Parents Do Make a Difference: How to Raise Kids with Solid Character, Strong Minds, and Caring Hearts (The Jossey-Bass Psychology Series)

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In 1998, a fierce debate was sparked by Judith Rich Harris's The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do: Parents Matter Less Than You Think and Peers Matter More, a fairly scholarly book that posited, as clearly indicated by the subhead, the radical theory that children are more influenced by peers and siblings than they are by their parents. Parents Do Make a Difference, by Michele Borba, Ed.D., has clearly been marketed as a rebuttal. The title alone is a kind of bolster to parents' sagging self-esteem.

Once you open the book, though, it's just as clear that, marketing aside, the book was not actually written as part of the parents vs. peers debate, which it has absolutely nothing to do with. Nor is it a scholarly work, in the vein of Harris's book. The original title of this book was probably something like "The Eight Skills of Raising Successful Children." These simple skills, which Borba (author of 36 other educational publications) has researched and workshopped across the country, then implemented in the curriculum of three elementary schools, are commonsensical, feel-good affirmations for parents and kids. Borba uses lots of lists: the aforementioned eight skills, "four steps to developing positive self-beliefs," "four steps to enhancing social competence," and so on. The "success tips" and affirmations are pretty straightforward, as with this suggested "pillowgram": "Slip a message under your child's pillow. 'Kevin, I loved looking at your drawings today. You are so artistic! Sleep tight! Love, Dad.'" These are fine, basic self-esteem builders; unfortunately, they can sometimes veer too much on the cloying side. But for parents who want to help their children develop the eight skills (self-confidence, communication, getting along, perseverance, self-awareness, problem solving, goal setting, and caring), it should be of significant help.

Book Description

For Teachers and Parents of Children to Age 12

Finally, a book that shows you how to teach kids the eight indispensable skills-self-confidence, self-awareness, communication, problem solving, getting along, goal setting, perseverance, and empathy-they'll need for living confident, happy, and productive lives. Filled with step-by-step advice, practical ideas, and real-life examples, Parents Do Make a Difference puts field-tested tools into the hands of every parent and teacher who wants their children to succeed.

"The fact is this may well be the only book you'll ever need on raising great children."--from the Foreword by Jack Canfield, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have.......2007-07-26

I have bought tons of books over the years many were good some not so much this is one of the only books I have kept and always go back to for advice and ideas. This book is a must have for all parents

All Diamonds In The Rough Need Polishing.......2001-08-23

This book is one of the gems -- a diamond in the rough -- on parenting. Written in simple language, it's the "basic course" on "HOW TO RAISE KIDS WITH SOLID CHARACTER, STRONG MINDS, AND CARING HEARTS". So read, use, and understand. Hmm. Understand? What do you do when the kids ask, "WHY?"! Hmm. You'll need a book that makes you understand -- in simple language -- the philosophy of WHY character counts, of right and wrong, of good and evil, of moral and immoral, and of ethical and unethical. The school that exists to teach the "advanced course" in "HOW TO RAISE KIDS WITH SOLID CHARACTER, STRONG, MINDS, AND CARING HEARTS" is West Point. The only book that explains the philosophy behind all the "WHYS" -- in simple language -- is the book titled "WEST POINT", by Norman Thomas Remick. It's THE companion book for all how-to books and "courses", basic or advanced, on parenting and character. It will become kind of an encyclopedia that you can refer to for explaining "WHY?" to your kids. And it will give Borba's diamond in the rough its required polish.

All Diamonds In The Rough Need Polishing.......2001-08-23

More Than A Book... It's A Handbook.......2001-01-22

Parents Do Make a Difference is more than a book, it's a handbook. Dr. Borba uses extensive use of checklists, exercises, helpful suggestions and real life examples to help parents teach the skills of personal, emotional and motivational success to their children.

In this book, Dr. Borba has woven personal experiences, and sometimes complex behavioral theories, into messages that are clear and comprehensive for all parents.

