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Summary: Incredible resource!
Review: ...Dobson is right on the money...Thank you, Dr. Dobson for staying true to the word and giving sound advice!
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Summary: Great book for parents of boys Will make you a better parent
Review: Mr Dobson covers many important topics related to raising boys and provides helpful advice. Many things he says are politically incorrect. That is part of why the book is so valuable. While I disagree on some of his advice, he does have many good insights into how to help raise a boy so that he grows up well mannered, well educated and able to become a good man. The book is a little heavy on Christian right perspective, but the basic point as far is religion goes is that a religious framework of morality and right versus wrong and the meaning of life provides an important structural frame of reference that is good for boys.
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Summary: How did I know...
Review: Whatever happened to those liberal maxims of tolerance and diversity. Dr. Dobson realizes the temptations that are inherent in being a boy and this book is an attempt to lay it all on the table for the reader. He is very sympathetic to both single mothers and those young men dealing for the first time with their sexuality. He just doesn't come to the same conclusions as our liberal friends. As a Christian broadcaster, one can rest assured that he will approach the perceived problems from that perspective and not the one where everything is all right so long as no one gets hurt. He highlights some of the problems parents raising boys in today's society might encounter and offers many practical solutions. If you have a boy or are preparing for one, there are some passages that will bring you to tears when you think about what your son will go through, especially if you had those same troubles yourself, i.e. bullies. Dr. Dobson's perceptions and solutions aren't going to appeal to everyone, but if you enjoy Focus on the Family don't listen to the reviewers who are aghast that anyone can have his views on homosexuality in this day and age, because he is very sympathetic for those who have to deal with it.
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Summary: Nonremarkable
Review: For all the money Dr. James Dobson was no doubt paid to dispense this expert advice, he spends a great deal of time on "the latest research." More often than not, this comes across like he's more content regurgitating the material of others than sharing original ideas.Clearly the book is written toward women, which is disappointing considering that (as a father himself) he had a golden opportunity to really deliver something that would specifically hit home for dads. Didn't happen. It's also a book that goes on for way too long. The retail price of this book is a joke. It could've made it's key points in booklet form. The writing is also dry and lacks any flair. Overall, an unworthy effort.
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Summary: BRAVO, Dr. Dobson!
Review: Having degrees in psychology and theology I honestly didn't expect to encounter anything mindblowing. HOW I DID!! Dobson's book exposes how negatively influenced we have become by our culture regarding boys and men. He methodically outlines how prevasive and critical the attack is on them in a way that will offend lots of people - but that is the beauty of the book: He didn't write it to be popular, but to help our boys! His passion for the subject fuels him and makes his "discussions" (it reads like a lecture)unforgettable. This is not an objective manual on boys, it is a manifesto on the future of mankind. I am so greatful for the powerful and pragmatic insight it provided. Thank you so much, Dr. Dobson.
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Summary: I expected more................................
Review: I am about halfway through this book and really can't decide if I want to continue. I'm a single mom raising my 2 year old son. While I know my situation is not ideal, it sure is better than what it would have been if I stayed in my marraige. Dr. Dobson offers lots of facts but no solutions. I was looking forward to reading this book to help me guide my son but find myself just feeling like no matter how good of a job I do, he is doomed to fail because he is not in a traditional family.
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Summary: Disappointed in the Narrow View Point
Review: I was enjoying this book until I got to the chapter about homosexuality. I stronly disagree with the this chapter. It angers me that a chapter like this is even written in the 21st century.
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Summary: Dobson's World View
Review: As a newly single Christian mother, I was truly seeking advice for how to parent my 3-year old son. What I got from this book was a lot of information about the state of the American culture and the American family. I found out about a lot of the problems in society that threaten masculinity, but Dobson's cure (the traditional, nuclear family) is already unavailable for me. Unfortunately, with the massive amount of societal commentary, I got very little parenting advice.
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Summary: Great advice if you live in the 1950's
Review: Dobson's book contains lots of solid advice for raising boys if you believe society is stuck in the 1950's. There is no doubt Dobson does a fine job of outlining his theories on parenting and the book is well written and easy to read. However, Dobson's approach is extremely conservative, explicitly fundamentalist Christian in leaning, and simply outdated on several topics. This leads, in my view, to an unbalanced viewpoint on many issues. For example, Dobson seems to encourage boys to deny their more sensitive qualities and to denounce more traditionally feminine feelings in favor of the old-school "be a man" advice. You will find a much more balanced view of the challenges boys actually face today in William Pollack's "Real Boys". I would like to add a few comments regarding Dobson's chapter on homosexuality. It is unfortunate that a "Doctor" of Dobson's caliber and renown would remain so blatantly ignorant on such an important topic. His advice in this chapter is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. It is based almost entirely on his particular brand of Christianity and has nothing whatever to do with facts or scientific research. ... Dobson chooses to ignore the volumes of evidence presented by the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association and instead calls homosexuality a "disorder". Dobson chooses to perpetuate myths and stereotypes regarding the origin and nature of homosexuality and he clings desperately to a belief that being gay is bad, sinful, or unhealthy. It is views like his that are actually responsible for the terrible burden placed upon young gay males. This chapter is reprehensible and Dobson should be ashamed for writing it. He also claims homosexuality can be "cured" or reversed, although he fails to provide one shred of clinical or scientific evidence to back up this claim. It is simply an ignorant view. So, in summary buy this book if you want to stick your head in the sand, but don't expect it to be effective in helping to raise a son in today's world.
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Summary: politics aside, there is little practical advice here
Review: If you've read the other reviews of this book, you'll see that for the most part liberals rate it a 1 and conservatives rate it a 5. I agree with stacey2 from Georgia, that if you are conservative and want a soapbox-type book, you'll love this one. But mostly I agree with her in that I was also disappointed that Dobson spends so much time with his agenda--describing the problems in our history, sociology, and politics--and so little time giving practical advice on what a mom should do day-to-day. The most important thing for you to know about this book is that it isn't going to give you many suggestions or ideas that you probably couldn't think of on your own. You don't have to take my word for it--find it on a bookstore shelf, flip to any page, and just start reading. There were some stories and excerpts that I found comforting. (I'm not the only mom whose boy has gotten in trouble for running on the playground!) But they were few and far between. I'm a single mom raising a young son with very little male influence in his life. I needed help! I felt cheated to have spent the money on this book when this kind of writing is probably a better fit for a free newsletter, an editorial column, or a speech to congress.
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