Rating: 
Summary: Unreadable
Review: I am an avid reader and could not make it through this book. His other books were so good. I could not have predicted what a disapointment this book would turn out to be. In applying some of the recommended techniques, my 11 year old daughter, Emily, thought I lost my mind. Thank goodness things are back to normal. We are both much healthier having now dispensed with the advice.
Rating:
Summary: bad advice
Review: I have 2 sons ages 11 and 12 and am always on the lookout for sound parenting advice. Thinking I had found it here, I put some of the advice into action. One thing I did was to start using the words "Will" or "Would" when asking my children to do something. For example, "Will you please pick up your room?" and "Would you take out the garbage please?" This was not an easy habit to get into and it took quite some time before I mastered it. When I used this method they would seem to procrastonate and also become defiant. I should have recognized that this was the cause and stopped. After using it for about a year, one day my sister who is a school psycologist said, "Why are you asking them if they will take out the garbage? You should tell them in a polite way." I couldn't believe the difference it made when I said, "Please take out the garbage." They just got up and did it. I think by asking them with using will and would made them think they had a choice, (This was Gray's premise. He said that children inherently want to please so they will make the right choice.)but they did not automatically want to please. I think it made them resentful to make it sound like they had a choice when in fact they did not. If I asked them, "Will you pick up your room?", it was not optional. Now when I want them to do something I tell them politely to do it. After all I am the parent.
Rating:
Summary: Misses the mark....
Review: I have never read a book of child-rearing that I disagreed with more. I believe it all stems from the fact that Gray starts with the belief that children are born good. As a Christian, I realize we are all born sinners. Punishment, done with love, is necessary. Not holding children accountable for their behavior is dangerous. In an ideal world with children of pure heart, this book would work. Read this book and do the opposite! There are too many spoiled brats out there!
Rating: 
Summary: Too Many Words - Nothing New?
Review: I knew for sure this would be the best parenting book yet. How in the world did it get so much publicity? I am the mother of 5 and it's nothing new and sad to see so much confusion throughout the book by every little thing being repeated over and over. We received another book with much clearer and tried and true kid proof skills, Mommy-CEO, is bascially the same message but much more user friendly. Moms with many children want consise, simple and workable plans and we want it now!
Rating:
Summary: This book oozes with psychobabble and ill advice
Review: I received this book as a Christmas present and was so looking forward to reading it. As a mother of a ten-month old son, I thought I would be able to read about positive parenting skills and gather some good information. I was so disappointed and even appalled at this book. I couldn't even get to the second chapter in one sitting. I ended up throwing it across the room. I know that so many people have written about how great this book is and how wonderful the advice is. I wholeheartedly disagree! There are tidbits of advice that can be useful, such as communicating with your children and telling them that "it's okay to express negative emotions" and "it's okay to be different". However, tidbits of decent information do not make a good book. If you are looking for alternatives to spanking, then you may want to consider this book. However, if you believe that spanking (not beating or abusing your child) is okay and actually needed for some children, than this book is NOT for you! (The author even states that if you plan to follow his advice precisely, you can't spank your child at all). I am by no means saying that spanking should be the only form of discipline. However, some of the alternatives mentioned in this book are simply laughable. One suggestion is to give your teenager a timeout and tell them, that they are not respecting your feelings. I actually laughed out loud when I read that. I would have lost all respect for my mother if she ever said that to me when I was a teenager. I am only 29 and I know that spanking is not outdated. If my mother would not have spanked me, I would have pushed her to the edge. I am THANKFUL she did so with me. And I can safely say that I am by no means a violent person or a person with low self-esteem. As for the author's opinion of "today's children are more sensitive and intelligent therefore, fear-based punishment doesn't work", what a crock of psychobabble. My sister-in-law works with juvenile delinquents and troubled teens and counsels them everyday. She says the biggest problem today is lack of discipline. By talking to these kids one on one, she has been able to find out from THEM that they've never had discipline in their homes, nor communication. Some of them even admit, that had they been disciplined they would probably not be in the situations they put themselves in. This book teaches that children learn responsibility from their parents. True. But every scenario the author gives, blames the parent, whether it's the child breaking something or hitting another child. Children need to learn self-control and the ability to take responsibility for their own actions. The author's teachings make excuses for every wrongful act a child commits. When children misbehave it is not always the parents' fault. I could go on and on about other ridiculous scenarios the author presents but I think what I've said thus far should suffice. I sincerely could not recommend this book to anyone. As a matter of fact, you will probably see my copy up for sale pretty soon.
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST-READ FOR ALL PARENTS
Review: I saw IMMEDIATE results when i applied the principles of John Gray's "Children are from Heaven" to my 2-year old daughter. Although I was skeptical Gray's techniques would work, not only did my 2-year old respond, but I became a happier, more relaxed, and more confident mother. I finally had an alternative to the "hard" discipline on which I was raised and the "soft" discipline that was obviously not working on my 2-year old. My pediatrician recommended this book to me and I have been spreading the word ever since! Thank you John Gray!
Rating:
Summary: The perfect trilogy!
Review: I see this book as a third pillar in a self-help trilogy from Dr. Gray together with "How to get what you want..." and "...Together forever". The book reveals to a great extent how a person's childhood and adolescence affect his perceptions about life, and the way he raises up his children later. I have seen parents who followed 2 or 3 skills out of the five that Dr. Gray mentioned, but not all five. That implied either "soft" or "hard" parenting which ARE negative methods. But the way stipulated in that book, from my prospective, is really THE positive way! My uncle has raised up his son in a way very close to Gray's method, and now he has a World Champion in Karate with very high self-esteem! I am longing for the next gem from you Dr. Gray! Well done!
Rating:
Summary: boring boring boring
Review: I started to read this book and it lost my interest quick! I read the first 38 pages and never picked it up again. My friends agreed that its very repetitive & boring. There is many excellent parenting books out there, don't waist your valuable time on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Finally a book I can relate to and apply to daily parenting.
Review: I think this is a super book. I have been able to begin using the common principles immediately and with great results. At the end of my busy day I find it comforting to learn new ways to be a better parent. Thanks for this book, I'm recommending it to all my friends!
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I anticipated
Review: I was so excited when I saw this book had been published. My husband and I both read 'Men are from Mars...' and we couldn't believe how right he was about so many things. So, naturally, I was expecting this book to be very insightful. Although this book has some good points, there wasn't much in it that I haven't heard before. I also believe that if this book had been edited (which it clearly hadn't considering the number of typos) it could've been about 150 pages long instead of 350. His ideas were summarized and re-summarized tediously. Lastly, John believes in positive parenting which I also believe in. He repeats throughout his book that fear-based parenting is ineffective, which I also believe. So what I don't understand is why he would suggest "The ideal time out is accomplished when a parent puts a child in a room and holds the door shut. It is a natural expression of resistance for a child to try to get out." Do you think a little child is not in fear when they are trapped in a room unable to get out??? I don't care if an adult is on the other side or not. We now know that spanking our children can be both psychologically and emotionally scarring. Common sense tells me that containing my little girl in a room by herself while she's pounding on the door to get out or putting her little fingers under it saying 'Please let me out' ALSO is NOT effective parenting.
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