Readers will appreciate the practicality of the author's approach. For example, Dr. Borba points out, early in the book, that family conditions help nurture the self-esteem of children. Meaning, all of the exercise and tips in this book may be meaningless if the parent doesn't have the ability to authentically mirror the behaviors they are attempting to teach their children.

To assist in further action for parents, she has also included several resources (books, videos, and web sites) at the end of each chapter. ...

Practical and fun!.......2000-04-18

Parenting is hard enough without having to spend all my time trying to figure out the latest greatest parenting book! Parents Do Make A Difference is exceptional and I truly believe it has all the elements a parent needs to overcome all the difficulties we encounter raising kids. Dr. Borba's book is so practical, and I loved the stories used to illustrate her premise. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for the right answers, not the best theories!

Cowgirl Spirit: Strong Women, Solid Friendships and Stories from the Frontier

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Cowgirl Spirit: Strong Women, Solid Friendships and Stories from the Frontier
Mimi Kirk
Manufacturer: Sourcebooks
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1570717702

Book Description

Cowgirls are the unsung heroines of the Wild West, and their grit and determination, verve and good spirits are legendary. Modern day cowgirls know just what they mean when they say:

"I wonder how many more times I'm going to fall for the same kind of cowboy." -Bell Floyd, 1900

"The way to avoid housework is to live outside." -Sandra Blacksmith, 1901

"If a man had to give birth, he'd be a more considerate person." -Ma Robertson, 1901

With a mix of hundreds of quotations from the actual women who tamed the West, striking historical photographs, and fascinating stories from the frontier, Cowgirl Spirit is bound to bring out the power, independence, wisdom and spunk in every woman.

Book Description

The quantum Hall effects remains one of the most important subjects to have emerged in condensed matter physics over the past 20 years. The fractional quantum Hall effect, in particular, has opened up a new paradigm in the study of strongly correlated electrons, and it has been shown that new concepts, such as fractional statistics, anyon, chiral Luttinger liquid and composite particles, are realized in two-dimensional electron systems. This book explains the quantum Hall effects together with these new concepts starting from elementary quantum mechanics. Thus, graduate students can use this book to gain an overall understanding of these phenomena.

"Solid Men of the Place" Gave Strong Roots! Farrel-Binningham (1836-1956)

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"Solid Men of the Place" Gave Strong Roots! Farrel-Binningham (1836-1956)
Franklin, 3rd Farrel
Manufacturer: The Newcomen Society in North America
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Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NLS8C8

'Solid Men of the Place' Gave Strong Roots!: Farrel-Birmingham (1836-1956)

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'Solid Men of the Place' Gave Strong Roots!: Farrel-Birmingham (1836-1956)
Franklin III Farrel-Birmingham Company) Farrel
Manufacturer: Newcomen Society
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ASIN: B000K5OJD4

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Strong & Electroweak Matter 2000
C.P. Korthals Altes
Manufacturer: World Scientific Publishing Company
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Strong Correlation and Superconductivity: Proceedings of the IBM Japan International Symposium, Mt. Fuji, Japan, 21-25 May, 1989 (Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences)

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Strong Correlation and Superconductivity: Proceedings of the IBM Japan International Symposium, Mt. Fuji, Japan, 21-25 May, 1989 (Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences)
H. Fakuyama , and S. Maekawa
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ASIN: 0387513205

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THE COMPLETE WORKS OF MONTAIGNE: Essays, Travel Journal, Letters)
Donald M. (translation by) Montaigne; Frame
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
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Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000T3W23Q

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Complete Works of Montaigne: Essays, Travel Journal, Letters
Michel De Montaigne; Translator Donald M. Frame
Manufacturer: STANFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OL7PBM

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Complete works of Montaigne: Essays, travel journal, letters
Michel de Montaigne
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0007I71TS

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The Complete Works of Montaigne : Essays, Travel Journals, Letters
Donald M. (Translated by) Frame
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OM8EE8

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The Complete Works of Montaigne: Essays, Travel, Journal and Letters. Newly Trans. By Donald M. Frame
Michel De Montaigne
Manufacturer: Stanford Univ Press
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Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SKZ3F4

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The Complete Works of Montaigned Essays, Travel Journal, Letters
Montaigne translated by Donald M. Frame
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
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ASIN: B000UJ7O9Q

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Retired, seeking distance to a world of bloody fights ...

