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The Secrets Of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out And Play, And Much More (2013)

by Bruce Feiler(Favorite Author)

3.91 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0061778737 (ISBN13: 9780061778735)

languge

English

genre

Middle Grade & Children's

publisher

William Morrow

review 1: What I liked:-The author had a very genuine way about getting his point across. It felt like he really wanted to KNOW.-Input and personal stories from people who matter. In other words, he's not a Dr. constantly interrupting the narrative with patient A, B or C and their own inspirational stories in their own personal words or an expert mom or PHd. or what have you adding similar stories interrupting from other mommies and daddies they've helped/known, etc. This kind of thing drives me crazy and I ALWAYS skip over it... it's just an obstacle to the good stuff (sometimes the mediocre stuff) and I don't find it helpful. Maybe that's just me. The author only asked people in the know for input.-It felt very current. I often read parenting books that are excellent (and that's w... morehy they are still around) but they feel very dated. Feiler referenced several current books, events, media, etc. which will inevitably BECOME dated. But at the moment they are not. Hooray.-I liked his stance on being anti-list. Sometimes I get really tired of all of the on-line LISTS. "Four things you are doing that are making your kids entitled","10 things you should do to increase your kids empathy" blah blah blah. Still, they always suck me in- 'cause, ya know,I might miss something mind-blowing. Lists, arghhh. -I liked how he begins by saying that even though you might not love all of the ideas in this book you should be able to pick and choose strategies that will work for you and get some new ideas (but he says it ever so much more eloquently) and you will most likely increase your happiness (again, with the eloquence) because this is what I do with parenting books. I take what I want and leave the rest. and Voila! Happiness! Clearly.What I didn't like:-I listened to this and the author (yes, the author read it *sigh*) had that quality in his voice where it sounds like there is a ball of spit in the back of his throat. I'm sure he is a very nice person but I had to get over this. Word to the wise- double time helped the problem a bit.-At the beginning he totally had me- we were chugging along singing our song. Then towards the end he lost me a little. There was the whole section on family vacations that wasn't really for me (I think I've got them mastered *blows a puff of air onto nails, buffs to a shine*) and I had to choke down my envy when he started talking "Swiss Alps" and "Mexico" ("what?!?! Did you say you've got FOUR kids! my, you've got your hands full." Yeah, like I've never heard that before). -It got a little repetitive in the end as well, then again maybe I just inadvertently hit the little circling arrows spot on my phone that makes the chapters repeat... and then inadvertently hit it again... hmmm.Downsides be d@m^ed, all in all this was a very worthwhile read.
review 2: My husband and I happened to turn on this audiobook by chance, as we headed for a weekend get-away in which our focus was to set goals, identify family core values, and discuss our parenting. Timing was perfect! The author narrated it and did a pretty good job. He provided a good blend of stories from his life, stories from others' lives, and statistics. And it wasn't boring. Overall, we thought we were able to get some ideas from this book that we hope to implement. less

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