Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls

Amazon.com

There is little sugar but lots of spice in journalist Rachel Simmons's brave and brilliant book that skewers the stereotype of girls as the kinder, gentler gender. Odd Girl Out begins with the premise that girls are socialized to be sweet with a double bind: they must value friendships; but they must not express the anger that might destroy them. Lacking cultural permission to acknowledge conflict, girls develop what Simmons calls "a hidden culture of silent and indirect aggression."

The author, who visited 30 schools and talked to 300 girls, catalogues chilling and heartbreaking acts of aggression, including the silent treatment, note-passing, glaring, gossiping, ganging up, fashion police, and being nice in private/mean in public. She decodes the vocabulary of these sneak attacks, explaining, for example, three ways to parse the meaning of "I'm fat."

Simmons is a gifted writer who is skilled at describing destructive patterns and prescribing clear-cut strategies for parents, teachers, and girls to resist them. "The heart of resistance is truth telling," advises Simmons. She guides readers to nurture emotional honesty in girls and to discover a language for public discussions of bullying. She offers innovative ideas for changing the dynamics of the classroom, sample dialogues for talking to daughters, and exercises for girls and their friends to explore and resolve messy feelings and conflicts head-on.

One intriguing chapter contrasts truth telling in white middle class, African-American, Latino, and working-class communities. Odd Girl Out is that rare book with the power to touch individual lives and transform the culture that constrains girls--and boys--from speaking the truth. --Barbara Mackoff

Book Description

Dirty looks and taunting notes are just a few examples of girl bullying that girls and women have long suffered through silently and painfully. With this book Rachel Simmons elevated the nation's consciousness and has shown millions of girls, parents, counselors, and teachers how to deal with this devastating problem. Poised to reach a wider audience in paperback, including the teenagers who are its subject, Odd Girl Out puts the spotlight on this issue, using real-life examples from both the perspective of the victim and of the bully.

Customer Reviews:

On the upside..........2007-06-09

What an incredible walk through our nation's schools--though only eye-opening because I didn't realize how prevalent my own experiences were among others. How sad that girlhood aggression has been labeled a "culture". On the upside, that ought to give it the attention that such destructive behavior is due. I know, I know, it's been said before: EVERY girl and her mother needs to read this.

Good to get it out there.......2007-05-02

I think the value in this book is its ablility to open up discussions about this subject. For generations, nothing has been said about it. Parents, teachers, school administrators, nobody wanted to talk about it. Without that discussion, nothing will ever change.

Odd Girl Out is beautifully written, sometimes heart-breaking, often maddening. I would have liked to have seen the author offer more solutions to the problem, but overall, I think it is a very valuable book and would recommend it to anyone with daughters.

Odd Girl Out---the book.......2007-04-15

Great book, very easy to read. Parents and girls should read this.

Interesting interviews, but feels repetitive and incomplete........2007-04-10

In Rachel Simmons' book, "Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls," she introduces us to three hundred girls from thirty schools across the country. Blasting the stereotype that girls are the kinder, gentler sex, Simmons' premise is that girls are taught to "be nice" and to "make friends," and, as a result, are unable to express anger that might destroy the façade of friendship. Because our culture does not grant girls "permission" to confront conflict directly, Simmons asserts, there exists a "hidden culture of silent and indirect aggression" consisting of "backbiting, exclusion, rumors, name-calling, and manipulation to inflict psychological pain on targeted victims." Simmons remembers how she felt when a third grader named Abby told the other girls not to play with her; she remembers her own responsibility in giving another girl the silent treatment. It is from that base of personal experience that Simmons conducted her interviews.

The book consists of Simmons interviews...many, many interviews. Over time, the interviews begin to seem mind-numbingly similar. Natalie's story, Lisa's story, Molly's story, Dina's story...each story becomes repetitive. At one point, I set the book aside for a week and found that I had lost my place. I attempted to find the exact page where I had stopped reading, but I found that it was impossible to do so. Since none of the stories stood out distinctly in my mind, I gave up my search for the "right" page; I picked a random early chapter that I knew I must have read already and resumed my reading.

I enjoyed reading the book, even given its repetitiveness problems, and with a lifetime of experience being the "odd girl out," I found it somewhat cathartic to read stories of young women who had experienced similar trauma. Simmons does some things well. Her explanation of the devastating impact of girls' aggression is compelling, and she does an excellent job of describing the dynamics of the hidden aggression. In addition, Simmons relates the various interviews in a compassionate and thoughtful manner.

Where she does not succeed, however, is in giving her readers tangible suggestions about ways to address the problems she emphasizes.
Odd Girl Out contains two hundred and seventy pages, but it is only during the last thirty of those pages that Simmons addresses possible solutions to the problems she outlines. In those thirty pages, Simmons tells readers to talk to their daughters, to tell teachers about what is happening, and to make sure that teachers take the problems seriously. Those are reasonable suggestions, but I wanted more. I did not find a plan to keep these things from happening to my young adult daughter in the first place, nor did I find a plan of action in the event these things happen to my daughter. It is not enough to recommend we talk to our daughters and to their teachers - my friends and I could suggest that plan to one another over a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Simmons has made a good first step in raising awareness of the problem. She needed to work harder, though, to provide parents and teachers with skills and with plans for action when facing these issues.

Now I understand why some girls are suddenly so mean!.......2007-03-14

I read this book in preparation for my daughter's middle school years. I can honestly say it helped prepare me the first time she came home in distress over a friendship that had taken a negative turn. It gives insight into what might be going on in a girl's mind when she suddenly starts displaying RA tactics, and the devastating effects it has on both the aggressor and the victim.

My daughter took great comfort from this book as well as the companion book, Odd Girl Speaks Out - they helped her understand her friend's possible motives and gave her some tools to use to turn the situation around. It also helped me open up a dialogue with her school, who were very responsive. RA can be overcome, but you have to educate yourself and your community. Sometimes this has to start with the parent, not the teachers. This book is a fantastic first step.

