Rating: 
Summary: "Michael Gurian's best work ever"
Review: " I just couldn't put this book down. It truly connects with one's soul,while igniting new discoveries for all human souls."
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing execution of a good idea
Review: "By the end of this book--I hope, by the end of this chapter--you will say to yourself, I thought I was a free thinker, but now I now better what freedom is." pg.xxvWow, that's a bold way to start off one's introduction! Alas, Michael Gurian fails to provide convincing evidence, whether theological, philosophical, or scientific, that would be likely to convince his readers of many of the bold claims that he sets forth in this book. These include the creation of a new species of man, "homo infiniens", the rejection of any distinction between the mind and body, and the ideas that the soul is light and that God is a child. What Gurian does instead is skim lightly on the surface of the major religious traditions, the science of neuropsychology, and his own 'epiphanies'. I kept expecting to find more substance to these claims, but it was never realized. For example, in trying to defend his claim that the soul and body are one, Gurian states the following: "In the Far East, the foundational religious text, the Bhagavad Gita, tells us: "When the body is freed of all passions, the soul is purified." This language, too, makes us think at first glance that soul and body are separate. Hinduism genearlly is interpreted as saying that the soul is real, the body an illusion. Yet if we understand the sentence as an early form of human language, we can see that unity is inherent in it; soul and body are completely interdependent." pg. 138-139 And thus ends the section! We are given no further explanation of what Gurian means by understanding the sentence as 'an early form of human language". These kinds of unsatisfying defenses pervade the entire book. And this is a shame, because a book that could explain the need for "nuturing the divine identity of our children" and providing good ways to do so would certainly be a worthwhile contribution. But this is not that book. If you are intrigued by Gurian's claims, you'll need to go elsewhere to find them fleshed out.
Rating: 
Summary: Scientific look at Child's soul. Not much on nurturing it..
Review: Don't get me wrong, this was a good book, but the title is misleading (and at the time I ordered it, they didn't have a "see inside" feature). The author provides lots of interesting information about the science of the soul but very little about nurturing it. The problem is that if you already know that you're raising 'little souls' and not just 'kids', you spend nearly all of the book reading info about proof of the soul's existence and neurobiology (fascinating information, but if you've read it before in other books and publications, it's quite repetitive). Bottom Line: If you've never really thought about the divine side of childhood or the 'little soul' inside your child, you'll probably love this book. However, if you already know the soul exists and that nurturing your child's soul is the most important thing you can do for them & you wanted this book to learn more about soul nurturing... you'll probably be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Scientific look at Child's soul. Not much on nurturing it..
Review: Don't get me wrong, this was a good book, but the title is misleading (and at the time I ordered it, they didn't have a "see inside" feature). The author provides lots of interesting information about the science of the soul but very little about nurturing it. The problem is that if you already know that you're raising 'little souls' and not just 'kids', you spend nearly all of the book reading info about proof of the soul's existence and neurobiology (fascinating information, but if you've read it before in other books and publications, it's quite repetitive). Bottom Line: If you've never really thought about the divine side of childhood or the 'little soul' inside your child, you'll probably love this book. However, if you already know the soul exists and that nurturing your child's soul is the most important thing you can do for them & you wanted this book to learn more about soul nurturing... you'll probably be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: The Soul of the Child is a "must read" by parents, educators
Review: Gurian has broken new ground again! Michael Gurian blends a perfect mixture of science, religion and child development theory/practice in his cutting edge book, The Soul of the Child. Too many books on parenting/children focus on one area, such as child development, but neglect faith and spirit. Or they blend child development with religion, but omit any discussion of our biological nature. What is brilliant...and arguably ahead of his time, is Gurian's discussion of a child's soul. Here Gurain accesses knowledge/ wisdom from the world's religions and then combines those ancient traditions with the most recent discoveries in brain science and genetics to actually "locate" and identify the soul...to prove the soul's existence. What most of us know intuitively, Michael proves with science...and religion...that the soul is light, and the child's soul is light. It is our job as adults to tame, nurture and expand this light...or we can darken it. But that is just the beginning! Gurian then takes us through a child's development and shows how events...both good and bad...imprint on the soul. In essence, he wants us to realize that in our interactions with children...whether they are ours, in the neighborhood, or at our school, or wherever, that we do have an impact on our children, and this impact can be measured through technologies such as PET scans. Again, he is reinforcing things that most know intuitively...and this strengthens our knowledge and can help us with children. And there is much, much more. Nowhere have I found such a broad, deep, compassionate synthesis of science and spirituality in one book. By the time you have finished this, not only will you have a better understanding of your child, but you will understand yourself...and the human being as well. And you just might agree with Michael, that "God IS the child."
