his book focuses on research.

This book may just be the perfect gift to give to your boss this Christmas. You may just be giving yourself a great work environment in the coming year. After all those "memos" you have to read, the least your boss can do is read an inspiring book! If you are interested in Psychology you will enjoy that aspect. If you are in management you will love the insights on how you can drive your business forward for optimal success. Your employees might even vote you as their favorite boss of all time. After all, who do we love the most in life? People who treat us fairly and give us the respect we deserve.

~The Rebecca Review

Hello; I sent in a review nearly 2 months ago and have not seen it posted. Is there a problem with it? Jim Harmon jimharmon@charter.net

Every manager wants the silver bullet that will transform his or her organization from an also-ran into the leader of the pack. Dr. Jones shows us how, without preaching. In today's environment the emphasis is always on some measurable result - profit, productivity etc. Dr. Jones reminds us the result is not possible without the journey and the journey begins and ends with how employees are treated. Great job, Dr. Jones!

Rod Walsh, Co-author - Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way

Once read, this book can be set aside for the moment, but a compelling urge requires that you return to it for insight and guidance. Dr. Norman Jones has assembled a work that reflects his knowledge of how we relate to each other within our family unit, in our business, acedemic, and social lives. We can improve our relationships within these units, by using the techniques that he outlines. It is not just our own genetic make-up that determines out actions, but it is how we are treated by the people in our lives that have the most influence on us.

Maybe, just maybe, Dr. Jones' approach to the humanistic values in our relationships, expecially between students, their teachers and parents, could have helped prevented the violence that is currently happening in our schools.

Keep it on your bookshelf for inspiration and guidance, go back to it when you need help in any personal relationship, on the job, in your school, or within your family.

Thanks to Dr. Norman Jones for his insight and for this exceptional publication.

Gary Nelson brings new insight to overcoming teen depression in this caring book with sensible solutions that he has learned through his experience with his own son. Parents with a teen who is in the throes of clinical depression just feel that they have no place to turn for help. He advises to stop excusing behaviors and to learn to deal with the issues.

Depression and resulting suicide is the leading cause of teen deaths; that is a frightening premise, and gives us reason to fear for our children when we see behavior that could indicate depression instead of just the usual ups and downs of puberty. Nelson addresses the confusion about just what depression is, and how it manifests itself differently in various individuals. It is a clinical disease that often runs in families, but this book will help you to recognize real depression in your teen. Nelson gives you the knowledge to explore the many dimensions and levels of the disease.

That the whole family should have professional therapy is a must. Certainly you will all live with frustration, and frequently desperation. Nelson also addresses spiritual issues, and this book expounds Christian values. It considers other faiths, too, and addresses the importance of faith in the life of a depressed teen. Gary Nelson and his family show what worked for them, and the main point of the book shows that parents must just keep loving their child through his progress in overcoming depression and all of the discouraging backslides that he may experience.

This book is highly recommended for parents, teachers, and counselors dealing with teenagers, as well as the teens themselves.

This book does a great job capturing how depression really does feel and effect a family. I've gone through depression myself, and I've never been able to find the words to express how it feels or how it effects anyone, but the author seems to be able to do a good job of doing so. I don't think you can ever know how it feels or what it's like until you go through it yourself, but if you read this book, you can possibly start to see it through a sufferer's eyes.

Thank you so much for sending me the book you wrote about your family's journey through depression. It was a wonderful book, and one that I believe can help many. I think it gives parents a real tool for understanding and moving through a child's experience with depression.

I believe that your son Tom does give one of the best descriptions of depression I have ever heard - 'It is like being beaten from the inside'. Your additional description of that does it justice: `Take a moment and let that sink in. Recall a picture you've seen of a person who has been severely beaten. Sometimes the bruising and swelling are so bad that the victim's features are grotesquely contorted. The bruises, cuts, and scrapes on the outside scream the agony the beaten soul must suffer from deep within. Every bone in their body aches, every muscle throbs. Maybe it even hurts to be touched.'

That is how it is. The pain of depression hurts so bad, so much on the inside, you become numb and the person you are becomes distorted. And then you do whatever they can to actually feel something to get rid of it (including drinking, self-mutilation, drugs, eating disorders, sex, and more). It gives a temporary high to an endless despair.

I encourage parents to read this book, as not only do you provide insight and ideas on how to work with children that are dealing with depression, it gives validation.

I commend you on providing a very useful tool that can help so many.