For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Roots of Violence

Average customer rating:

life changing book
Permission to Know
Liberation from destructive beliefs
The most enlightening book I've ever read
Cry it from the Mountain Tops

For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Roots of Violence
Alice Miller
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Truth Will Set You Free: Overcoming Emotional Blindness and Finding Your True Adult Self
Thou Shalt Not Be Aware: Society's Betrayal of the Child
Drama of the Gifted Child
Banished Knowledge: Facing Childhood Injuries
The Untouched Key: Tracing Childhood Trauma in Creativity and Destructiveness

Accessories:

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0374522693

Amazon.com

Miller explores the backgrounds of extreme cases of self-destructive and violent individuals to further her theories on longterm consequences of abusive childrearing. Her conclusions about what creates a drug addict, a murderer, even a Hitler, stray far from psychoanalytic dogma about human nature. Miller paints a jolting picture of the violent world each generation helps shape when traditional upbringing, with its hidden cruelty, is perpetuated. She also offers a way out by striving to resensitize the child in the adult, to unlock an emotional life frozen in repression.

Book Description

For Your Own Good, the contemporary classic exploring the serious if not gravely dangerous consequences parental cruelty can bring to bear on children everywhere, is one of the central works by Alice Miller, the celebrated Swiss psychoanalyst.

With her typically lucid, strong, and poetic language, Miller investigates the personal stories and case histories of various self-destructive and/or violent individuals to expand on her theories about the long-term affects of abusive child-rearing. Her conclusions—on what sort of parenting can create a drug addict, or a murderer, or a Hitler—offer much insight, and make a good deal of sense, while also straying far from psychoanalytic dogma about human nature, which Miller vehemently rejects.

This important study paints a shocking picture of the violent world—indeed, of the ever-more-violent world—that each generation helps to create when traditional upbringing, with its hidden cruelty, is perpetuated. The book also presents readers with useful solutions in this regard—namely, to resensitize the victimized child who has been trapped within the adult, and to unlock the emotional life that has been frozen in repression.

Customer Reviews:

life changing book.......2007-02-22

I wish that everyone in America, no, in the world, could or would read this book. I imagine what a different world would be born out of the consciousness and the compassion that this book brings to light. It has helped me to become aware of how little I have ever been allowed to experience or express my authentic responses in life. This knowledge, of course, then suddenly opens up the doors for the feelings I have banished all of my life. If you care about children, if you care about humanity, if you care about yourself, read this book. I believe that the ideas contained within it offer hope for the understanding and transformation of so much suffering that is present in our world. If you are able to take in its content, it will change your awareness. This book is well worth every dime and minute that I spent on it. One of the most important books I have read, and I read A LOT.

Permission to Know.......2006-04-10

I remember reading "Great Expectations" in school and feeling a shock of recognition when the narrator mentioned that he'd been "brought up by hand." I realized I had been brought up by hand too; by the palm of the hand, the back of the hand, or whatever implement was near enough for that hand to grab and swing. After the smack or swat came the welts and the tears and then the command to "stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about." As a rule, a natural response to that pain and humiliation was not allowed. Nor was any other expression of frustration or anger. Not only did I not have a right not be physically harmed, but I didn't have a right to my feelings about either.

Alice Miller's words have given me a context in which to understand my childhood experience, and to begin to look at it honestly as well as the effect it's had on my life. While I know have a better understanding of why I adopted various personal characteristics and made certain choices as an adult, her book has helped strengthen a resolve I formed as a child: that if I ever had children of my own, I would never use physical punishment on them; I would never deny them their feelings as I'd been denied mine.

Today I have a three year old son who at least doesn't know what it's like to be beaten by the parents who are supposed to love and protect him, or to have his feelings and his personhood denied. I decided a long time ago that if I could help it, my children would know that there's a better way. Alice Miller's words give me hope that there is such a way, and that I might find it if I continue to pay attention.

Liberation from destructive beliefs.......2005-07-27

"For Your Own Good" is a powerful book about the inhuman, monstrous treatment of children that so many people and societies practice, accept and defend. It brings about the vital understanding that we must change how we treat our children and that we must end and abolish the violence directed against them in order to create a world without violence. It makes us realize that children are the most vulnerable, weak human beings, who need respect, love, compassion, forgiveness and mercy. It helps us see that we must take seriously our own childhood pain so that we may overcome its consequences and grow as parents.
Ever since I read "For Your Own Good", about 25 years ago, I have wanted to write about the impact, which this book has had on my life. Then, within a few days, I read it twice. I felt as if my mind connected with something hidden inside of me that I had always known. This book gave me the hope that I was not born with the hopeless suffering and self-hatred that depressed me and stole my aliveness, creativity and self-confidence. It empowered me to realize what I had known all along--that the way I was treated as a child was wrong, and that the childhood pain I had endured had formed me, my mind and life in destructive, tragic ways.
For the first time in my life I felt that I was not alone but as if there was someone at my side who encouraged me to look at things in my own way, to trust my feelings, my perceptions, observations, and thoughts, and to question the paralyzing obedience and blindness I had been raised with, which had eradicated that I could know and be true to myself.
It was a tremendously powerful experience. I entered therapy for the first time two years later, and from then on my life changed its course profoundly. (More about that can be found on my website, especially my essay "Facing a Wall of Silence.)
"For Your Own Good" opened my eyes to the abuses and cruelty that had been my childhood reality, but that I was trained to ignore, overlook and regard as "for my own good." Through reading this book, I became consciously aware of that this was not true--something I had been emotionally aware of, without being allowed and able to feel it and to think it. It described the meanness and cruelty that had filled my daily life as a child--but that I had had to perceive through my parents' eyes. Their physical, verbal and emotional attacks turned me always, and without fail, into the guilty, bad and evil one.
It took many years to unburden my mind, body, and soul from these mountains of guilt I was buried under and to accept the painful reality that my family was unwilling to hear and support me. I owe my life and freedom to the clear and unapologetic insights, which Alice Miller's "For Your Own Good" provided me.

The most enlightening book I've ever read.......2005-02-20

Reading this book only one year ago illumined so many things about the world for me, and aided in my coming to very necessary realizations about my own life. I saw a lot of myself in the story of Jurgen Bartsch; not in his actions, but in his history. It is his story, told in his own words that come to put a true, human face back onto his visage. Alice Miller's gentle, sympathetic yet forthright examination of his life and that of Adolf Hitler as well as Christiane make this work so penetrating and incredible; and yet that is what makes so many people run from it.

