This is a book that left me somewhat confused, it’s filled with equal parts of brilliance and horror. As the title suggest it’s a book about raising children, it’s filled with descriptions of ways to think and prepare for different situations in life as a parent.
In many ways the book is filled with interesting views on parenting and the focus on rewards for commitment and perseverance seems like a good way to raise strong and independent children.
“Remember, winning isn’t beating everyone else. That’s just finishing first. Winning is when you keep going after a setback.”
However I can’t really get past the “macho-man” attitude that’s prevalent in the book, it’s a lot less than I expected but it’s still a bit over the top. The punishments described are harsh, but the author clearly states that they are done with understanding of his children’s capabilities. I believe that the author tries to show a way of thinking, but sadly the harshness of the descriptions makes him lose the point on multiple occasions.
I would recommend this book to a new parent, however I do not believe that it should be the only book about parenting you read. The main thing I took from the book was the forceful conviction that parent’s need to work hard for there children.