In A Relentless Hope: Surviving the Storm of Teen Depression, Gary Nelson offers to teens and their parents what he has learned from walking closely with his son through prolonged depression, and from counseling many struggling teens and their families. His book testifies that God is at work in our world, offering hope and new possibilities that can transcend even life-threatening mental illness. One of this book's strengths is its warm and empathetic approach to suffering teens and their parents. Recognizing how much stress the illness of one of its members places on the whole family, he cautions parents against turning frustration with the illness into anger toward the teen. He encourages parents above all to "just keep loving them."

Nelson's accessible theological reflection is another of the book's strong contributions. He argues that teens need both "a theology that works in the midst of the suffering" and "the opportunity for God to be present through our patient presence."

I wish that as a teen with depression I had had someone like Gary Nelson to lean on and offer hope, to help me understand what was happening to me and encourage me to extend myself some grace. I especially commend A Relentless Hope to parents and other adults who love someone with depression. While some teens may find the hope Nelson writes about through reading his book themselves, most teens with depression will benefit from companions who embody the acceptance and encouragement that Nelson fosters.

A Relentless Hope: Surviving the
storm of teen depression
By Gary E. Nelson
A Review by Pat Sullivan, Editor Healing Magazine, www.kidspeace.org.

Gary Nelson chronicles his son's fight against depression and how they joined together as a family to bring Tom back. Gary is a minister turned pastoral counselor who provides interfaith counseling youth with problems very much like his son's, which makes he situation even more poignant as one reads about Tom's slide downward into a depression that nearly took the young man's life.

Gary wrote this wonderful little book for teens, parents, teachers, counselors and pastors in hopes of teaching them the signs and how to help them bring other youth from the brink of deep, deep depression.

Tom had been a normal kid who played baseball very well and had many friends. Around the time he entered high school, he started pulling away from the friends and activities he had previously loved and began feeling "sick" and unable to attend school. He spent more and more time in his room and literally days in bed, and he would have fits of rage during which he would throw things into his walls and ceiling, one day almost shattering his bedroom door. He left the baseball team in anger over criticism by the coach and withdrew from all of his friends. Eventually he came to realize that something was wrong, but he had no control over it. He described it to his parents as "feeling like he was being beaten
from the inside." His sleep patterns changed, he was irritable and angry a lot of the time and was unable to focus on schoolwork, sports or relationships with his friends and families. It was perhaps harder for Gary to watch considering that he was a counselor himself yet unable to reach his own son. Gary also became very concerned that Tom may turn to suicide to stop the pain he was experiencing.

He makes the point that parents need to work "with" their depressed children rather than trying to "fight it" with anger and recriminations. Gary strongly suggests asking your children if you can help them develop a plan for getting through it but not trying to pressure them into feeling better because they have no control over it and feel like greater failures if they cannot meet parent expectations. He also suggests trying to get them into counseling but make sure that you find someone to whom your child can relate and talk. In some cases, medication can help, but that is a big decision that must be made on an individual basis.

Gary and his wife were willing to try some creative and even risky ways of
helping Tom fight his depression and accompanying anxiety, allowing him
to start working at a young age and getting his GED rather than finishing a high school he just could not make himself attend. They bought him a car and encouraged his interest in music, even heavy metal if it made him feel that someone understood his pain.

There are so many strong and hopeful messages in this book to help families get through a child's depression in tact, still spending quality time with other children and not allowing this illness ruin a marriage. Tom is married and doing very well as an adult now, and Gary even describes the wedding that was moved at the last minute due to hurricanes. This wonderful little book speaks of faith and love and hope and a family's decisions to fight to help their child no matter what it took.
It is an inspiration and well worth reading if you have any contact youth who are debilitated by depression.
Copyright 2008 KidsPeace. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

It was not what I thought. I thought it was a book to read to kids, instead it is a WONDERFUL workbook with ideas, activities, etc. Definately for teachers but very useful even for this grandma!

I am an Elementary School Counselor. I got this book to help me put together small groups for some of my students. The book is wonderful. It is full of great and effective ideas. I bought many resources in the past, and this is by far the best one to help children understand and work through anger.

The premise of the book is that anger is okay and natural, and you do not need to feel ashamed or scared when you are angry. You can talk about your anger, and try to physically calm your body, but you cannot be abusive and hurt yourself, others, or property.

If you are a parent hoping to help a child with anger issues, this is probably not the best book for you. It is basically a series of lesson plans designed for teachers/counselors to use when teaching students about anger and constructive ways to manage their anger.