It is a continuing, mass delusion that has kept the facts of what really caused the Holocaust from coming to fore until this book. So many have the attitude that "history must be taught," despite the fact that listing events with no real explanation (as social or cultural theories cannot really explain most things) is not really productive, and what is most important to understand is one's own, personal psychic history.

The insights that can be gained from this, and all of Alice Miller's other books truly need to be made available to all of the world; her courage in continuing to publish these works is inspiring, and I hope I'm not the only who feels that way. We still have a chance to awaken, to quell the sleep of emotional blindness that allows for apathy and senseless cruelty to run the world. We, as damaged children, need not continue to destroy ourselves or each other because of the trauma and lies fed to us so early in life by our parents and other adults who did not deserve the 'respect' they so unquenchingly demanded of us.

As a reply to another review here:
Alice Miller's work is as uncompromising as the title of this book is. Someone who makes statements such as "the child sets the limits" clearly does not agree with people such as 'james dobson' who advise sexual abuse (spanking) and manipulation towards innocent children under the guise of 'discipline.' I've read almost every one of Alice Miller's books, and she speaks out against 'discipline' in all of them, because 'discipline' is just the latest word to be used for continuing the cycle of abuse, used because it isn't fashionable anymore for pedagogues to be more explicit and claim that children are actually demons.

Cry it from the Mountain Tops.......2004-02-05

This book should be recommended to all civic organizations that deal with children and families. It should be distributed in churches, synagogues and mosques. If we want to save our families and our future, we need to know what has formed violence in our world. It starts in families.

Miller is balanced in her approach telling that violent families beget violent offspring. Telling is her chronicling of the late 1800s and early 1900s Europe spawning the generations that produced Nazism.

Can we learn from our mistakes and save our future generations from violence, crime, brutality and retribution from the abused?

This book is a must for parents to help them to understand the difference between discipline and abuse and avoidance of future angry generations.

Hidden Messages : What Our Words and Actions Are Really Telling Our Children
Average customer rating:

These messages are obvious

Challenging me to better parenting!

Most powerful book I've ever read!

Wonderfully written....Important topics

Devoted parents!

Hidden Messages : What Our Words and Actions Are Really Telling Our Children
Elizabeth Pantley
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books | Codependency | Conflict Management | Dating | Divorce | Friendship | General | Interpersonal Relations | Love & Loss | Love & Romance | Marriage | Mate Seeking | Nonmonogamy
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Kid Cooperation: How to Stop Yelling, Nagging, and Pleading and Get Kids to Cooperate

Perfect Parenting

The No-Cry Discipline Solution: Gentle Ways to Encourage Good Behavior Without Whining, Tantrums, and Tears (Pantley)

The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Gentle Ways to Stop Bedtime Battles and Improve Your Childs Sleep (Pantley)

When Anger Hurts Your Kids: A Parent's Guide

Accessories:

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0809297701

Book Description

What are you really telling your children?

Elizabeth Pantley, the creator of the bestselling No-Cry parenting books, shows you how to improve the hidden messages behind your words and deeds. She shares with you other parents' stories that demonstrate how they unknowingly sent their kids negative messages through their words and actions. After each story she provides a gentle lesson by showing the child's perspective on the same scenario and offers suggestions for a positive outcome.

Download Description

In Hidden Messages, parent and educator Elizabeth Pantley shares stories drawn from hundreds of parents that demonstrate how they unknowingly send their kids negative messages through their words and actions.

Customer Reviews:

These messages are obvious.......2005-10-11

I bought this book because I loved the No Cry Sleep Solution. After reading the first three examples and the "hidden" messages, I was completely disappointed and returned the book. I found that I didn't even need to finish reading the chapter to guess at what the message was. In one of the chapters, Pantley uses an example from her own parenting. I thought, okay, now she's going to share with us one of her mistakes and how she learned from it, and was about to give her some credit for being honest with her readers. Unfortunately for me, in this example she comes out having done everything correctly (not doing her child's homework project for him) and a number of her son's classmates' parents are in the wrong. Don't we all know that the child should do his/her OWN homework? And maybe by not allowing him/her to do the homework, we are saying that he/she isn't capable of doing it? Or that mom or dad will always be available to tackle the complicated stuff? I don't think that we need a book to figure that out. These messages are anything but subtle.

Challenging me to better parenting!.......2004-11-15

Reading this book has been a seriously eye-opening experience for me. While I "knew" that our children are little sponges and take in everything around them, I had no idea how many "hidden messages" I was giving my daughter that were so negative. I truly saw myself as an excellent and attached parent, and I still do, but this book has truly called me to a deeper parenting model. Not everyone comes from a wonderful family of origin, and this book showed me how many things I was passing on that I had no intention of teaching my daughter. I recommend this book to every parent!

Most powerful book I've ever read!.......2004-04-20

Powerful is the only word to describe this book. I can't believe the impact it can have on your life. I think if all parents were required to read it before their children were born our world would be a place I'd be more than happy to raise my 2 children in!
Jessica Hudson
Sexy & Stylish Maternity Clothing and Nursing Clothing at Eva Lillian Maternity & Nursing Boutique

Wonderfully written....Important topics.......2004-03-04

Powerful eye-opening messages that expose the errors in our innocent daily actions with our children. Each chapter opens with a very typical and common parent-child situation. You'll be nodding in agreement as you'll see yourself displayed clearly. Then the author presents a description of the Hidden Message shown in the action and you'll stop and restructure your thoughts on the insightful take on a seemingly harmless interaction. For example, if you always do for your child by packing his lunch, tieing his shoes, cleaning his room then you may be robbing him of the ability to take care of himself. Every parent should read this book - and the younger your child the better. Excellent.

Devoted parents!.......2003-06-18

Once again Pantley has done it. What a fabulous window into myself and my children. I must confess that I think I am a most devoted and conscientious parent. With a background in early childhood education, I feel well prepared to competently reer my two boys. But Elizabeth's book has me re-examining some of my everyday decisions, such as cleaning up after my three year old or staying after him to do it. More importantly, reading certain scenarios was a reminder to me that every interaction with my children has an impact on their fragile little developing personalities. And frequently the impact is more far reaching than I anticipate.

Hidden Messages is not only valuable information. It also compellingly written by an author who is as competent and experienced as she is earnest and compassionate.

