An earnest, touching story of a man and his stepson.
A straight-talking memoir about a stepfather’s sometimes rocky but always loving relationship with the blue-eyed stepson who stole his heart.
In his lively debut, Harper, an African-American, doesn’t dwell on racial differences between himself and his stepson, Cody, whose biological father is Caucasian, but skin color isn’t really what makes this relationship unique. What stands out is Harper’s heartfelt bond with Cody—the two met when Cody was 3—and his determination to remain an active stepfather, even after his marriage to Cody’s mother ended in divorce. With an amiable voice, the author cobbles together the story of his life with Cody over the years, discussing child-rearing topics, especially discipline. Harper doesn’t claim to be an expert on the subject—his methods were sometimes spur-of-the-moment attempts to teach Cody “life lessons.” Once, he paddled Cody, and he now seems to regret it, since he spends a great deal of time explaining it. When the precocious Cody wouldn’t take his schoolwork seriously, Harper forced him to write “My education is my number-one priority” a thousand times. There’s some rambling in the narrative and quite a bit of repetition as Harper drives his points home, but the overall story remains vivid. The author also analyzes underlying emotional reasons why he stayed in Cody’s life: “My relationship with Cody has turned out to be an amazingly important personal journey for me because, sadly, my other children became victims to certain women’s respective ‘right to choose.’ ” Additionally, his relationship with his own father in Alabama wasn’t ideal. Regardless of whether readers agree with Harper’s personal views or parenting style, most will agree that he admirably filled a role which Cody’s biological father, who rarely enters the scene, did not. Harper’s central message is not that families with blood relations are better than blended families; rather, this is a soapbox call for fathers to “man up” because, writes Harper, children need them, and it’s never too late to make amends.
An earnest, touching story of a man and his stepson.Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2013
ISBN: 978-1490320717
Page Count: 282
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An intriguing approach to identifying and relating to one’s emotions.
An analysis of our emotions and the skills required to understand them.
We all have emotions, but how many of us have the vocabulary to accurately describe our experiences or to understand how our emotions affect the way we act? In this guide to help readers with their emotions, Brackett, the founding director of Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, presents a five-step method he calls R.U.L.E.R.: We need to recognize our emotions, understand what has caused them, be able to label them with precise terms and descriptions, know how to safely and effectively express them, and be able to regulate them in productive ways. The author walks readers through each step and provides an intriguing tool to use to help identify a specific emotion. Brackett introduces a four-square grid called a Mood Meter, which allows one to define where an emotion falls based on pleasantness and energy. He also uses four colors for each quadrant: yellow for high pleasantness and high energy, red for low pleasantness and high energy, green for high pleasantness and low energy, and blue for low pleasantness and low energy. The idea is to identify where an emotion lies in this grid in order to put the R.U.L.E.R. method to good use. The author’s research is wide-ranging, and his interweaving of his personal story with the data helps make the book less academic and more accessible to general readers. It’s particularly useful for parents and teachers who want to help children learn to handle difficult emotions so that they can thrive rather than be overwhelmed by them. The author’s system will also find use in the workplace. “Emotions are the most powerful force inside the workplace—as they are in every human endeavor,” writes Brackett. “They influence everything from leadership effectiveness to building and maintaining complex relationships, from innovation to customer relations.”
An intriguing approach to identifying and relating to one’s emotions.Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-21284-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after...
Self-help advice and personal reflections on avoiding spousal fights while raising children.
Before her daughter was born, bestselling author Dunn (Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?: And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask, 2009, etc.) enjoyed steady work and a happy marriage. However, once she became a mother, there never seemed to be enough time, sleep, and especially help from her husband. Little irritations became monumental obstacles between them, which led to major battles. Consequently, they turned to expensive couples' therapy to help them regain some peace in life. In a combination of memoir and advice that can be found in most couples' therapy self-help books, Dunn provides an inside look at her own vexing issues and the solutions she and her husband used to prevent them from appearing in divorce court. They struggled with age-old battles fought between men and women—e.g., frequency of sex, who does more housework, who should get up with the child in the middle of the night, why women need to have a clean house, why men need more alone time, and many more. What Dunn learned via therapy, talks with other parents, and research was that there is no perfect solution to the many dynamics that surface once couples become parents. But by using time-tested techniques, she and her husband learned to listen, show empathy, and adjust so that their former status as a happy couple could safely and peacefully morph into a happy family. Readers familiar with Dunn's honest and humorous writing will appreciate the behind-the-scenes look at her own semi-messy family life, and those who need guidance through the rough spots can glean advice while being entertained—all without spending lots of money on couples’ therapy.
A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after the birth of their child.Pub Date: March 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-26710-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
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