I know that most new parents barely have the time to take a quick shower, much less read an entire book, but I would strongly, strongly encourage expecting parents and new parents to read this book. A lot of the information overlaps with another book I recommended, NurtureShock, but there's enough new information in here that can really change the way you parent your child. Medina's a scientist, first and foremost, but he makes the science incredibly accessible, and he's funny to boot. But instead of writing a tome here, I'll just let you read the product description on Amazon. Hope it proves titillating enough that you purchase (and read) the book ASAP!
A friend of mine recommended this book to me, and I couldn't put it down. Dubbed the "Freakonomics of child-rearing", it certainly lived up to its hype, turning so many of my assumptions upside down. Like, apparently, the best predictor of your child's relationship with a new sibling is his/her existing relationship with a best friend. Or that praise is not necessarily a good thing (which, to be fair, I had read about in SuperBaby). Or that kids in diverse schools are less likely to have cross-racial friendships. Or that there's a specific way to get your baby to start talking. Or that spanking does not necessarily damage a kid (and that it may, in fact, actually have positive effects -- but, not to worry: neither the authors nor I are advocating spanking as a disciplinary method!). Etc. Etc. Such an interesting read -- and one that will no doubt inform the way I parent going forward. Highly recommended!
