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No Greater Joy #1
No Greater Joy: Volume One
In 1994 Michael and Debi Pearl published
To Train Up a Child
. The book has sold over 625,000 copies, becoming “the handbook on child training” for many families. The Pearls received so many child training questions in the mail that they began publishing a free bimonthly magazine to answer them—
No Greater Joy
. As the subscriptions grew into the tens of thousands, subscribers kept asking for back issues, thus the publication of
No Greater Joy Volume One, Volume Two and Volume Three
—each book representing about two years of articles from back issues of the magazine. If you have read To Train Up a Child and you have questions, chances are you will find the answers in
No Greater Joy Volume One, Volume Two, or Volume Three
.
104 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1997
About the author
Michael Pearl
131 books52 followersMichael and Debi Pearl were both raised in Memphis, Tennessee, in good homes, by parents who were faithful to point them to God. Mike, a graduate of Mid-South Bible College in Memphis (now Victory University), has been active in evangelism and the work of the ministry since he was a teenager. He worked with Union Mission in Memphis for 25 years, while he and Debi also ministered to the many military families in Memphis and pastored churches. They moved to rural Tennessee where they continued in the work by holding Bible studies in local homes, which eventually led to regular meetings of the local body of believers, and by starting the prison ministry. God eventually led them into the ministry of writing on child training and family relationships, which they now feel is their life’s work and calling. In addition to the child training ministry, the work of the prison ministry, missions, Bible studies, and family life is still ongoing. The Pearls have been married since 1971, and have 5 children and 18 grandchildren. The Pearl children have always been involved in their parents’ ministry, and in their adulthood continue to be involved in some way in ministering where they are.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 4, 2017
This book sickened me. It is a manual for child abuse, pure and simple. It has already led to 2 known children's deaths, and those are just the ones whose parents are known to have followed the advice. This is a guy who recommends beating children with plumbing line "until complete submission" and whipping babies with small tree branches. Pearl is a sociopath.
January 23, 2016
Should be called - how to train your child to be sociopath
Reading volume 3, I decided to buy volume 1....volume 3 is not bad....volume 1....they are doing what they are saying should not be done in volume 3...switching/licking the child if you see something you don't like, and make sure you don't show emotion, make sure we assert superiority until they submit to you (behavior manipulation that should be avoided stated in book 3) Mike pearl, write this, is as if he wants to train them like an animal....although I agree with some of the writings, if we follow them exactly the way Mike pearl stated them, you might mistreat your child.....i wonder how his children will turn up....this book Should be called...how to train your child to be sociopaths.....(not a psychopath).
Second issue, Every child is different, every family culture, environment is different.... in volume 1 I feel, Mike pearl assumed generalization applied based on his (perceived) superior intellect/insight, culture, family situation, and (inconsistent) bible exegesis...my take...skip it, read Voddie Boucham's, Kent hughes', John MacArthur's, Tim Keller's books on marriage and families... is this harsh....yes, but this is scary stuff ... feels cultish....I wonder what denominations they belong to...
Reading volume 3, I decided to buy volume 1....volume 3 is not bad....volume 1....they are doing what they are saying should not be done in volume 3...switching/licking the child if you see something you don't like, and make sure you don't show emotion, make sure we assert superiority until they submit to you (behavior manipulation that should be avoided stated in book 3) Mike pearl, write this, is as if he wants to train them like an animal....although I agree with some of the writings, if we follow them exactly the way Mike pearl stated them, you might mistreat your child.....i wonder how his children will turn up....this book Should be called...how to train your child to be sociopaths.....(not a psychopath).
Second issue, Every child is different, every family culture, environment is different.... in volume 1 I feel, Mike pearl assumed generalization applied based on his (perceived) superior intellect/insight, culture, family situation, and (inconsistent) bible exegesis...my take...skip it, read Voddie Boucham's, Kent hughes', John MacArthur's, Tim Keller's books on marriage and families... is this harsh....yes, but this is scary stuff ... feels cultish....I wonder what denominations they belong to...
June 18, 2021
I read this book with the intention to skip parts that no longer applied to me. My children are far past the diaper stages and I couldn't care less about reading those chapters. This book was extremely difficult it is not that is written poorly, but it is all over the place they did not go in order by ages nor did they go in order by topics which would have made it so much better so for that I remove stars. These authors have penned several books between the two of them so they should know better. I disagree with pretty much everything that they have taught except for a few things which I did take note of. It seems that they're resolution to everything is spanking. Spanking is what I grew up on and I don't consider it evil although there are men that are evil that would take it too far but to consider everything spankable and the youth of these ages was disturbing. I will continue to read the next two in the series hoping for more helpful hints for teenagers but I would never recommend this book absolutely not.
I should point out that I have read created to be his help meet and truly enjoyed that book so I don't poop on the authors at all but this is definitely a mess!
I should point out that I have read created to be his help meet and truly enjoyed that book so I don't poop on the authors at all but this is definitely a mess!