Retired, seeking distance to a world of bloody fights ...

Servant of the Humane

Complete -- at last!

A wonderful, complete collection

Complete works: Essays, travel journal, letters
Michel de Montaigne
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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Book Description

Humanist, skeptic, acute observer of himself and others, Michel de Montaigne (1533—92) was the first to use the term “essay” to refer to the form he pioneered, and he has remained one of its most famous practitioners. He reflected on the great themes of existence in his wise and engaging writings, his subjects ranging from proper conversation and good reading, to the raising of children and the endurance of pain, from solitude, destiny, time, and custom, to truth, consciousness, and death. Having stood the test of time, his essays continue to influence writers nearly five hundred years later.

Also included in this complete edition of his works are Montaigne’s letters and his travel journal, fascinating records of the experiences and contemplations that would shape and infuse his essays. Montaigne speaks to us always in a personal voice in which his virtues of tolerance, moderation, and understanding are dazzlingly manifest.

Donald M. Frame’s masterful translation is widely acknowledged to be the classic English version.

Customer Reviews:

Retired, seeking distance to a world of bloody fights ..........2005-08-28

"My library is in the third story of a tower; on the first is my chapel, on the second a bedroom with ante-chambers, where I often lie to be alone; and above it there is a great wardrobe. Adjoining my library is a very neat little room, in which a fire can be laid in winter, and which is pleasantly lighted by a window..." Michel de Montaigne (1533 - 1592) wrote in the chapter "On Three Kinds of Relationships". Montaigne liked being retired, seeking distance to a world of bloody fights between religious groups. Did these things develop, 400 years later? Montaigne tried to escape dogmatic thoughts finding a new way of writing and hammering out thoughts via his typical relaxed method of writing. Living 200 years earlier than the other genius of essay, the poor Soeren Kierkegaard, Montaigne was not as filled up with anxiety as the Danish philosopher - he instead managed to stay calm with a solid resource of optimism, though things outside his favorite tower often run very worse. His courageous goal was the overcoming of the stereotyped medieval conception of the world, in which humans usually had been overwhelmed by church- or government-authorities like puppets on a string. Montaigne established the departure to individual noticing, founded an anthropocentric view of world. This probably had something fresh to his contemporary readers. Montaignes program was to dip down in ones own mind: "Everyone, who is listening to his inner landscape of thoughts, is able to discover his identity, so that he is able to repel everything, which does not fit this." About his style of writing essayist Elias Canetti noticed: "Montaigne is most beautiful, because he does not hurry." Aged 17 Michel de Montaigne had ridden to Paris, to complete his humanistic education. There he had attached important relations, had operated with prostitutes notoriously and had squandered one the family wealth, until the father pulled the emergency brake and called him back to Bordeaux, where he had to begin a boring job at the local court (if we can trust the speculations of the French biographer Lacouture). Historically more secured is Montaigne's political identity: the France of his time had torn up, the faith splitting escalated in the "St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre" in Paris on 24 August 1572, bloody amuck in many other French cities followed, also in Montaigne's Bordeaux. He had been the mayor, and particularly in the second term of office 1583-85, he skillfully succeeded to calm down the parties (Catholics tried to slaughter the Protestant Huguenots). His "ideology-free" position had been developed in expanded studies of the classical philosophers - and in a thereupon diametrically opposite literary attempt to justify an own individual kind of thinking and writing: precisely analyzing human conditions (using oneself as the only field, we can explore without too much strange mistakes) without being paralyzed by social regulations of how to search and communicate. "I do not proclaim doctrines of faith, but not obligatory opinions, which you can classify as a gesture alike children, trying to show their experiments: they only want to learn, not to instruct or indoctrinate." The skeptical, further-asking, essentially open dialogue of Montaigne influenced such thinkers as Diderot, Lichtenberg or Nietzsche. His writing method encouraged philosophy, psychology - and hundreds of essayists. Indeed we hope, that Montaigne's voice will never get lost ...

