The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families
by Stephen R. Covey
from St. Martin's Griffin
"What is 'effectiveness' in a family?" asks author Steven R. Covey. He promptly answers with four words: "a beautiful family culture." Building this culture is the primary theme of Covey's parenting guide, a manual based on concepts introduced in his blockbuster, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey, a New-Age business guru and leadership authority, has consulted with the world's top corporate and political leaders, but closer to home he is the father of nine children. Here, Covey reinterprets each of his now famous "habits" (Habit 1: Be Proactive, Habit 4: Think Win-Win, Habit 6: Synergize) to apply to parenting and family-life issues. Covey suggests writing a family mission statement, implementing special family times and "one-on-ones," holding regular family meetings, and making the commitment to move from "me" to "we" as techniques to improve family effectiveness. Covey is a brilliant storyteller. By weaving the voices and anecdotes of his wife and children with his own inspirational and informative stories, exercises, and parables, he has created a book with something for all parents interested in enhancing the strength and beauty of their own families. --Ericka Lutz
Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion
by Dale McGowan
from AMACOM
Foreword by Michael Shermer, Ph.D.
Contributors include Richard Dawkins, Penn Jillette, Julia Sweeney, and Dr. Donald B. Ardell
It's hard enough to live a secular life in a religious world. And bringing up children without religious influence can be even more daunting. Despite the difficulties, a large and growing number of parents are choosing to raise their kids without religion.
In Parenting Beyond Belief, Dale McGowan celebrates the freedom that comes with raising kids without formal indoctrination and advises parents on the most effective way to raise freethinking children. With advice from educators, doctors, psychologists, and philosophers as well as wisdom from everyday parents, the book offers tips and insights on a variety of topics, from "mixed marriages" to coping with death and loss, and from morality and ethics to dealing with holidays. Sensitive and timely, Parenting Beyond Belief features reflections from such freethinkers as Mark Twain, Richard Dawkins, Bertrand Russell, and wellness guru Dr. Don Ardell that will empower every parent to raise both caring and independent children without constraints.
The Wonder of Boys
by Michael Gurian
from Tarcher
In the thoughtful and provocative The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors, and Educators Can Do to Shape Boys into Exceptional Men, therapist and educator Michael Gurian takes a close look at modern boyhood. Gurian asserts that the biological and neurological differences between boys and girls need to be accounted for and nourished in order to raise healthy, happy boys. In discussing boy culture--and the roles of competition, aggression, and physical risk taking--the author concludes, "It's not boy culture that's inherently flawed; it's the way we manage it." If the natural, testosterone-based impulses of boys are squelched or ignored, Gurian posits, such biological truths may find their way to the surface in other, more negative behaviors. He suggests that boys do best when they are part of a "tribe," three families that include: a birth or adoptive family; an extended family of friends, teachers, peers, and mentors; and the "family" of outside culture, media, religious institutions, and community figures. The Wonder of Boys offers advice on how to understand and build strong father/son and mother/son relationships, stresses the importance of healthy discipline, and suggests methods of teaching boys about sex, relationships, and spirituality. Parents and teachers of boys will find this book to be an insightful read. --Ericka Lutz
I n this edition of his parenting classic, Michael Gurian considers how the culture has changed in the ten years since The Wonder of Boys was first published, including the impact of the Internet.
The ADHD Parenting Handbook: Practical Advice for Parents from Parents
by Colleen Alexander-Roberts
from Taylor Trade Publishing
Practical advice for parents from parents, and proven techniques for raising hyperactive children without losing your temper.
The Family Manager Takes Charge: Getting on the Fast Track to a Happy, Organized Home
by Kathy Peel
from Perigee Trade
Being a mom means more than being a wife and parent-it also means being the household accountant, building manager, cook, gardener, housekeeper, and personal shopper-just to name a few of the roles that come with the territory! As America's "Family Manager," bestselling author Kathy Peel has shown millions of moms that running a household is like operating a business. Like any good C.E.O., every mother must know her goals, determine her strategies, and manage her human resources.
Delegate-Motivate-Organize...Relax!
Every smart manager knows that success depends on teamwork. Kathy shows readers how to get kids and spouses to help around the house-with lots of practical advice and encouragement to get them motivated and keep them going.
Save Time, Money, and Your Sanity
With hundreds of time-saving, money-saving, and stress-reducing ideas, this indispensable handbook also shows readers how to take charge of running the home-without running themselves into the ground.
Fertility and Conception: A Complete Guide to Getting Pregnant
by Zita West
from DK ADULT
Aimed at couples that are planning to start a family, from those who have already experienced problems conceiving to those who have only recently decided to have a baby, Fertility & Conception is loaded with advice and up-to-date information on maximizing fertility. Bridging the gap between conventional and complimentary treatments, the book offers a unique approach to fertility by offering "Plan A", a 4-week preconception program of diet and complimentary therapies, and "Plan B," which focuses on combining conventional treatments such as IVF, with complimentary treatments. In clear, easy-to-understand prose, the author provides cutting-edge information on all the latest fertility tests and treatments, and offers advice on how to achieve healthy ovulation through diet, correct hormone balance, and reducing the effects of disorders that derail fertility.