Book Description

In her twenty years as a clinical psychologist, Annie Rogers has learned to understand the silent language of girls who will not–who cannot–speak about devastating sexual trauma. Abuse too painful to put into words does have a language, though, a language of coded signs and symptoms that conventional therapy fails to understand. In this luminous, deeply moving book, Rogers reveals how she has helped many girls find expression and healing for the sexual trauma that has shattered their childhoods.

Rogers opens with a harrowing account of her own emotional collapse in childhood and goes on to illustrate its significance to how she hears and understands trauma in her clinical work. Years after her breakdown, when she discovered the brilliant work of French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan, Rogers at last had the key she needed to unlock the secrets of the unsayable. With Lacan’s theory of language and its layered associations as her guide, Rogers was able to make startling connections with seemingly unreachable girls who had lost years of childhood, who had endured the unspeakable in silence.

At the heart of the book is the searing portrait of the girl Rogers calls Ellen, brutally abused for three years by her teenage male babysitter. Over the course of seven years of therapy, Rogers helped Ellen find words for the terrible things that had happened to her, face up to the unconscious patterns through which she replayed the trauma, and learn to live beyond the shadows of the past. Through Ellen’s story, Rogers illuminates the complex, intimate unraveling of trauma between therapist and child, as painful truths and their consequences come to light in unexpected ways.

Like Judith Herman’s Trauma and Recovery and Kay Redfield Jamison’s An Unquiet Mind, The Unsayable is a book with the power to change the way we think about suffering and self-expression. For those who have experienced psychological trauma, and for those who yearn to help, this brave, compelling book will be a touchstone of lucid understanding and true healing.

Customer Reviews:

Rogers trusts her readers.......2007-08-19

I am not an expert in this field.
This book was an introduction to a deep way of thinking about humanity.
About Freud and psychoanalysis.
The book takes the reader through a process. The authors experience, clues, cases, clues, structure, clues. Trusting the reader, Ann Rogers takes the care to let our consciousness unfold. The material and stories of the girls and of her reactions is frightening. Horrifying. Her technique of not blaming the perpetrator nor leaving the victim in the sole role of victim was difficult but at the same time open doors to understanding the past, the behaviors and the future.
I can't recommend it more highly.

At a loss for words.......2007-02-24

It's probably not a coincidence that it is difficult to put into words what Annie has communicated in her book about the hidden language of trauma. Through her entrancing and lyrical use of language, she somehow magically illustrates how the invisible marks of trauma on the body repeatedly surface through the spoken--and more importantly non-spoken--language. In her work with traumatized children, Annie mirrors back traces of their unconscious she remarkably detects in both their words and silences, and ultimately helps the child to give voice to the haunting "unsayable."

Admittedly, I am still trying to process all that was said in this book. And as I do so, I take comfort in Annie's final words of the book when she said: "..if your body in pieces has begun to speak, and if you are now brimming with words and their sounds--and you're no longer sure of what you're hearing or saying...you are the one person I've written this for, the one to whom I entrust these words."

Profound, inspiring, helpful!.......2006-11-30

I'm a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I'm just beginning to deal with it at the age of 17. An older friend of mine sent me this book in hopes it would help.
I didn't expect it to help so much.

I went through it with a highlighter, marking all the meaningful, important lines; each page is near fully yellowed.

I read this book in a week. I could not put it down.

Highly, highly recommended--not only for CSA survivors, but for psychologists, and anyone else interested in understanding.

Illuminating.......2006-08-22

With an emphasis on words and the associations we make with them, Rogers unveils how some children continue to re-experience and re-live past trauma. First, she describes her own childhood crises in a narrative that is both revealing and intimate. She describes her state in ways that allow one to experience it as she had, instead of something simply as foreign and "over with." Then, through example, we follow her as she tries to understand what the children's gestures and words are trying to "say" without their being able to verbalize it. However, she uses the children's own meanings of things (instead of simply standard symbolic meanings) to re-explain to them what has happened and how it continues to persist in their lives, unwittingly. This is what keeps it fresh and real. Moreover, throughout the book, there is an unstated underlying stream of empathy and relatedness. A great book.

The Wonder of Girls : Understanding the Hidden Nature of Our Daughters

Average customer rating:

a woman of authority
The Wonder of Girls
How to raise a selfish daughter!
A must read for Dad's
See girls for the unique and special individuals they are

The Wonder of Girls : Understanding the Hidden Nature of Our Daughters
Michael Gurian
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Household Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Child Care | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Wonder of Boys
The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons From Falling Behind in School and Life
What Stories Does my son need?: A Guide to Books and Movies that Build Character in Boys
Nurture the Nature: Understanding and supporting Your Child's Unique Core Personality
The Good Son: Shaping the Moral Development of Our Boys and Young Men

ASIN: 0743417038

Amazon.com

In The Wonder of Girls, Michael Gurian aims to bring us new insights into the lives of our daughters in much the same way he attempted to open up the lives of adolescent males in The Wonder of Boys. While many of the chapters read like lessons in biology, plenty of parents will find useful tidbits and reflections from this father of two.

Gurian emphatically agrees with Deborah Sichel's (Women's Moods) idea of "A woman's biology is the cornerstone of her mental health." He elaborates on this theory throughout his discussion on the physical changes in childhood and adolescence. This concept certainly holds some validity, but there's a fine line from here to "biology is destiny." Some readers may find Gurian crosses that line with his claims of "brain pruning" and insistence about hormones: "they don't just change a girl into a woman, they are, to a great extent, the woman herself."

Others find his recommendations on hormonal treatments to be a literal lifesaver, and the book is peppered with positive anecdotes from his own life and families encountered in his training sessions. Important issues like self-esteem, eating disorders, and sexual experimentation are all addressed, along with the role of the father and "the absolute sanctity of motherhood." Gurian offers a somewhat narrow path as a guide through your daughter's adolescence, but if nothing else, this book will provide a solid background in the physical aspects of her growth. --Jill Lightner

Book Description

A revolutionary approach to raising girls that combines groundbreaking research with practical parenting advice.

In The Wonder of Girls, as in its predecessor, The Wonder of Boys, Michael Gurian presents radical and enlightening views of parenting. Using as his springboard up-to-date scientific research on female biology, hormones, and brain development and how they shape girls' interests, behavior, and relationships, Gurian offers crucial information for fully understanding girls' basic nature. As such The Wonder of Girls is essential -- and riveting -- reading for anyone involved in raising daughters.