OTOH, I do plan to adapt a few of the lessons for my family. There are a few useful stories and worksheets that could reinforce some of the messages I am trying to get through to my children, such as: using "cold water" words to diffuse someone else's anger; figuring out "what lit the fuse" for an outburst of anger; slowly escalating your words "using your muscles" to explain when someone is bothering you, rather than exploding all at once; and coming up with "safe ways" to express anger, among others.

I am a developmental and behavioral pediatrician, who has worked with children for many years on issues of emotional control. I have training in hypnosis to help children learn to envision their emotions, the behaviors of their emotions, and how to become the boss of their emotions. I have found this book to be an excellent adjunct to helping them with the idea of visualization of how anger and axiety affect them.

I really feel that people working with children exhibiting anger, should review this book to understand how anxiety might look depending on the child. Research has shown that many angry children (and adults) reach that behavior from anxiety that keeps building up until they need to address it some way.

Excellent short workbook for kids with anger problems. Probably most appropriate for kids between 5 and 9. Highly reccomended.

This is a great feat - to take such a complex situation as a disfunctional church and explain clearly and simply the dynamics that may be at play. A few things I thought were very helpful:
* a discussion of the brain's capacity to function at different levels according to stress and anxiety levels
* the nature of anxiety and its role in a family system/congregational system (particularly when shared around)
* ways to reduce anxiety so that we can function at our problem-solving best
* the role of pain in moving us forward in better directions

So much of what has happened in my past and present congregations was resolved in me by reading this book. It is helping improve my leadership greatly.

I would hightly recommend this book because it gets the the heart of the issue about how conflict develops between church members as a result of our family background. Steinke gives practical insight into our own ways of looking at church situations through the lens of the family systems theory. Even though it is a short book it is packed with good things and definitely a must read, especially for church leaders.

I was the pastor of a troubled church and was relocated after 20 months. This book provided me with much understanding of the dynamics of church life. I wished I had it when dealing with my struggles. Now that I am in a new church, I am writing a thesis based on my former church using this book and others to do a case study.
A great read for clergy and lay alike.

Murray Bowen caused a stir in the fields of psychitry and psychotherapy when he suggested that families were emotional systems, and that only by stdying the system could one begin to understand the behavior of individuals within the system. Now that his ideas have gained wider acceptance, many thinkers in this field, like pastor and psychologist Peter L. Stienke, have begun to explore the application of systems theory in other contexts. This book presents an excellent introduction to systems theory in the context of a church or synagogue congregation, which function as their own emotional systems much like extended families. Steinke does an excellnt job of introducing systems theory for pastors, church leaders, and others who may want to better understand the way that emotional reactivity influences not just individual congregants, but the whole congregation. Those who have little background in this area will find Stienke's book clear and approachable.

Peter Steinke is a Lutheran pastor and director of the Interfaith Pastoral Counseling Center in suburban Chicago. His career has been one of studying and advising the dynamics of disfunctional churches and counseling pastors who have been hurt by said churches. "How Your Church Family Works" is an introduction to systems theory as it relates to interpersonal dynamics within a church and has been very helpful for this reader.

Steinke begins by introducing the concept of systems--that every unit in a system effects and is effected by every other unit in that system. He then covers how systems work--always seeking to remain stable, even if that stability harms most or all the people in that system. He then moves into a discussion of forces that stabilize or change a system (anxiety, closeness, etc.). Finally, after weaving theory and example to the point that the reader has a fuller understanding of systems theory, Steinke shows how individuals within a system can effect change for the better.

The overriding theme in in "How Your Church Family Works" can be "knowledge is power." Steinke accurately describes the "tunnel vision," the pressure to conform to others' idea of what your role in a system should be, and the tendency of people within a system to focus on other people in that system and blame them. However, through understanding systems, the way they work, their flaws, and how to be an angent of change, one can make an ineffecient, stifling system a productive, nurturing system. They key is knowledge and "big picture" thinking, and defining one's self.

In all, this book has been incredibly helpful as I continue to reflect upon my experiences at a church with a dangerously crushing emotional system. Steinke's book empowers one to be agents of positive change in situations that may be difficult to understand, let alone control. Highly recommended.

Like any book in this genre this book will not actually help you unless your "motivated" to change your own behavior. It's simple, easy to read, and practical. It shows you the keys to changing your perspective on on how motivation actually works in yourself and others. I enjoyed it.