Rating:
Summary: The Soul of the Child is a "must read" by parents, educators
Review: Gurian has broken new ground again! Michael Gurian blends a perfect mixture of science, religion and child development theory/practice in his cutting edge book, The Soul of the Child. Too many books on parenting/children focus on one area, such as child development, but neglect faith and spirit. Or they blend child development with religion, but omit any discussion of our biological nature. What is brilliant...and arguably ahead of his time, is Gurian's discussion of a child's soul. Here Gurain accesses knowledge/ wisdom from the world's religions and then combines those ancient traditions with the most recent discoveries in brain science and genetics to actually "locate" and identify the soul...to prove the soul's existence. What most of us know intuitively, Michael proves with science...and religion...that the soul is light, and the child's soul is light. It is our job as adults to tame, nurture and expand this light...or we can darken it. But that is just the beginning! Gurian then takes us through a child's development and shows how events...both good and bad...imprint on the soul. In essence, he wants us to realize that in our interactions with children...whether they are ours, in the neighborhood, or at our school, or wherever, that we do have an impact on our children, and this impact can be measured through technologies such as PET scans. Again, he is reinforcing things that most know intuitively...and this strengthens our knowledge and can help us with children. And there is much, much more. Nowhere have I found such a broad, deep, compassionate synthesis of science and spirituality in one book. By the time you have finished this, not only will you have a better understanding of your child, but you will understand yourself...and the human being as well. And you just might agree with Michael, that "God IS the child."
Rating:
Summary: An important book, uneven writing
Review: Gurian's book is well worth reading. His unitheistic approach to nurturing the light and soul of all children (including ourselves) is inspiring and hopeful. The sections on medical advances showing the special nature of our life-force and brain development were especially interesting and accessible, and I'd have liked him to explore these areas in more depth. My quibble with the book is on a stylistic level: given his subject matter, I could wish for a greater elegance and lyricism. The first third of the book, I felt, was heavy-handed and prosaic. His insistence on soul being equivalent to light seemed repetitive and not entirely supported. A recommended read, nevertheless.
Rating:
Summary: the truth now about Gurian - vague,spiritual and sexist
Review: How can one nuture their child's "soul" as he wants to call
the energy of a person,if one seperates learning experience
into two distinct and seperate catagories,"male" and "female"
The book does not make sense because nuturing has to do with
expanding knowledge and dreams of a child.A child's dreams and
goals cannot be nutured with such a structured and limiting
mindset about boys,girls,men and women.
He takes a rather new agey premise,which many persons do not
believe.It is very arrogant of the writer to use this premise
since he sounds preachy and writes as though he has some inside
knowledge of how the whole entire religious and spiritual world
is run.Reminds me of a run in I had with a new ager who said
"we choose our parents" as though the person was trying to
shove it down my throat.Gurian does the same,he assumes everyone
will follow his recipe for life as though he's some sort of
god or guru.He gives me the feeling of "follow me and you'll
have all the right answers,because I HAVE all the right answers"
The bottom line is he's a con artist selling a myth to make
money - bottom line.His books are controversial on purpose to
stur up enough dust to have a significant enough popularity to
become a seller and to do a worldwide con job on the educational
system.Let's hope for the rest of the world,he does not become
an icon of education of everyone.America and Canada have already
become polluted by his sexist poison - let's hope the buck stops
here and the bucks stop here - $$$$.
Also he weaves back into inclinations according to gender.You
get the feeling he's trying to sell an agenda of not trying to
make a girl think too much or you will destory her soul and
spirit.
I'm not sure where he's coming from because if you want to talk
about religion,his beliefs about men and women's abilities are
the same as those preached by right wing Christians.The same
belief of how men and women are exact opposites and will never
have any understanding of one another or be interested in the
same subjects or pursuits.So one cannot say which side of the
fence he's on,the new age of "male and female esense" nonsense,
or men were made for this and women that.One thing is for sure,
as you travel through his books,you get the feeling he's preaching to you and wants you to accept his limited view of
human variation and potential.
If you are worried about your child's soul,do not read this book.
It will lead you no where,except to the bank,bookstore and
realizing you wasted time and money.
Rating:
Summary: In Soul of the Child, Michiel Gurian really nails it.
Review: In this book Gurain expresses what I have felt: which is that no one religion has exclusive claim to the truth, all religions and science have in common. God burns in the soul of a child and we are all children of the magical mystery. A must read for illuminating our trail to understanding.
Rating:
Summary: Mr. Gurian's other books are much better
Review: Mr. Gurian's books about raising boys are excellent. In this book he seems to jump off the deep end into his spiritual world - Why would anyone else find his spiritual musings worthwhile? He should stick to family therapy, his expertise. I also must point out that most of the 5 starred reviews on this book are from Spokane, WA, which is where he is from.
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