In a culture caught between traditionalism and feminism, Gurian, himself the father of two girls, debunks long-standing myths about girls and presents a new vision that provides for the equal status of girls and women, yet acknowledges their nature as complex and distinct from men. He explains what is "normal" for girls each year from birth to age twenty; what developmental needs they face in each stage; and how to cope with developmental crises such as early sexuality, eating disorders, parental divorce, and more.

With his scientifically based developmental map of girlhood, Gurian helps parents to get to know their daughters from the inside out. Challenging our culture to embrace this crucial piece of the puzzle, The Wonder of Girls elevates the dialogue on parenthood.

Download Description

Michael Gurian, whose national bestseller The Wonder of Boys presented a radical and enlightening view of parenting sons, now offers a groundbreaking approach to raising daughters. In The Wonder of Girls, Gurian, himself the father of two girls, provides crucial information for fully understanding the basic nature of girls: up-to-date scientific research on female biology, hormones, and brain development and how they shape girls' interests, behavior, and relationships. He also offers insight into a culture mired in competition between traditionalism and feminism and a new vision that provides for the equal status of girls and women yet acknowledges their nature as complex and distinct from men. He explains what is "normal" for girls each year from birth to age 20; what developmental needs girls face in each stage; how to communicate effectively with girls; and how to cope with developmental crises such as early sexuality, eating disorders, parental divorce, and more. With personal insights, practical tips, real-life anecdotes, and accessible science, The Wonder of Girls creates a new parenting paradigm. Key elements include: a nature-based approach to why girls are the way they are the connection between the need for profound attachment and the physical and brain development of girls support for a girl's inherent need for intimacy tools to protect girls' self-esteem and emotional life a new approach to girls' character development and rites of passage. With this scientifically based developmental map of girlhood, Gurian equips parents with a comprehensive guide for raising daughters. Challenging our culture to examine and embrace a crucial piece of the puzzle missing thus far, The Wonder of Girls elevates the dialogue on parenthood.

Customer Reviews:

a woman of authority.......2007-04-16

I am a working mother of three children - a son and two daughters. I bought The Good Son, Shaping the Moral Development of our Boys & Young Men by Michael Gurian, and picked up The Wonder of Girls, Understanding the Hidden Nature of Our Daughters, also written by Gurian, simply because if I'm going to buy a book about the boy, as an Equal Opportunity Parent, I feel compelled to buy a book about the girls, even though I generally feel much more confident in my ability to parent my girls than I do my son. After I bought these books, I checked some reviews and was a little put off by one review that classified The Wonder of Girls as an attempt of a man trying to tell women what their nature was when he, by nature, could never have a true understanding of women. I decided to start with The Wonder of Girls because, frankly... it's the shorter of the two. And I was a girl once upon a time, so I figure reading it will be like eating cotton candy... sweet but requiring little effort. I couldn't have been more wrong, and I find myself rereading passages many times. Gurian includes a great deal of scientific detail, neurological information about how male and female hormones shape our reactions and development, and debunks a great deal of the argument that boy and girl behavior is all due to socialization. Gurian doesn't dismiss it entirely, nor does he try to assert that generalizations about the biological nature of women are absolute for every woman, but makes a very strong case that while socialization plays a role in behavior, socialization has been overemphasized and biology has been grossly underemphasized. I don't know a mother who hasn't lamented on the difference between her boys and girls... even mothers who, like me, have been committed to raising sensitive young men who are not afraid of their emotions and who, like me, are committed to non-violence... mothers who have banned toy weapons and violent media, only to find her preschooler happily shooting her with the pistol he made from Lego's or Connex (you know, those toys we buy in part because they are CONSTRUCT-ive rather than DESTRUCT-ive) in a gleeful game of cops and robbers that he is happy to play all by himself. If these mothers are also blessed with girls, they've often compared and contrasted stories of their girls turning their brothers' toys into babies, and sticking baby dolls under their shirts to nurse them.

Sometimes I reread a passage several times to fully let the meaning sink in, or to examine some of the knee jerk reactions I feel and separate what I have been taught from the truth that I have always felt to be true. There is a very strong emphasis on mothering in this book (and for the record, there is also a section in the same chapter about fathering), and also an emphasis on the fact that was we mother our daughters, we are shaping future mothers. I'm not so young that I don't remember being told, perhaps not in such blunt terms, what and where "my place" is. At the tender age of five or six years old, I asked my mother what college was. She told me it was where girls go to meet their husbands. So there are certainly times when the Femi Nazi in me rises up at any hint, no matter how remote, of what my role or "duties" are as a woman or mother.

But even in the midst of those knee-jerk reactions, I sense truth in this writing, and also realized that this is a book written BY a parent, FOR other parents... would it be complete if there wasn't an emphasis on the importance of mothering? A comment someone made to me keeps coming to my mind. A good friend of mine, who is not a biological mother, asked my then 6yo daughter what she wanted to be when she grew up. My daughter responded, probably with little hesitation, that she wanted to be... a mother. This child has been telling me, since the tender age of three, that she wants to be a mom... and not just a mom, but a mom who cooks. Imagine that... thirty years of fighting for women's rights, and my daughter wants... no, she yearns... to be barefoot, pregnant, and standing over a hot stove.

My friend relayed this story to me, with the lament that "they" sure start conditioning girls at a young age. I was not offended, but I was definitely at a loss. I had no idea how to explain to my friend how incredibly proud I was that my daughter thinks the highest aspiration... above being a dancer or cowgirl... is to be a mother, or why I think that's such a GOOD thing. I almost felt like it was time to surrender my feminist card and oust myself.

I was raised in a very dysfunctional family by a woman who very clearly had grown to resent the imposition of responsibilities that she had chosen for herself. Watching her anger and bitterness as she pushed more and more of the responsibility for mothering my siblings onto me, I vowed time and again that I would NOT be having children. I remember overhearing my grandmother lament sorrowfully that she was sure I would never have children of my own because my mother had robbed me of my childhood and forced me to become a parent far too soon. That I have become a mother, and done it with such grace that my daughters, as well as my son, want to have children of their own is a source of pride, the depth of which I cannot even begin to explain. They can see the pleasure it brings me to nourish not just my children's minds and hearts, but their bodies. My daughter's desire to become a mother is not a result of social conditioning... she, like my son, sees the joy that mothering has brought to me, to my life... and despite how hard the job is, they both see, through my living example, a sacred purpose in it.

