No comments about The Family Experience: A Reader in Cultural Diversity (4th Edition).

5 comments about Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother's Soul.

1. Although I read almost every single publication of Chicken Soup, I must say this is definitely my favourite, especially that we are expecting our third child.

   Before reading this book, I must admit I was not sure if we did the right thing to concieve a third child but now I know more than missing to cherish every moment of our pregnancy.

   This book has moved every kind of feelings in us from happiness to excitement, to sadness at some times and made me thankful for this beautiful gift from God.

   This is a must for every expectant parent.




2. this book was exactly what i needed to help me love the feeling of being pregnate. during my second pregnancy i wasn't feeling all that hot until my hubby came home with the book. i read this book three times already, even my four year old loves the stories. i cried and laughed and cried some more...read this book if you're looking for something to cheer you up while you're feeling down! An excellent book--I promise!!!!



3. If you're an expectant mother you will appreciate the stories in this book. They are touching and funny and strike a universal chord that make you realize you're not alone. Five stars! Debbie Farmer, parenting author of 'Don't Put Lipstick on the Cat'



4. I really hate to give any "Chicken Soup" book less than a 5 star because I am a huge fan.
   
   I was slightly disappointed in the content of this book. I really was hoping and expecting that it would have more stories about giving birth. It says on the cover that the 101 stories inspire and warm the hearts of soon-to-be-mothers but I felt like the subjects were too general.
   
   For example, the contents are 1. We're Pregnant, 2. Nine Months and Counting, 3 Expectant Fathers, 4. Challenges along the Way, 5. Special Delivery 6. Small Miracle 7. Memorable moments, 8. On Motherhood, 9. Expectant Wisdom.
   
   I didn't find many birth stories - in fact, I don't think there was even one.
   
   However, in spite of my need for positive birth stories, I still love the stories that they put in the book.
   
   Sheri Menelli, childbirth educator, doula, speaker and author of "[...]"



5. I was looking for a book like this, one that doesn't go by month to month of what I should expect physically, medically. It's a book that gives you some perspective from personnal short stories. I brought it to read during my "baby moon" and it just made me feel whole-especially mentally. Too bad there isn't a more recent version but, I would buy this as a gift-especially for a first time mother.

5 comments about The Plug-In Drug: Television, Computers, and Family Life.

1. While Winn's thought-provoking book focuses on the sociological harms TV can cause, it falls short in other areas, namely, the spiritual and neurological harms of TV. Another book, "Television: Prelude to Chaos" by Frank Poncelet, answered some of these questions I had after reading Winn's book. I also liked the hilarious cartoons throughout Winn's book that illustrate how silly it really is to wast your life away in front of the idiot box / boob tube / one-eyed monster.



2. With this book, Marie Winn has written an arch (though lengthy) indictment of television's pervasive and largely detrimental impact on childhood culture. With sixty years' worth of data, studies and surveys as ammo, she makes a nearly airtight case for why television should be strictly limited for the elementary children and why the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that no children under the age of 2 be allowed to watch is not just commendable, but physiologically and neurologically imperative. She lays out her small mountain of evidence that the practice of ritualistic television watching dulls children's sensitivity to others, negatively affects family life, nearly annihalates their motivation to contribute to their own development as critical thinkers and, especially, critical and enthusiastic readers, and generally, is neither necessary nor desirable as the cultural stronghold it's become.
   
   Ms. Winn peppers her work with diverse perspectives from different families on the effects of television on children, from mothers who let their toddlers watch unlimitedly, to old-skool teachers who think it's ruined kid's minds. She also makes a comparative (though obviously tacked-on for the updated version) survey of computer games, video games, and online usage, arguing that it's all "screen time" and has more or less the same effect on children's intellectual and emotional productivity. She provides case studies of families who have tried to severely limit or altogether forgo television with unbiased candor (some of the families fail in their efforts, find the effort totally unpleasant, or end up going with a less radical approach than their initial cold-turkey strategy). Most helpfully, she provides practical tactics for reducing or getting rid of television in your home without causing your children and spouse to disown you. She lays out the ten most common reasons why parents fail to act on limiting their kids' television usage, then one by one, she provides solid, confidence-building reasoning against each one. After I read this section, I felt like I had a LOT more conviction in my decision making, and in applying her strategies, I will say that everything she predicted has come true: my child is indeed reading more, we are indeed spending more time together as a family, his social skills have indeed improved, he has become less aggressive and more imaginative, and we don't miss anything we used to watch.
   
