In this probing inquiry into America’s preoccupation with raising children, Ann Hulbert blends biography and critical analysis to probe the p...
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reviews
Apr 17, 2010
Steph
rated it: 
Traces popular child rearing manuals from 1900 forward. Ann Hulbert goes into great depth examining each manual and its author. Too much for me. I did enjoy her conclusions, though: each manual reflected its author's childhood (what went wrong in my life and how to avoid it with your kids), the current culture-- jazz age, depression, cold war--or both. Her point is not to say which manuals were better, but to show how the public reacted to them. An interesting way to review 20th century h
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Feb 25, 2011
Becky
rated it: 
I didn't finish it; I admit it. The subject was interesting, but the writing was too dry. If it had been more in the style of an Erik Larson or a Sebastian Junger book, I would have dug it. Write history books in a compelling way! Nobody wants to read a dissertation!
Jun 16, 2009
Alex
rated it:
"Raising America: Experts, Parents, and a Century of Advice About Children by Ann Hulbert (2004)"
Apr 03, 2009
Tania
rated it:
Definitely not for the casual reader. A very in depth, very academic study of the science of child-rearing advice throughout the 20th and 21st century. It is interesting seeing how advice has changed ("Bananas are evil" - "You must guard vigilently against stimulating your baby" - "don't play with your baby") and how things have stayed the same ("we need a whole new way to raise children so they will be ready for the world of tomorrow" - "parents d
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Apr 02, 2009
Kristen
rated it:
A very interesting look at the history of child development "experts" in the last century. There was a lot of biographical history in the middle that bogged me down, but in small doses, I found it enjoyable. I'd especially recommend the intro and epilogue for anyone that has found the masses of parenting books and philosophies overwhelming, contradictory, or simply ridiculous. Really, you can find a theory somewhere to fit anyone's idea of "perfect parenting" - so the bott
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May 02, 2008
Sarah
rated it: 
While I was reading this book, I was reading or had just read several books about parenting or full of advice for parents. This book was great for putting the advice into perspective. It is a historical, somewhat academic study of parenting "experts," both personally and professionally, since the field was developed two centuries ago. It helped me put the advice of the experts into context. I would recommend it to anyone reading parenting books and wondering how much credit to give
Jul 31, 2008
Elizabeth
rated it:
For the small subset of people interested in the rhetoric of parenting manuals, fascinating. For everyone else, maybe not so much.
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