So back to this book... there were many times where, while reading this book, my eyes stung with tears. When terms like "womanism" are defined and expanded upon, when the concept of the intimacy imperative and the three family system are offered as vitally important to women and girls... concepts that fellow mothers and I have discussed in different terms, but at length. There were times where I felt a sweet ache in my throat as well as I read something that filled me with a sense of pride in the job I am doing and complete awe in the sheer sacredness of the task I have undertaken. I'd like to share one such passage.

"...even as I study world cultures, it strikes me powerfully that we are, should we choose to assert our ability, capable of helping to innovate a sacred role for girls and women that is among the most unlimited, and also among the most well ordered, in the world.

...In all languages, whether moder, mater, meter, maternus, or matr - mothering is the highest ideal in female life, the most universally respected. And one etymological fact that is perhaps of greatest interest to us in the wake of thirty years of experimenting with the possibility that women didn't need to define a sacred role for themselves is this: In its linguistic roots, mothering is associated with being a woman of authority as well as being a female parent of children. For our age, this expansive definition of mother seems most fitting."

Needless to say, if you have daughters, I highly suggest reading this book. Even if you are not a parent, I think you'd find this book informative and enlightening.

The Wonder of Girls.......2007-01-31

We are thrilled to have this book! It was referred to us by our Dr. so as to help us understand the interworkings of our two little girls. I am sure that we will be reading and rereading this book for years to come!

Doug Vogel

How to raise a selfish daughter!.......2006-11-20

I was thinking this book was written from a Christian perspective. WOW, was I wrong. If your desire is to raise a WORLDLY, EGOTISTICAL, SELFISH and IMMORAL daughter then this is the book for you. I gave this book 1 star because zero and below was not an option.

A must read for Dad's.......2006-11-09

Wow, there sure are a lot of angry feminists out there. They obviously need to get a "3 Family system" going in their lives! But enough, here is the book review.

I felt that this book lent many insights into the makeup (emotional and physical) of girls in a very positive light. Being the Dad to a 7 yr old girl, I have noticed sooooo many differences between her and her twin brother. Why does He like sports, she likes dolls? It has been this way her entire life and now it makes sense. It is very biologically based with hormones leading the way.

This book will help you prepare for the future; for me, the adolescent girl. It will help you understand what to expect, prepare for, and handle as your girl gets older.

My only critique is that the book has little in the way or charts, pics or tables. It would help those of us who are time pressed, like we full-time Dads!!!

Enjoy this read...........I am going to get his book on "Wonder of Boys" next......

See girls for the unique and special individuals they are.......2006-11-04

A father of two daughters recomended this book to me. I really like its take on gender and raising my own daughter in this day and age. The Gurian book about boys was really great for insight into my son and men in general. I like Christianne Northrop's Mother-Daughter Wisdom for the mother/daughter relationship.

Crouching Father, Hidden Toddler: A Zen Guide for New Dads

Average customer rating:

Great Gift for New Dads!
Misinformation
Fun to read, Great for new/soon-to-be Fathers
clever and funny
Fun reading for the new dad

Crouching Father, Hidden Toddler: A Zen Guide for New Dads
C.W. Nevius
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Love, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Household Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Fatherhood | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Keeping the Baby Alive till Your Wife Gets Home
Father's First Steps: 25 Things Every New Dad Should Know
Daddy Cuddles
Mack Daddy: Mastering Fatherhood without Losing Your Style, Your Cool, or Your Mind
Daddy Needs a Drink: An Irreverent Look at Parenting from a Dad Who Truly Loves His Kids--Even When They're Driving Him Nuts

Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 0811852075

Book Description

Crouching Father, Hidden Toddler contains the treasured wisdom that will help new dads master the Buddha-like patience required to be on the receiving end of projectile pureed spinach, sleep-deprived moms, and toys with Some Assembly Required. Experienced dad and aspiring guru C.W. Nevius expounds on the ancient concept of wu wei (i.e., going with the flow) as well as some handy tips picked up from kung fu movies. An array of short essays ponder on such koans as What is the sound of one child napping? Also revealed are such proven parenting techniques as apprenticing with a learned sensei that is, the father of a child who doesn't bite. Whimsical illustrations and a winning compact format make this a perfect gift for Father's Day and co-ed baby showers. Warm and encouraging, Crouching Father, Hidden Toddler provides the one necessity for any samurai facing a Mt. Fuji of diapers: laughter.

Customer Reviews:

Great Gift for New Dads!.......2007-09-17

This was my husband's favorite of all the gifts we got. We don't agree with all the advice in the book, but it is very funny. We have had several laughs together as he reads me funny excerpts. It is also the perfect "bathroom book" for men, as it is mostly one-pagers. Dads are often forgotten when it comes to gifts for expecting parents. My husband was happy to have something just for him and I love to see his enjoyment as he reads about becoming a dad.

Misinformation.......2007-08-27

Admittedly I only scanned this book in the store but frankly, the author lost me when I read:
the reason babies are nocturnal is because the night nursing staff has more time to play with baby and therefore they associate night with play.

Come on are you serious? Babies are more likely confused because they are rocked to sleep while mom moves around during her day and then when she settles down at night baby no longer lulled by the movement and wakes up to play.

Fun to read, Great for new/soon-to-be Fathers.......2007-07-16

Dads have worries too, even though often they are not as vocalized as the new mom. This book is written by a father for fathers and takes away some of the worry, offers perspective, and reassures the new father that everything will be fine. This is one of the best things I recieved as an expecting father. Well written, great insights.

clever and funny.......2007-03-12

This book is funny but also has some helpful advice and insights, such as don't forget that the baby monitor is on when you go to check on your baby when you have guests - they will be able to hear you! My husband found some of his experiences validated, and we've enjoyed it together when he reads it aloud to me while I'm breastfeeding.

Fun reading for the new dad.......2007-01-18

I got this for my son in law when my g'daughter was born. The writing and illustrations demonstrate a sense of fun. There's nothing innovative in the text, but there's a sense of re-assurance to the new dad who's nervous about whether sleeping through baby's initial wake-up cries will scar her for life.