   With all that said, it's important to understand this author's perspective going into this. According to Ms. Winn, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING GOOD about letting your child watch television. She acknowledges that there are "many fine television shows" and that "some may even be educational," but in the end, her thesis is that it's not the content of what your kids watch that matters, but the *experience* of sitting passively and "letting images wash over you" in a half-trance "zone" for hours that is so damaging for children.
   
   This philosophy, while in and of itself isn't necessarily wrong or bad, leads Ms. Winn to make incrementally more far-fetched and less supported claims, including that television makes children so unpleasant that it has actually caused a greater number of working mothers, is largely responsible for destroying the nuclear family, can probably be blamed for school violence (her reasoning: children whose main social experience is not with another human being but with an electronic machine can't be expected to care about other humans' well-being), is causally linked to climbing divorce rates, ADHD, the loss of music and arts programs in school, the rise in learning disabilities and autism, bad politicians getting elected (it's not like a television-educated/dependent public can be expected to make sound, informed decisions!) and... I could go on.
   
   I think that, had she simply laid out her case about the direct effect on children, this book would've been enough to convince any caring parent that TV-watching is something that, for children, should not occur unfettered. I feel, though, that she felt a need to "drive her point home" by adding all these other macrocosmic reasons to support this claim, and it wasn't just unnecessary, it was just plain hard to believe after a certain point, and undermines her entire thesis.
   
   Still, I would recommend this book to any parent. Her main point is a strong one; her case for her claims, if laden with support-overkill, is damn near airtight. If you are a parent, you won't help but question your own children's television viewing habits and more strongly consider setting limits of your own, and that, ultimately, is a very good thing.



3. This book is ultimately an opinion piece.
   The studies and science used to drive the author's point home are not explored objectively.
   One area of study the author focuses on what she feels is a detrimental effect to left brain thinking - by illustrating that television viewing engages the right brain more than the left... this point makes no sense in her argument when considering that right brain development is also important to the whole mind, and has a history of neglect in the education system.
   
   Most of her claims are borne out with 'evidence' she gleans from anecdotes. She especially likes to rely on retired teachers and other people who are unaccustomed to modern living. Surely their experience has value - but when presented with no observations from other people (giving that retired teachers must surely make up a small percentage of the educated population) is entirely irresponsible. One brief mention of her reason for this is given - that anyone younger has been brain damaged by television, and hypnotized into being its devoted disciple.
   
   Television is presented as a mindless activity - regardless of the fact that some of the most creative, talented, artistic and educated people the world has ever seen are responsible for what is produced on television. Surely there is trash TV - but there is irrefutable value in other programing, including children's programing.
   
   Her assertion that children are passive zombies (her actual words) while watching television does not bare out in the experience of many people. If a parent is disconnected enough from their child to not understand the motivations for their viewing specific programs - that parent is failing to connect - the television is not to blame. For the people that do have an actual problem, are out of touch with their kids, allow them to have televisions in their rooms at a young age and watch as much as they please - this book is of value.
   Most people can evaluate their own lives and find simple solutions. The assumption of this book is that they can not - and since some people watch more television than is healthy (for their social development), everyone should get rid of their televisions.
   
   She also insists that computers are just as bad, have no value, and should not be present in schools. Perhaps she has not toured many workplaces in the last 20 years, to see that computer skills are practically a necessity in order to put food on the table.
   
   The book preaches. It does not present facts, but opinions - and one-sided interpretetions of fact. Read the footnotes and see that her sources are entirely undependable - and often out of print. Incorrect and irrelevant information eventually dies - it is sad commentary that this book saw a reprinting.



4. this book was really eye opening. it isn't so much what is on, but the fact that the tv is on that is the problem. i have noticed with my own children that the tv causes them to behave differently. people don't want to admit that, but it is true. i feel that the book is even more relevent now then when it was first published. now that there is so much more tv to watch and stuff being pushed as "educational" more screen time in general with computers, gameboys, cell phones, yada yada... it's too much. we have gotten to the point of needing it NOW so much that we forget how important the journey is. turn off your tv/computer and turn on life!
   
   mother of 5



5. Other reviewers here have done a good job of discussing the book, particularly in regards to academia and science (whether arguing a presence or lack of).
   
   As a young parent who grew up around the TV, and someone who watched a lot of TV as a teenager and young adult I feel it would be best to describe what the book means to someone who is looking for easy to apply common sense in raising their children. This book has a lot of clear, easy to understand anecdotal and "just plain common sense" examples of how TV _may_ cause harm.
   
   This is not a book against TV, this is a book against using the TV as substitute for needed life experience.
   
   Rather than addressing the content of the TV as an issue, the author addresses the lack of content. Specifically... the lack of real-world, 2 way interaction.
   