The Consumer Reports Guide to Childproofing & Safety: Tips to Protect your Baby and Child from Injury at Home and on the Go
by Jamie Schaefer-Wilson
from Consumer Reports
As a parent, you want to do everything in your power to arm yourself with the best and most complete safety information available. But finding and keeping track of all of this essential information is a daunting task. This book, chock full of easily readable tips, advice, and clear illustrations compiles all the information time-crunched parents and caregivers need to keep their children safe both at home and on the go – so you can spend less time worrying, and more time enjoying your kids.
· Which products are safe to use with your children and how to identify products that are not
· How to eliminate potential hazards in every room in your home
· Tips for your babysitters, grandparents and other caregivers
· Tips beyond childproofing, from basic bite and sting care to more serious problems such as poisoning, choking, and food allergies.
· Playground, beach, water safety and MORE.
· Clear advice for choosing the right car seat and illustrated instructions for proper installation
· Special section on the hazards of LEAD and what you can do about them.
From one of the most trusted sources of safety information, here is an invaluable baby and child safety resource every parent and caregiver should own.
Understanding Autism For Dummies (For Dummies (Health & Fitness))
by Stephen Shore
from For Dummies
Autism affects more than 1 million children and adults in the United States, and parents may be confused by the behavior of autistic children. This book provides help-and hope-by explaining the differences between various types of autism and delivering the lowdown on behavioral, educational, medical, other interventions. Featuring inspiring autism success stories as well as a list of organizations where people who support those with autism can go for additional help, it offers practical advice on how to educate children as well as insights on helping people with autism use their strengths to maximize their potential in life.
Stephen Shore, EdD (Brookline MA), serves on the board for several autism spectrum-related organizations and he has written Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome (1-931282-00-5) and edited Ask and Tell: Self Advocacy and Disclosure For People on the Autism Spectrum (1-931282-58-7).
Linda G. Rastelli (Middletown, NJ) is a veteran journalist who specializes in health and business.
Temple Grandin, PhD (Fort Collins, CO) is the author of the bestselling Thinking in Pictures (0-679-77289-8) and Emergence: Labeled Autistic (0-446-67182-7).
The Joy of Sex
by Alex Comfort
from Pocket
The original Joy of Sex, published in 1979, became the lovemaking guide to intimate discovery and experimentation for a generation of adults. This updated, 30th-anniversary edition is a gorgeous, sensual book that will delight lovers, whether they're discovering sex or renewing passion. Purple print on pale pink and soft lilac pages lend a sensual air before you even start reading. Beautiful drawings (and a few color photographs) of young, smiling, coupling couples (heterosexual only) serve to graphically illustrate sexual positions and interactions. The facial expressions convey affection and tenderness as much as passion.
The nonjudgmental, gentle tone, aimed at both novice love makers and those looking to expand their sensual play, is lyrical and not at all sleazy. The updated content includes safe sex cautions and a section about AIDS. True, this new edition isn't updated enough to seem particularly "new" to readers who came of age with the original edition. The content is still exclusively heterosexual. Surprisingly, vibrators merit only one paragraph (while "foursomes and moresomes" get a full page), and lubricants are treated dismissively. But this book will appeal to a whole new generation of readers, and even readers who still own a lop-eared, 30-year-old Joy of Sex will find sensual sparks rekindled with this lovely new edition. --Joan Price
The ultimate guide to lovemaking
The uninhibited bestseller that has sold more than 8 million copies since its first publication in 1972 is now updated and revised for a new generation. As captivating and provocative as ever, and filled with illustrations, The Joy of Sex sparks the imagination with its playful, erotic, and exhilarating presentation. But most of all, it is the no-nonsense yet fun approach of Dr. Alex Comfort that speaks to anyone seeking to achieve greater sexual satisfaction -- as he contends with every aspect of our sexual territory, including today's most vital issues: AIDS and other venereal diseases, the practice of responsible sex, birth control, Viagra, menopause, and more.
Candid, inviting, and informative, this is the classic guide that's never gone out of style, as decades of readers discover that nothing compares to the joy of sex.
Putting Things in Order
by David Finkle
from Chronicle Books
Organizing your affairs in case of death or incapacitation is vitally important. This step-by-step workbook ensures that all important papers (birth certificate, real estate deeds, insurance policies, trusts, wills, etc.) are accessible, possessions are distributed as desired, wishes for a funeral or memorial service are carried out, and more. There is also space to reflect upon one's life and memories, accomplishments, and joys. Putting Things in Order is a practical and meaningful guide for all who desire to leave a clear legacy for their loved ones.
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