The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child: Helping Your Child Thrive in an Extroverted World

Average customer rating:

Excellent for understanding adults and children
A must have for parents, teachers and families of introverted children
True...Completely True
Good for parents and teachers
Great for Parents!

The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child: Helping Your Child Thrive in an Extroverted World
Marti Olsen Laney
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Personality | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World
The Happy Introvert: A Wild and Crazy Guide for Celebrating Your True Self
The Highly Sensitive Child: Helping Our Children Thrive When the World Overwhelms Them
The Shyness Breakthrough
Nurturing the Shy Child: Practical Help for Raising Confident and Socially Skilled Kids and Teens

ASIN: 0761135243

Book Description

Introverted children are often misunderstood, even by their parents, who worry about them. Engaged by their interior world, they’re often regarded as aloof. Easily overwhelmed by too much stimulation, they can be seen as unmotivated. Content with just one or two close friends, they may be perceived as unpopular. Parents fret that they are unhappy and maladjusted. But the truth is quite different: Introverted children are creative problem solvers. Introverted children love to learn. Introverted children have a high EQ (emotional IQ) and are in touch with their feelings. They take time to stop and smell the roses, and they enjoy their own company. They are dependable, persistent, flexible, and lack vanity.

How can parents help their introverted children discover and cultivate these wonderful gifts? Help is here. Written by Dr. Marti Olsen Laney, author of The Introvert Advantage with 74,000 copies in print, The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child fully explains introversion as a hardwired temperament, not a disability, and tells just what parents need to do to help their child become the person he or she is meant to be—and succeed in an extroverted world. Beginning with a 30-question quiz that places a child on the introvert/extrovert continuum, The Hidden Gifts shows parents how to foster a climate that allows introverted kids to discover their inner strengths; schedule ways for a very young innie to recharge those batteries and teach an older child to do it for him- or herself; create a harmonious household with siblings, and parents, of different temperaments; help innies find success at school, sports, parties, and other group activities.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent for understanding adults and children.......2007-05-31

I bought this book to help understand my 10 year old daughter, who is an "innie". It has helped me understand her and my "innie" husband. It also made me realize you can't "convert" an "innie" to an "outie", and now I wouldn't even want to. The book helped me realize that being an "innie" is ok, even wonderful, in our "outie" world.

A must have for parents, teachers and families of introverted children.......2006-12-23

This a wonderful book! I feel that it has a great mix of scientific as well as real-life wisdom. Our 4 yr old son is very introverted and it was often hard for us to help him handle social situations. His personality can be hard to figure sometimes and this book is wonderful at describing the internal workings of an introverted child - and how to help them thrive. I am often referencing this book to help teachers, friends and family to understand his unique personality. I am reading this book for the second time...this time with a highlighter in hand to mark the many points that I often tell others about.

True...Completely True.......2006-04-11

As an introverted person, this is a very valid book detailing the characteristics of an introvert. I have gone through many of the situations decribed in this book. A must buy if you know someone with this personality. A++++ Book.

Good for parents and teachers.......2006-04-01

As an innie, I appreciate any resources that help others to understand the different learning styles and needs that introverts have from extroverts. I don't need a scientific explanation of why I am different, but do need to be understood for who I am. I am pleased to see that one of the reviewers found this valuable both as a parent and as a teacher. I wish more teachers would be open-minded toward our differences, and accepting of the different needs of different children. Too often children are expected to fit into one mold, and if they don't then they are labeled as difficult or uncooperative (or learning disabled).

Great for Parents!.......2006-02-05

As an extroverted parent, I was nervous when my son showed signs of being an introvert. I was worried that he wouldn't survive in our extroverted society. Even though my son is 9 mos. old, this book helped me understand and appreciate him. I don't believe the author's main point to this book is to scientifically explain the introverted child. I think it is to explain how to help facilitate our child's world so that it helps them be "them."

I can already see a difference in how my son reacts to me and the world. He is overall happier because I take the time to understand him. I am a teacher and it also helps me take another look at how I relate to my innie students.

If you are confused about your child's quiet behavior, I would definitely recommend this book to you!

BTW, I like that the author uses the term "innie" and "outie."

Not Much Just Chillin': The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers

Average customer rating:

Interesting, but draw your own conclusions
pleased
From a middle school principal...
I know how it is,
Not as I was expecting

Not Much Just Chillin': The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers
Linda Perlstein
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

School-Age Children | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Rollercoaster Years
Tested: One American School Struggles to Make the Grade
Too Old for This, Too Young for That!: Your Survival Guide for the Middle-School Years
Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls
This We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents : A Position Paper of the National Middle School Association

Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers
Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0345475763
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Book Description

Suddenly they go from striving for A’s to barely passing, from fretting about cooties to obsessing for hours about crushes. Former chatterboxes answer in monosyllables; freethinkers mimic everything from clothes to opinions. Their bodies and psyches morph through the most radical changes since infancy. They are kids in the middle-school years, the age every adult remembers well enough to dread.

Here at last is an up-to-date anthropology of this critically formative period. Prize-winning education reporter Linda Perlstein spent a year immersed in the lunchroom, classrooms, hearts, and minds of a group of suburban Maryland middle schoolers and emerged with this pathbreaking account. Perlstein reveals what’s really going on under kids’ don’t-touch-me facade while they grapple with schoolwork, puberty, romance, and identity. A must-read for parents and educators, Not Much Just Chillin’ offers a trail map to the baffling no-man’s-land between child and teen.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, but draw your own conclusions.......2007-05-06

This is a thoroughly researched book at one middle school. Be careful taking the insights as generalizations. It uses good stories and provides lots of information, but makes no judgments or suggestions as to how to help your middle school student or what works with them. It also seems almost dated in reference to technology since it has already progressed to the point where most middle schoolers have cell phones, text messaging, email, etc. On the positive side, the study into relationships between parents and middle schoolers and friends is thought-provoking.

pleased.......2005-09-07

I am very pleased with this purchase. It was just the book I needed to add to my collection of middle school literature.