September 19, 2011
There are some REALLY good points in this series, but you have to sift through some really ugly stuff to get there.
May 28, 2022
Didn't agree with everything, but many of the articles provided sound advice and food for thought. It was also thoroughly entertaining to read!
April 26, 2016
Written in a Q&A type of style, has some good tips but again, written in white/black thinking and extremely condescending. I'd recommend 'Sherphering a Child's Heart' over this one, although these are also good to have on the side. If there is a specific behaviour in my children that I don't know what to do about it, I sometimes do go to these books to find a similar situation and what the Pearls advice on it is.
December 28, 2022
Practical advice
This book helps you think through all the ways children need you to parent them. But proceed with caution- some of the authors material can be disagreeable to say the least.
This book helps you think through all the ways children need you to parent them. But proceed with caution- some of the authors material can be disagreeable to say the least.
April 14, 2008
Great practical advice on child training.
March 26, 2015
This will help many first time moms understand child rearing...even helped me see things about myself and the way my parents trained me...interesting.
July 19, 2026
Page 2 kicks off with a recollection of his wife having a conversation with a young mother, whose seven year old is being demanding. Instead of giving the mother space to deal with her kid, the title of the story includes calling the kid a "twerp" and terrible advice like being "cold and solemn rock hard" to "shock" the child into obedience. Then abuse him - "spank him".
Page 5 & 6 includes such gems as beating curiousity out of 2 year olds (because God forbid a 2 year get out of bed and seek a caregiver, or want to look in the fridge). I'm going to attempt to avoid reviewing everything that goes against sane, scientific child-rearing on every page (and there are many instances, most of the concern is about "obedience", which most children lack the comprehension for before age 5, and very intermittently till about 8, the cure for every disobedience is to beat the child with a stick) and yet in page 18, the author recognises that there are emotions too heavy for children to carry.
There's a lot of waxing philosophical about what people, especially children, are thinking, including "the kid muses, 'i believe she's going to enjoy spanking me'." And this is about simple chores like getting clothes into the hamper, where mum is waiting with switch in hand ready to beat her child for failing to meet the time restraints, and smiling while doing so.
Page 26 is a lesson in contradiction - "... The violence should be dealt with by rebuke, exhortation and a thorough spanking. Children must be taught that violence is never an acceptable alternative in personal conflicts. The rod with rebuke is the most effective teacher". Teach them violence is naughty by being violent with them? Were these people on drugs when they wrote this?!
Page 46 praises the neglectful parenting method - punish crying and only return to the child when they're cheerful again. There are studies on stress hormones of babies - the ones who are neglected into silence have high cortisol, the ones who are immediately soothed do not. Babies can't manipulate their stress hormones.
The essay from page 73 has some good points, but even a broken analogue clock is right twice a day.
The essay from page 82 is unconscionable. "Give her 5 licks with a stinging switch." This is to happen up to 3 times, apparently. Oh, and the child in question is young enough to require a restraining seat the car. And the authors concern is that any rebellion is proof that you've got a rebel on your hands, and that you shouldn't give into terrorist tactics, like a small child is an evil mastermind.
Basically, the authors ignore normal child development - a child panicking at the exit of a parent, no, that's a tantrum, beat them. Curious about a space and won't leave a door alone? Disobedience, and beat them. Won't stay in bed alone at night and are seeking you for reassurance? Beat them. Children before age 2 aren't even aware that you're a separate entity to them. And 2-4, they're aware that they're separate, but trying to work out where you end and they begin. It's not misbehaviour, it's exploration, or seeking to reconnect. And then there's the constant accusations of manipulation, accusing pre-verbal and barely verbal children of adult machinations in their interactions. Honestly, I'm no longer surprised that the post-1980 born people are moving away from religion, and the shocking rise in neglect focused disorders like Borderline Personality Disorder, if this is what passed as "parenting". It reads more like a Soviet torture manual.
It's no longer a surprise that people today are so flippant about not seeing children as human, and about abortion. I'm happy to make the argument that Christian teachings like the ones found in this book paved the way for the modern apathy towards life, as children are seen as inconvenient, less than, something to be prodded and manipulated into a convenience: an obedient child, no matter the cost to the humanity of the child.
Page 102 has "never reward the child's lusts". Lust is usually sexual in nature, or ardent enthusiasm. Very few, extremely maladjusted children may delight in screaming, crying, and generally being defiant, but for the course of most children, the concerns in this book are adult ones, projected on to defenceless children. I'd give it 0 stars if I could.
Page 5 & 6 includes such gems as beating curiousity out of 2 year olds (because God forbid a 2 year get out of bed and seek a caregiver, or want to look in the fridge). I'm going to attempt to avoid reviewing everything that goes against sane, scientific child-rearing on every page (and there are many instances, most of the concern is about "obedience", which most children lack the comprehension for before age 5, and very intermittently till about 8, the cure for every disobedience is to beat the child with a stick) and yet in page 18, the author recognises that there are emotions too heavy for children to carry.