Being a cardiac rehab nurse and spending a lot of time each day trying to get people to change their lifestyles to create better health, this book caught my eye. After reading it, I found the principles instantly useful for me to use at work. They can help anyone get motivated to get past the barriers that keep them from making changes to improve their health. Additionally, the book is short and to the point which is good for a busy Mom like myself.

Along with helping to build my motivation, this little book was straight to the point and very easy to read. In this short story, the author combines his personal experience, and research to convey the importance of motivation through how ready the person is to change their daily habits for the better. The author tells about the patients he encountered during an internship opportunity and how change (no matter how big or small) helped them become motivated to do better. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels as if small change wouldn't be significant in their life. This book would dramatically change their opinion and make them want to strive for a better lifestyle. The Sixty-Second Motivator offers its readers simple steps (referred to as "secrets") to follow through with their improvement. It was enjoyable to read and very eye opening!

I read this short book within a space of an hour. It is straight to the point, and is written in the style of a story. The author is a Physical Therapist and tells the story of when he was a student and he visited a senior Physical Therapist in a hospital as part of his training. He learned how to motivate someone within 60 seconds to undertake therapy by increasing importance + confidence in the patient. Although this book was essentially about how someone was able to increase his patients' motivation, this can also be applied to other areas of your life - for any goal. It is an easily understandable read and if you are looking for a way to increase motivation quick then look no further than this book.

This is a great book for anyone to learn about how to motivate yourself or others. It's in a very simple story format without a lot of exercises like other self-help books. Very good book - I highly recommend it to anyone that needs to know more about motivation.

This is a great book even if you are not a Generation Xer. This book will help you understand the cuurrent generation of paretnts. If you happen to be a Generation Xer and a parent, you will love this book. It will help you understand yourself (Oh, that's why I do that.) It will even help you understand why those from other generations don't understand you. Sitting down with this book is like sitting down and talking with a close freind.

If you can name the members of the "Brat Pack", wore leg warmers, or can still recite the lyrics to a Cyndi Lauper song, then this book is for you. Children of the 1980s are fondly referred to as Generation X. Tricia Goyer's book Generation NeXt Parenting explores the parenting styles of this generation. Tricia's insight from her own childhood lead her to change her parenting style to separate her from her baby boomer parents. This book is easy to pick up and start reading from where you left off. She has a style of writing, which incorporates original text, Biblical reference, quotes from other parents, and 156 other cited authors. She is able to bring each chapter together with an 80's song lyric which brought back a lot of my teen memories. In this day and age we are inundated with an overwhelming amount of how-to books. However, this book offers a practical approach to parenting with a study guide to develop your parenting skills. I would recommend it to fellow Gen X'ers.
~Heidi of Chadron MOPS

Okay, I admit it--I'm not a Generation X mom; I'm a boomer mom, but the mom of several in the next generation and now the grandma of one and one-to-be. However, I found Tricia Goyer's book engaging, immensely helpful, understanding and just plain fun. I'm giving it to my daughter--who often feels the older parenting books just don't "fit." The author has done extensive research on parenting, has lived the ups and downs of being a mom to several kids (one from her teens), and has studied and incorporated the wisdom of scripture. I highly recommend this book.

For a few years now I've been a fan of Goyer's novels, with their realistic details, believable characters, and fast pacing. "Generation Next Parenting" is my first introduction to her non-fiction skills, and I'm suitably impressed. Here, too, Goyer deals with believable scenarios and honest struggles that Christian parents face.

I am the father of two daughters, ages 12 and 14. My wife and I have parented from the onset with the belief that we want to prepare our kids for life, not just protect them from it. Goyer finds that balance in this easy-to-read book, offering encouragement and philosophical angles to raising children. The pages are rich with spiritual insight, Scriptural foundations, and bits of humor. The quotes from Gen-X bands (Chicago, Gloria Estefan, Talking Heads, etc) add a light touch to these sometimes serious issues.

If you're struggling with your own generational parenting style, if you're wondering how well you are doing in God's eyes, or if you're just interested in a wise, yet never pompous, guide to "getting it right," then Tricia Goyer's book is for you. (And don't forget to check out here great fiction titles!)

"Generation NeXt" turned out to be an intriguing read for me. I am on the line between Boomers and GenXers. Different sources have placed me in each camp, so if I'm a GenXer, I'm an old one.

My review will be from the perspective of an old GenXer with a teenager and young adult children. At times, as I read "Generation NeXt" I felt exactly that, old, but then I'd turn a few pages and identify with exactly what Tricia had penned.

Had I read this book when my children were younger, I think I would have gained insight leading to freedom from some guilt baggage I lugged around for far too many years.