From a middle school principal..........2005-02-17

I heard Linda speak at the National Middle School Convention in 2003. During her presentation, she used quotes from this text. I was so intrigued, I purchased the book that day and read it in its entirety throughout the following days.
Reading this took me back to my time as a 'junior high' student. The feelings came rushing back and that experience has changed many of the ways I deal with my middle school students each and every day. I recommend this to my teachers as it provides a unique, humorous and sometimes touching insight into the 'tweenagers' we encounter.
The book is well written and kept a reluctant reader VERY interested. I highly recommend this book to middle school teachers and parents of middle-aged children.

I know how it is,.......2005-01-22

First of all, everyone that says this book isn't accurate is retarded. I go to WSMS and this book is so right it's like it was written by an eighth grader. She does a great job, perhaps you people don't have the insight to realise this book goes deeper. This book even helped me understand myself, I recommend it to girls and boys my age (eighth grade) who are looking to see through the eyes of another. It's hard being who we are, and this kinda makes it easier. :)

Not as I was expecting.......2004-12-29

I suppose I was looking for a "how to deal with it" from an someone educated in the field. This was more like a "here's what happened in this school" book. I was left saying to myself, "That's what happened in that school then. What about what is happening in schools in other regions of the country (which makes a huge difference), and how does a parent successfully respond to the changes and conflicts that my kid is going through?" Some of the story lines were interesting, but did not help me at all. I regret buying the book.

Hidden Treasure: A Map to the Child's Inner Self

Average customer rating:

A Pleasure to Read and Consider

Hidden Treasure: A Map to the Child's Inner Self
Violet Oaklander
Manufacturer: Karnac Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Windows to Our Children: A Gestalt Therapy Approach to Children and Adolescents
The Handbook of Gestalt Play Therapy: Practical Guidelines for Child Therapists
A Comprehensive Guide To Child Psychotherapy
Strategic Family Therapy
Helping Abused and Traumatized Children: Integrating Directive and Nondirective Approaches

ASIN: 1855754908

Book Description

Hidden Treasure is a follow up to Oaklanderâ€™s best selling book, Windows To Our Children. It contains material that she has developed over the last 27 years.

The book provides an approach to working with children and adolescents that involves a variety of creative, projective and expressive techniques with Gestalt Therapy, theory, philosophy and practice as the underlying framework. The focus is to provide the child with a means for expressing his or her innermost feelings, to foster self-awareness and self-discovery, to enhance self-esteem, and in general, to promote emotional growth. The approach is applicable to a wide variety of ages as well as settings as individual work, family work, and group settings.

This book will interest child and adolescent psychotherapists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, interns, school personnel, as well as graduate-level students. Parents of young children may also find it helpful.

Customer Reviews:

A Pleasure to Read and Consider.......2007-04-03

Violet's new book is both theoretical and practical in scope. Reading this book stimulated my own creative thinking about helping children integrate their feelings and experiences. Violet writes about working with precision (commonly achieving tangible results), while treating both the child and therapist as wonderfully rich, whole organisms. I reproduced a chapter for my staff therapists under publisher permission, introducing staff I treasure to an therapist/author I respect. I am a Gestalt-oriented psychologist, and Violet pioneered the translation of that therapy into treatment for children. This is a joyful therapy intended for those who want to enhance their capacity to engage in powerful therapeutic contact with a child. Thanks Violet.

A Wolf in the Attic: The Legacy of a Hidden Child of the Holocaust

Average customer rating:

psychoanalytically-informed Holocaust/coming-of-age memoir
A Different and Vital Perspective
A Unique Perspective on the Holocaust

A Wolf in the Attic: The Legacy of a Hidden Child of the Holocaust
Sophia Richman
Manufacturer: Haworth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Social Scientists & Psychologists | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Jewish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Ukraine | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Compulsive Behavior | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Psychoanalysis | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

My Mother's Eyes: Holocaust Memories of a Young Girl
The Heart Has Reasons: Holocaust Rescuers And Their Stories of Courage
Escape from Pannonia: A Tale of Two Survivors
Five Chimneys: The Story of Auschwitz

ASIN: 0789015501

Book Description

AWolf in the Attic is a powerful memoir written by a psychoanalyst who was a hidden child in Poland during World War II. Her story, in addition to its immediate impact, illustrates her struggle to come to terms with the powerful yet sometimes subtle impact of childhood trauma. A Wolf in the Attic follows the author's life as she gradually becomes able to reclaim her past, to understand its impact on her life and the choices she has made, and finally, to heal a part of herself that she had been so long taught to deny.

Customer Reviews:

psychoanalytically-informed Holocaust/coming-of-age memoir.......2007-03-17

"Memoirs, the signature literary form of the 21st century, speak to us
privately of the most intimate aspects of life. The fact that Sophia Richman is a
child survivor of the Holocaust as well as a psychoanalyst and applies both of these vantage points to her life narrative, takes this memoir into new territory.
She writes of the realms of childhood, adolescence and adulthood through the
prism of someone whose very existence once depended on keeping a
secret. This is an engaging and very special book in the memoir literature and one that will inspire
readers as well as writers who have difficulty formulating and then articulating their
own story."

A Different and Vital Perspective.......2002-09-27

I thought the book was excellent! I have read dozens of books about the Holocaust and this document certainly offers a different and vital perspective that has not previously been covered in the literature. As you progress through the book, it is quite clear that the after-effects for Holocaust survivors are persistent and nagging, and greatly affect them for the rest of their lives. Sophia Richman's experience demonstrates that tragic events that surround young children can stalk in their minds like "A Wolf in the Attic".

A Unique Perspective on the Holocaust.......2002-04-02

"A Wolf in the Attic", a memoir by Dr. Sophia Richman adds a valuable perspective to the literature of the Holocaust. Dr. Richman was a hidden child in Poland who survived to tell her story of what it meant to transcend such an ordeal and then go on to try to strive for and fit in with normal life. This work is a unique exposition of a journey to overcome a traumatic past and to engage fully in life under renewed circumstances yet with the past just under the surface. The process of coming to terms with this dicotomy is at the heart of the work and is very moving. Dr. Richman has created a compelling narrative which reveals the two faceted experience of a life of achievement and momentum amidst unconscious symbols of tragedy. The fact that the author was successful in so many ways in overcoming her trauma is an inspiration. Her story is a special one amongst Holocaust memoirs. Dr. Richman's work is highly recommended for its humanity, complexity and poignancy.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books