There's a lot of waxing philosophical about what people, especially children, are thinking, including "the kid muses, 'i believe she's going to enjoy spanking me'." And this is about simple chores like getting clothes into the hamper, where mum is waiting with switch in hand ready to beat her child for failing to meet the time restraints, and smiling while doing so.
Page 26 is a lesson in contradiction - "... The violence should be dealt with by rebuke, exhortation and a thorough spanking. Children must be taught that violence is never an acceptable alternative in personal conflicts. The rod with rebuke is the most effective teacher". Teach them violence is naughty by being violent with them? Were these people on drugs when they wrote this?!
Page 46 praises the neglectful parenting method - punish crying and only return to the child when they're cheerful again. There are studies on stress hormones of babies - the ones who are neglected into silence have high cortisol, the ones who are immediately soothed do not. Babies can't manipulate their stress hormones.
The essay from page 73 has some good points, but even a broken analogue clock is right twice a day.
The essay from page 82 is unconscionable. "Give her 5 licks with a stinging switch." This is to happen up to 3 times, apparently. Oh, and the child in question is young enough to require a restraining seat the car. And the authors concern is that any rebellion is proof that you've got a rebel on your hands, and that you shouldn't give into terrorist tactics, like a small child is an evil mastermind.
Basically, the authors ignore normal child development - a child panicking at the exit of a parent, no, that's a tantrum, beat them. Curious about a space and won't leave a door alone? Disobedience, and beat them. Won't stay in bed alone at night and are seeking you for reassurance? Beat them. Children before age 2 aren't even aware that you're a separate entity to them. And 2-4, they're aware that they're separate, but trying to work out where you end and they begin. It's not misbehaviour, it's exploration, or seeking to reconnect. And then there's the constant accusations of manipulation, accusing pre-verbal and barely verbal children of adult machinations in their interactions. Honestly, I'm no longer surprised that the post-1980 born people are moving away from religion, and the shocking rise in neglect focused disorders like Borderline Personality Disorder, if this is what passed as "parenting". It reads more like a Soviet torture manual.
It's no longer a surprise that people today are so flippant about not seeing children as human, and about abortion. I'm happy to make the argument that Christian teachings like the ones found in this book paved the way for the modern apathy towards life, as children are seen as inconvenient, less than, something to be prodded and manipulated into a convenience: an obedient child, no matter the cost to the humanity of the child.
Page 102 has "never reward the child's lusts". Lust is usually sexual in nature, or ardent enthusiasm. Very few, extremely maladjusted children may delight in screaming, crying, and generally being defiant, but for the course of most children, the concerns in this book are adult ones, projected on to defenceless children. I'd give it 0 stars if I could.
August 10, 2024
Lots of creative ways to train up a child! Definitely will be referencing my highlights in the future
May 11, 2017
The 3.5 star rating obscures the fact that the Pearls offer some of the most hard-hitting and discerning wisdom on child-rearing that exists. Implementation of their methods makes children (who are selfish) choose against manipulative methods, because the Pearls always give the opposite of that which is desired when a child tries to manipulate with fake crying, whining or tantrums. They are believers in consistency and the rod. On the other hand, they always counsel joy and calmness when dealing with manipulating children.
The lower rating is due to the comparative inferiority of writing talent and other distractions, like their abhorrence of modern medicine, of any type of classroom education, and their defense of a subtle bibliolatry, that is, King-James-onlyism. They are also purported not to lie, yet one of their training situations involved fudging the truth (on page 85); the inconsistency makes me wonder how often that happens. I would have to observe them personally. Last, the implication that a well-reared child will always choose goodness and maturity in life seems latent in their writings, giving no room for the categorical and irrational departure of a well-trained child from "the way they should go."
However, the Pearls seem to have their act together more than almost anyone else. As this book is a compilation of stories from their newsletter, I would probably recommend their book To Train Up a Child rather than this one to inquiring parents. Conversely, this is an easier and shorter read, and perhaps the right place to start for someone without initiative.
The lower rating is due to the comparative inferiority of writing talent and other distractions, like their abhorrence of modern medicine, of any type of classroom education, and their defense of a subtle bibliolatry, that is, King-James-onlyism. They are also purported not to lie, yet one of their training situations involved fudging the truth (on page 85); the inconsistency makes me wonder how often that happens. I would have to observe them personally. Last, the implication that a well-reared child will always choose goodness and maturity in life seems latent in their writings, giving no room for the categorical and irrational departure of a well-trained child from "the way they should go."
However, the Pearls seem to have their act together more than almost anyone else. As this book is a compilation of stories from their newsletter, I would probably recommend their book To Train Up a Child rather than this one to inquiring parents. Conversely, this is an easier and shorter read, and perhaps the right place to start for someone without initiative.
December 21, 2009
Down to earth practical answers to many questions asked of the Pearls, including advice that has worked for them in the area of child training, marriage etc.
October 9, 2013
Great parenting examples to expand on what was written in the book To Train Up a Child.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews