Another month of reading has passed. I finished two nonfiction audiobooks and three fiction books. Here is a short review of each one.
The Collapse of Parenting *****
by Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D.
I decided to read this book after hearing a marriage and family therapist I respect recommend it on a podcast. This book is straightforward and hard-hitting in describing the crisis we have with children and teens today (the book was written in 2016 but is even more relevant in 2022 than it was when originally written). According to the author, Dr. Leonard Sax, the crisis of our children, which includes rising rates of depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses, (as well as over-medication for such conditions), is caused by parents who are hurting their children with permissiveness and abdication of parental authority. As a high school teacher, I see the result of what Dr. Sax is talking about every day in my classroom. Children are growing up without a standard of right or wrong, and a complete lack of discipline. Kids look to their peers or the internet for direction, often with disastrous results. I wish I had read this book earlier, when my now grown children were younger, but it did confirm to me that my husband and I did most things right with respect to raising our children. I read one of Dr. Sax's other books, Boys Adrift, and found that book also spot on and very helpful. I even gave a copy to a friend who was worried about her son. Dr. Sax draws on his experiences as a family physician and psychologist as well as interviews and studies to show that parents must reassert their parental authority, discipline, set limits, dare to say NO and take back their families. Excellent book. Highly recommended for all parents, grandparents and teachers. I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads. (Library audiobook).
Cul-de-Sac ****
by Joy Fielding
Five families live on a cul-de-sac in a middle class Florida neighborhood. All appear to be living the American dream in one way or another, but all of the families have secrets, some deadly, that will change their lives, and their neighborhood forever. This is a well-written book that weaves the story lines of all five families through the tightly-crafted, page-turning plot. The theme of family violence makes the book disturbing to read in parts, but the author's message about easy access to guns and it's impact on our society, both individually and collectively, comes through loud and clear. I gave this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads. Readers who may be negatively impacted by descriptions of family violence should probably avoid this book. (own paperback).
Esperanza Rising ***
By Pam Munoz Ryan
As a young girls growing up as the only daughter of rich landowners in 1930s Mexico, Esperanza leads a wonderfully charming life. Things change drastically the day her father is killed and her despotic uncle demands that her mother marry him and send Esperanza away to boarding school. To escape her uncle's clutches, Esperanza and her mother flee Mexico and end up in California's Central Valley as farm workers. This book is their story. While the book itself if fictional, it has some basis in the real life story of the author's grandmother. I found this book to be somewhat interesting from a historical standpoint. I used to live in California's Central Valley, so it was good to learn more about the farm workers and their movement for better pay and working conditions. The author gives more information at the end about her our grandmother's true story and this historical facts in the book. This book was written for upper elementary age children, and in fact I think that at least one of my adult children read it when they were in grade school. My college age son was assigned the book for one of his college classes on the history of civil rights, which is why I decided to read it. To me, the story was mildly interesting but not compelling. I gave the book 3/5 stars on Goodreads. (own paperback).
Christmas in Harmony *****
by Philip Gulley
This novella is another delightful addition to the Harmony books by Philip Gulley. Gulley, himself a Quaker minister, writes of a fictional Quaker (Friends) congregation in the small town of Harmony, Indiana. This story focuses on the Friends congregation unconventional Christmas nativity that replaces the traditional Christmas Eve service one year. Gulley's writing style is easy to read and laugh out loud humorous, but always end with a poignant lesson that the reader discovers through the lovable, but frustratingly quirky characters in the book. Those characters become our friends, and the town of Harmony becomes like a second home. I am in love with this series and plan to read them all. I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads. (Own hardbound copy).
The Coddling of the American Mind *****
by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
As a high school teacher, mother and grandmother, I am seeing more and more the rise in depression, anxiety, lack of motivation, and a delay in adult milestones and even basic "adulting" which is described in this book. Authors Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt do an excellent job at showing how "three great untruths" have become so ingrained in the psyches of many young people that their basic psychological well-being and emotional maturity is at risk. The three great untruths set forth by the authors are (1) What doesn't kill you makes you weaker; (2) Always trust your feelings and (3) life is a battle between good people and evil people. The authors explain that embracing these truths has lead to many of the problems we see with our society and especially our young adults today. The authors explore other social trends that have interfered with the social, emotional and intellectual immaturity of young adults. These trends include overprotective parenting, social media, the "corporatization" of American universities and the emergence of new ideas about identity and justice. This is an excellent, well-researched book that should be read by anyone concerned about rising political polarization and dysfunction, as well the ability of our young people to live, work and cooperate with anyone who may not see the world they do. The book covers a lot of ground, but the authors do a good job of tying everything together and making sense of some very troubling social trends. Anyone who cares about teenagers, young adults, or the continuing dysfunctional divisions in our nation should read this book. I gave the book 5/5 stars on Goodreads. (Library audiobook).
That's all for this month's Reading Roundup. Please share what you've been reading in the comments. Any recommendations? I am always look for great reading ideas! Happy reading in December!
Until next time,
😊Deb💖
"...a mind needs books as a sword needs
as a sword needs a whetstone,
if it is to keep its edge."
~George R. R. Martin