   An early example given by the book is Nature programs. The author points out, that of everything on TV today this would seem a wonderful, safe choice for your children. But the author goes on to point out that a nature TV program is a poor substitute for real outdoor experience, where your child can personally see, touch, hear and smell, in an experience far more valuable to your child than any 2 dimensional image on a TV. The author goes on to argue that too much of such programming could actually interfere with a child enjoying the real out-of-doors as a hike through the woods to see a waterfall pales in comparison to watching tigers chase down a gazelle or water buffalo (on the T.V.).
   
   The author provides a myriad of valuable insights into the previously 'unconsidered' damage too much T.V. can do, as well as pointing out the value of the T.V. when approached carefully.
   
   I can find little fault with this book that other 4 star reviewers have not pointed out already. This is an excellent book for anyone that wants the best for their children but understands and accepts that they'll not be eliminating TV or other non-interactive entertainment from their child's life.

1 comments about The Commercialization of Intimate Life: Notes from Home and Work.

1. Good books on work-family issues give us a window into the mind of the author, describe relevant issues in ways that make sense, and tell us what we can do to improve the world.  Great books do all of this, but also give us a glimpse into the author's soul, and leave us rethinking just about everything.  Arlie Hochschild's new book, "The Commercialization of Intimate Life," falls into the latter category.  That is does so is surprising: the book is a series of essays Arlie wrote over the span of three decades.  The key arguments from her most well-known books, The Managed Heart (1983), The Second Shift (1987), and The Time Bind (1997), all show up here, along with a piece on women, work and family in India, and her recent work on immigrant nannies and the children they leave behind in less-developed countries and those they raise in developed countries.  The toughest sledding are a couple of pieces that are critical of traditional sociology but help us see the grounding for Arlie's approach, and her relationship to traditional feminist thought as well.  That the word "approach" can be used in the singular for all of this work is amazing but accurate: the body of work is all marked by an understanding of work-family conflicts and their heavily gendered resolutions, along with a deep sense of caring about the adults and children involved.  The final essay, "The Clockwork of Male Careers," is one of the earliest, and a piece Joan Williams and I rediscovered with joy when working on our recent 'Half-Time Tenure Track' paper for "Change."  In the Clockwork piece, Arlie traces the dearth of women in academia to a male model of careers that leaves no room for family, but should.  As Arlie notes in an update at the end of the piece, the arguments unfortunately ring just as true now as they did when she originally wrote the piece in 1973.   I think that is accurate, but it is also true that far more of us are working today to make things better.  A must read!

5 comments about My First Baby Signs.

1. I guess I should have looked a little further before ordering this Baby Signs book. I was looking for something that would help my daughter communicate her needs, such as "Hungry," "Thirsty," and "Tired." This is not that book. This book has signs for "Baby," "Flower," "Dog," "Ball," and other similar signs for animals and such. Nice, but not useful for our first venture into signing. On the plus side, the book is nice and sturdy, the pictures are great, and my daughter did enjoy it. I will try to find one that has the actual signs that we need in it.



2. When it comes to teaching sign language to babies, I believe it's important to stick with ASL and not "make up" signs as they suggest in this book. ASL is just as intuitive as the signs they made up for this book and it's universal. When we baby-sit for our friend's child, he and our daughter are both using ASL so there's no confusion for us as to what they're "saying". As for those who think ASL is a waste of time for hearing babies or "makes them lazy", that is total nonsense. Our daughter is 21 months old and knows over 100 signs and is beyond the norm for spoken words for her age. It's obvious to us that she feels empowered when she can excitedly tell us about a squirrel or a flower or ask for a banana smoothie without pointing and yelling and getting frustrated because we don't understand. I would recommend teaching sign language to any baby, but not with this book.



3. My little guy has learned about half the signs in the book and is so proud of himself when he does them. It seems like looking at the pictures of the babies signing gives him incentive to learn. When he does the signs he is so proud. It's a fun book to read to him, and introduces a few signs that are simple for him to learn. Not all the signs are so useful, like 'hat,' but it's an easy one for him to do.



4. My children have had a blast looking at these books! They are great, with real life babies to relate to. Fun reading for anytime!!
   
   Mother of 4



5. I am surprised to see quite a few negative reviews here on our favorite books - it looks like many people don't like the "baby signs" series of little books just because these are not based on ASL. IMHO, this is akin to criticizing a French text book because it doesn't teach Spanish. If it's ASL that you want to teach your baby, just pick books on that subject and leave these alone.
   
