false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg 347845 4 The old adage is especially true for <I>Perfect Madness</I>: don't judge this eminently readable book by its stern and academic-looking cover. Judith Warner's missive on the "Mommy Mystique" can be read in a weekend, if readers have the time. Of course--according to the book--many would-be readers will have to carve out the hours in between an endless sea of child-enriching activities, a soul-sucking swirl that leads many mothers into a well of despair. Warner's book seeks to answer the question, "Why are today's young mothers so stressed out?" Whether shuttling kids to "enriching" after-school activities or worrying about the quality of available child care, the women of <I>Perfect Madness</I> describe a life far out of balance. Warner spends most of the book explaining how things got to this point, and what can be done to restore some sanity to the parenting process. <p> Warner draws her research from a group of 20- to 40-year-old, upper-middle-class, college-educated women living in the East Coast corridor. In other words, mirror images of Warner herself. Her limited scope has caused controversy and criticism, as have some of her more sweeping statements. (For example, Warner blames second-wave feminism--rather than corporate culture--for the many limitations women still experience as they try to balance the work-family dynamic.) Other favorite targets include the mainstream media, detached fathers, and controlling, "hyperactive" mothers who create impossible standards for themselves, their children, and the community of other parents around them. Warner begins and ends the book with a compelling argument for the need for more societal support of mothers--quality-of-life government "entitlements" such as those found in France. It's these big-picture issues that will provide the solution, she says, even if most mothers don't want to discuss them because they consider the topic "tacky, strident-sounding, <I>not the point</I>." In these sections on governmental policy, and also when she steps back, encouraging women to be kinder to each other, the author's warmth comes across easily on the page. Pilloried by some readers and supported by others, Warner should at least be applauded for opening up the Pandora's Box of American motherhood for a new generation. And if readers are of two minds about the issues raised <I>Perfect Madness</I>, as Warner sometimes seems to be herself, it's a fitting reaction to a topic with few easy answers. <I>--Jennifer Buckendorff</I> END 810277 2005 Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety total:364|5:69|4:136|3:103|2:41|1:15| 364 1295 630 112 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 4 3 false Thu Jun 19 20:34:28 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 22 06:43:44 -0700 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 4 2 false Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu May 17 20:44:58 -0700 2007 Thu May 17 21:10:34 -0700 2007 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 5 2 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sun Feb 24 18:20:25 -0800 2008 Sun Feb 24 18:24:51 -0800 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 4 1 false Sun Apr 06 05:10:49 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 06 05:26:10 -0700 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 3 1 false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Jan 10 15:45:27 -0800 2008 Sun Apr 13 05:44:41 -0700 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 4 1 false Mon Jan 28 12:29:15 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 28 12:33:10 -0800 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 4 1 false Sun Apr 06 14:14:03 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 06 14:19:46 -0700 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 4 0 false Tue Jan 20 10:10:19 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 20 10:18:10 -0800 2009 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 3 1 false Wed Jun 18 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed May 14 21:46:05 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 18 12:44:55 -0700 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 4 0 false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 09 06:56:31 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 01 07:11:33 -0700 2009 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 2 0 false Mon Dec 15 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 23 17:50:58 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 23 17:55:08 -0800 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 1 0 false Thu Jun 18 11:15:25 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 18 11:17:54 -0700 2009 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 4 0 false Tue Sep 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 18 08:03:06 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 22 04:44:31 -0700 2009
I cannot say that I agreed with every argument; However, it isn't necessary that I do. The point, whether you agree with the nuances or not, is that mothers are killing themselves trying to be perfect. They are guilt ridden and anxious. I know I am. And the v...more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 5 0 false Tue Nov 18 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Nov 18 16:23:03 -0800 2008 Tue Nov 18 16:38:37 -0800 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 3 0 false Sun Aug 31 21:22:25 -0700 2008 Thu Nov 13 10:39:39 -0800 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 0 0 false Fri May 23 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri May 23 14:19:52 -0700 2008 Mon May 26 07:48:09 -0700 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 1 0 false Fri Dec 12 18:21:10 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 21 12:25:34 -0800 2008
Is it really that difficult just to RELAX, as another reviewer put it? I got to about page 40, and then flipped through, skimmin...more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 3 0 false Fri Mar 07 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 27 17:15:46 -0800 2008 Fri Mar 07 11:03:22 -0800 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 2 0 false Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Fri Feb 15 09:41:16 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 15 09:49:00 -0800 2008 more...]]> 347845 1594481709 9781594481703 348 108 3.56 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173939252m/347845.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/347845.Perfect_Madness_Motherhood_in_the_Age_of_Anxiety 4 0 false Mon Oct 12 15:29:37 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 12 15:32:04 -0700 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=347845