Tricia's "Generation NeXt Parenting" is an encouraging pat on the back with plenty of spiritual and practical challenges tossed in. She doesn't take traditional problems and toss out advice on how to handle it as much as she covers the holistic issues of parenting and Christlikeness.

If you are looking for another parenting book that has an index and multiple tips on how to handle potty training, you won't find much in "Generation NeXt." However, if you desire to dig to underlying motivations on your part and your children's behaviors, there is help offered here. Of course, a lot of the advice is what we who call ourselves "Christian" know because it's preached from the pulpit, radio and other books. But it bears repeating until we "get" it. Tricia gives practical ideas for how to get on track or back on track spiritually so that you can be the parent God calls you to be.

I learned far more from "Generation NeXt" than I thought I would. Tricia peppers her thoughts with those from other struggling parents and facts regarding the unique building blocks GenXer's have been given.

I thought of several friends who have younger children who could benefit from this book and intend to get a copy to them.

As a mother of a child who has SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder), I thought that this book was fantastic. My son is 11, and I never really sat down to explain to him what was going on inside his body, and how he processed and integrated his senses. This was such a help, and he loved it. It was the first time that he was so engaged that he would turn to me and say "Mom, that is just like me." I am sending him to school with it for his teachers and aide to read as well. We have known since he was 3 that he had a sensory integration issue, but most of the literature is geared for that age group, and not for the preadolescence age group. It was wonderful to actually read something that not only helped me to understand more, but most importantly, help my son understand how his body works. Carol Stock Kranowitz comes through again.

This is an extremely helpful book for anyone who has a person in their family with a sensory processing disorder. Easy to understand; examples and explanations of "symptoms" and ideas for exercises to help cope with the disorder. Recommended highly.

The Goodenoughs Get in Sync: A Story for Kids about the Tough Day When Filibuster Grabbed Darwin's Rabbit's Foot and the Whole Family Ended Up in the Doghouse--An ... Introduction to Sensory Processing Disorder
My 8 year old son has Sensory Processing Disorder and loves this book. It is written in first person of a boy who is 10. It is very humorous and enlightening at the same time. His entire family has sensory issues of different sort.
Highly reccommend it.

It was very interesting as the children in the story shared what activites help them get in sync. What was relaxing and what elements of the activities were useful to relaxation, organization etc. Although I did not notice the age group recomendation I will keep the book as it is useful to the parents and grandma and will become my grandson's book when it is more level appropriate. I say that because he is very advanced when it comes to stories and reading.

While my child is too young to read this book on his own, I know it will be helpful for him in the future. As a parent of a child with sensory issues, I found that it helped enhance my understanding of his issues immensely (e.g, what HE is experiencing on a daily basis and how it might make him feel). The more insight and understanding a parent has on these issues, the better you can help your child. I highly recommend purchasing it.

Reading this book is like cozying up with a warm blanket. The authors provide so much detail that you feel like YOUR grandmother is sitting in front of you, recounting the tales. The book spans the decades, from the early 1900s to the late 1970s and throws in a bit of history/current events to place the family's hostory in context. Great book!

At the center of Mama Flora's Family is the indomitable spirit of Mama Flora, the matriarch of an extraordinary family of destitute Tennessee sharecroppers. The characters are so real and believable it made this reader feel that I was right there with them experiencing all their trials and tribulations, as well as the joys. This book is much more than a poignant, hard-to-put-down story of a Mama Flora and her descendants from 1920 to the late 1990s. It, for the most part, effectively weaves into the plot much of what has transpired in American/African-American history during this time period (e.g., life for African-Americans in the South, the rise of the Civil Rights movement, the Black Panthers, the Nation of Islam, the Viet Nam war, political repression under Idi Amin, etc). Mama Flora's Family is a rich, resonant family novel that cuts across the barriers that divide us to touch the hearts of people of all races and backgrounds. I highly recommend this excellent, emotionally-packed posthumous novel written by David Stevens based on Alex Haley's notes and research.

This novel is one of the best I have read. Alex Haley and Stevens express a kind of compassion from a grandmother/mother that no one could do better. It's a very emotional book, and touches everyone that has ever experienced a good book. Once you start it, you can't put it down!

This book made you feel apart of it. I loved it! I loved the history, the story, the emotions and how it wove a story of a loving family working their way through life. This is a must read.

Pretend that there is a really good review here. I loved reading this novel. It is one that is vary hard to put down because you can't help wondering what is going to happen next.