   My baby and I are casual signers and I have not read the author's Baby Signs book for parents, but just from my own experience as a mommy, I can think of several good reasons to use "made-up" signs instead of ASL:
   
   - If you're not already fluent in ASL, you won't need to go search in a dictionary or on the Internet every time you want to sign something new to your baby, which would mean losing good opportunities for introducing new signs.
   
   - Some ASL signs are more complicated and while not exactly difficult, can be pretty unnatural for babies to do when they're just starting to learn how to control their hands.
   
   - If baby comes up with a gesture himself that has meaning you understand, you can go along with him instead of "correcting" him.
   
   And here are some additional "pros" on this series of adorable board books:
   
   - Having the object pictured side-by-side with a baby demonstrating the sign is brilliant. The pictures of the object are often selected to include a version that babies would be more familiar with, like a stuffed animal. The pictures of the happy babies are great for your baby to identify himself with and to want to imitate.
   
   - The "review" page at the end of each book shows pictures of all the objects without the signs, so you can point to each one, say the word, and let your baby try doing the sign.
   
   - Did I already say adorable? Not only I love the pictures, my baby does, too! He not only learns the signs, but also learns to say the words with these books. "Baby" (or more like "baaa-beeeee") was one of my baby's first words, and he says it when he asks to read these books (which is all the time).
   
   And these provide such a fun and loving way for babies to learn to express themselves and communicate with their parents! Ultimately, that's what I want to do with my baby, not stressing ourselves out trying to do ASL correctly. Baby and I highly recommend all 4 "baby signs" board books in this series.

3 comments about Mommy Diaries, The: Finding Yourself in the Daily Adventure.

1. If you are a fan of Chicken Soup for the Soul books, you will be enjoy The Mommy Diaries. This is a collection of stories from famous (and not-so-famous) moms sharing their ups and downs in their own mothering adventure. Some of these stories will make you laugh, some will make you cry, and others will make you think. Young or old, if you were ever a mother...or are contemplating becoming one, this is a must read.



2. I'm not really into self-help or self-improvement books, but this book was on the list of possible choices for my mom's group so I previewed it for the group. After reading the book, I decided it would be the one our group would read. I have to say that I really enjoyed it.
   
   The book has just the right combination of mommy common sense and religion without being too preachy or religion-y. It seemed like it was a fast read because every couple of pages there was a different mom telling you her story. The questions at the end of each chapter were thought-provoking without being cheesy.
   
   The only negative thing I can say about the book is that at the beginning of each chapter the author uses sports analogies to set up the mom stories that follow. If you don't enjoy sports, then that component of the book might bother you.
   
   Overall, I would recommend this book to all moms. There are little kernels of information and nuggets of truth throughout that will help you as you travel down the road of mommy-ness.



3. Wow! I just finished reading The Mommy Diaries Book. Our Mother's Of Preschooler's group will be using this book along with our Curriculum this year. This book is fantastic! There are six chapters filled with 9 to 11 short stories. With all of us having kids underfoot it makes for easy reading. These testimonies are heartwarming and will help you grow as a wife, mother, sister and friend. Don't be surprised if you shed a tear along the way!
   We will be including this book into our meetings by setting aside discussion time to discuss the stories we have read.
   I love this book so much I already have plans to give a copy to the mom's that graduated this past year, family and friends. What a great year we are all going to have!

5 comments about On Love and Loneliness.

1. Read this book only if you are really and truly interested in finding the path to freedom from emotional dependency. The great master makes you aware with his candid elocuence of all the emotional weigh and guilt that we needlessly carry through our short life span on earth. You will learn how your mind through the thought process plays tricks on you that sometimes make you see a distorted picture of reality. This book is not to be read while watching TV or doing other tasks. You must really concentrate to get the best out of it. But if you do, at the end you will enjoy a totally new outlook in life! May you find the profound inner peace that I found!



2. Like many people, I want to know what love is..
   But if you don't know what it is, how would you recognised
   it when it presents itself ?

   In his book, Krishnamurti suggest a simple method.
   Do not seek love, instead look at each individual feelings
   that you have and ask yourself is this love or is this a path
   to love ? Do not judge but simply observe. just patiently look
   and let it reveal itself.

   Love is not attachment, nor is it detachment.
   Love does not contain fear nor is it pleasure.

   There is beauty in love,
   There is freedom in love,
   There is understanding in love,

   When you have removed "ALL" feelings/concepts/ideas which are
   not love, then what remain must be love.

   This is only my observations, and I encourage you to find your
   own.




3. extremely knowledble and practicle if one is serious to know himself. to digest what he means completely one needs to practice or try meditation as jk is mentioning.