Retired, seeking distance to a world of bloody fights ..........2005-08-28

Servant of the Humane.......2004-10-17

Montaigne was one of those paradoxical characters who was both utterly lazy and completely devoted. His essays are like he is. Lazy, glad (but not too glad), and content to let the blasted world roll by with all of its absurdities and madnesses. Yet he is also taut and tense, intellectually stimulated and willing to stimulate.
Montaigne was wise because he was one of those rare characters who accepted his own humanity without the need to curse at it, exalt it, make it seem ordinary, and make it seem simple. I almost wrote that he made complexity look simple; he almost made it look easy. He did that by have interests that were as broad as that most capacious of faces - the face of the universe. But add to that Montaigne's central conviction that in the sight of God all things are small and you begin to get at the unobtrsively strange and humane part of his art. He combines (in his interests) things that are profoundly trivial and things that are profoundly - ah - profound.
Montainge has been described as a cheerful sceptic and no few harsh and ecstatic souls have been outraged by such a combination. But his cheer was based on the fact that he was both a sceptic and a man of faith - a man of faith before this dreadful age (the age we live in) settled in with its grand bifurcation between the assertive intellect born in the Renaissance was left to battle the pseudo-faith of the fundamentalist Christians. Montaigne would have been politely bewildered to have to speak to either Karl Marx or Jerry Falwell. They would have seemed both absurd and absurdly deranged to him. He was too balanced.
He was and remains a great corrective to our mystical tendencies. He does not cancel them out but he does smack them in the teethe and put them into order. He despised that perennial human desire to destroy humanity in the name of a state higher than humanity.

Complete -- at last!.......2003-10-16

Donald Frame's translations of Montaigne's essays have long been considered one of the two finest contemporary translations available, M.A. Screech's excellent version being the other.

The essays speak for themselves, or at least should. Their popularity is well known and well deserved, and there are a number of fine essay collections available. What's great about this edition is that included with the classic essays are a few extant letters and Montaigne's travel journals, which were lost until almost two hundred years after his death. These additional pieces are not going to rival the essays in popularity -- the letters are few and formal, for instance -- but if you enjoy the mind of Montaigne you'll enjoy these extra inclusions.

Between June of 1580 and December of 1581, Montaigne -- with four other nobles and a variety of servants -- traveled through France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy before returning to Bordeaux. In the journals you'll find more evidence of the author's deeply interested view of the world around him, set out in that seemingly (and charmingly) haphazard, humane style found in spades in the essays.

In one entry, for instance, you'll find him retelling (with a straight face?) a local story he has heard of a young girl who jumped up and down so strenuously during play that she turned into a boy (Montaigne claims that at least a few locals back up this tale); in other entries you'll find him more down to earth, describing, for instance, the little stoves in the homes of Germany, or the tiles that lined some of the homes in what is now Switzerland, or the murals on the walls of Jeanne D'Arc's father's home.

By 1581, when Montaigne visited Rome, the treasures of the Vatican had become a mandatory stop on any well-informed traveller's itinerary. To his delight, Montaigne was shown ancient Roman and ancient Chinese manuscripts, the love letters of Henry VIII, and the classics of history and philosophy. Then, as now, the Vatican Library was one of the greatest in the Western world.

This journal is an interesting view of 16th-century Europe (the architecture, the topography, the manners and customs) through a master stylist's eyes. It's nice to have back in print an edition of Montaigne's complete works, especially since it uses Donald Frame's translations.

A wonderful, complete collection.......2003-08-17

The late Donald Frame's translation is, as Harold Bloom credits, superb. Add to it the quality and aesthetics of the Everyman's series and this is an unbeatable edition of Montaigne's works. I plan to buy several copies of this edition as gifts.

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