4. Just from browsing the excerpts i can tell this book isn't for me. Anything that reads like a Trigonometry Text is better left to a person better than I.



5. "On Love and Loneliness" by Krishnamurti is a deep, thought provoking study into the myriad forms of 'relationships' and that only by renouncing the self can we understand loneliness and thereby truly love.
   
   This book provides you with important information that will surely lead to a greater understanding of yourself, and to more complete fulfillment with the relationships in your life.
   
   Krishnamurti's book is great when read together with a New Age novel, NEXUS, that is a story revealing the main character's journey deeper into his soul and into relationship with others.
   
   Nexus: A Neo Novel

5 comments about The Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide.

1. This book is a must for every parent. As a christian parent of a 13 year old daughter and two sons ages 9 and 5 this book is my reference guide for many of my questions. I DO agree with Dr. Dobson's reference about the 13 yr. old daughter and keeping track of her menstrual cycle. I learned through Dr. Dobson that as a woman I totally understand what is like with the mood swings and not being able to control these hormonal imbalances. My daughter is a christian girl with a very regular cycle that is NOT on birth control so I believe the other person that reviewed this book is totally wrong in their statements. Dr. Dobson answers the questions and helps christian parents with parenting question from birth to 18 and I thank him for this wonderful guide. All of us as parents ask the questions he answers but don't know where to turn to get the answers. He does just that for us.
   
   I give it as a gift at all baby showers now!!!



2. It doesn't surprise me at all that Dobson wants to dig into a girl's private issue regarding her cycles! This sickens me to no end! This man is really into embarrassment and children (especialy females) is his biggest target!
   
   Trust me! It is highly unusual for a woman's cycle to be so consistent! There are several factors why a woman can skip her period and it has NOTHING to do with pregnancy! It can be due to stress, change in climate, hormonal imbalances, even a plane, train or boat ride can delay it or have it come early. Dobson should have referred to a MEDICAL BOOK instead of going only on his false assumptions!
   
   Now I am surely convinced that the man is a pervert! I wonder how he would approach his daughter when he feels the need to know her private time of the month!



3. There's alot of great advice in this book, covering many topics. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for direction in marital and family issues. Like any book one reads, don't expect to agree with the author 100% on every issue, overall this is an excellent book with terrific advice and insight. P.S. I don't believe that Elaine ever read the book, and Deana is reading into Dr. Dobson's response. In the segment she refers to, there is no mention of monitoring a daughter's cycle to "be able to tell when the little hussy gets pregnant and then stop her from getting an abortion on the sly." Also, I started my period at the age of 11 and have never missed a month. As anyone knows, it is often the case that if a girl/woman has hormonal related rages, no physical evidence is needed to determine when she is on her period, her short fuse is the only evidence needed. I myself found it very helpful, and easier to remain in control of my emotions, when it was pointed out to me at a young age that my bad moods occurred almost exclusively during my period.



4. This is a fantastic book for families! As a wife and the mother of 3 young children I often feel like I have missed the mark at the end of the day. Did I do all I could to be a good example for my children? Did I handle that dilemma as best I could? And so on. Many of the topics covered are issues a family faces everyday, with sound, spiritual advice for tackling them. This book is not only for Christian families, Dobson is an advocate for ALL families and provides tools for strentgthening those relationships.



5. This book is a must for every parent because it's chock full of questions and answers on every subject of parenting you can imagine. Dr. Dobson does a great job with tackling tough issues from a Biblical perspective and sharing practical ways to implement the ideas. The answers are not too lengthy and are organized in such a way that you can find the answer on whatever topic you need quickly and easily.

1 comments about A Courtship after Marriage: Sexuality and Love in Mexican Transnational Families.

1. The book arrived within two weeks of my ordering it and was in the condition advertised.

5 comments about Life's Too Short for Tantric Sex: 50 Shortcuts to Sexual Ecstasy.

1. This is the best book you can have for great and fun sex...should be in everyone's library! This book is straight to the point, very easy to understand and completely fun to read. Hits all the things lovers are really interested in!



2. Great little book filled with wonderful, tantalizing and DOABLE sexy things to improve your pleasure with your partner. I recommend it to all my girlfriends with flying colors!



3. Wow, short and sweet sections tells u exactly what to do. No matter how experienced, this will make u better (and if u suck, then u'll be reallyyyy good)



4. I'm not impressed. I also bought Sheet Music by Dr. Leman and that was much more helpful and brought me and my partner much closer and more satisfied!



5. Short and sweet. This book gets to the point. Gave me and my husband some new ideas.