A Handful of Ashes: One Mother's Tragedy

Rating:
Summary: Nature Over Nurture
Review: I first interviewed Dr. Greenleaf when reporting an article for Time Magazine on Anti-Social Personalities (a.k.a. sociopaths or psychopaths), so it was with great interest that I read this book about her struggles with her sociopathic son, Daniel. This is an engaging, well-written, gut-honest narrative that is a must read for any parent with a baffling "black sheep" child or anyone who wants to be able to identify and avoid the sociopaths among us. The book also shatters the long-held assumption that bad kids are the by-product of bad parenting. Daniel, like so many destructive people who are without conscience, seems to have been born bad.

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended reading for child psychologists
Review: In A Handful Of Ashes: One Mother's Tragedy, psychiatrists Victoria Greenleaf maintains that children can be born with negative personality traits that even the most exemplary upbringing will be unable to overcome. Dr. Greenleaf makes a convincing case that childhood personality disorder do not necessarily stem from flawed parenting or parental abuse. She asserts that genetics may be equally influential and supports her remarkable assertion with a personal account of the agonizing impact a child with Antisocial Personality Disorder can having on loving parents who, despite professional expertise and tireless efforts, were unable to reverse their son's condition. A Handful Of Ashes is highly recommended reading for child psychologists, family counselors, and parents who are trying their best to effectively and lovingly nurture an antisocial child.

Rating:
Summary: A Look At A Road I Might Have Traveled
Review: Reading Victoria Greenleaf's book is a fascinating and eye-opening experience. It is as compelling as a well-written novel, yet it has the added value of being true, provoking readers to ask themselves difficult questions about loopholes in socialization our culture has left open, and where the responsibility lies for those who, through cunning and guile, craft a life within them only to eventually become everyone's unackowledged problem. Dr. Greenleaf paints a comprehensive picture in which the social mechanisms we have created to deal with this problem are woefully inadequate. The agencies are understaffed, underfinanced, and undervalued. Because of the prevalence of this character disorder, we are losing a significant portion of the best of what we have. Her character, Daniel, eventually becomes a moderately productive member of society, but contributes perhaps only a fraction of what he might have. The part he will never manifest is a devastating shortfall, especially when one considers how prevalent this condition is. Greenleaf makes the point well that as a society we can not afford to continue ignoring this problem. We are losing too much of our most vital resource at a time when it is sorely needed: the full commitment to our mutual problems by not only the best and the brightest but by every member of our community. This book gives us an Erin Brockovich heroine who stands up for saving our children by taking on every possible task to try to correct her son's personality flaw. It is an honest statement in which she willingly opens herself to possible criticism by telling her story the way it actually happened. It took years of her time to put this together, a task she performed because she felt this is a story that should be told. She deserves more than our gratitude; she deserves to see a general awakening to the extent of this problem and an increased resolve to do something about it. This is a brave, compelling, and much needed book.

Rating:
Summary: A Look At A Road I Might Have Traveled
Review: Reading Victoria Greenleaf's book is a fascinating and eye-opening experience. It is as compelling as a well-written novel, yet it has the added value of being true, provoking readers to ask themselves difficult questions about loopholes in socialization our culture has left open, and where the responsibility lies for those who, through cunning and guile, craft a life within them only to eventually become everyone's unackowledged problem. Dr. Greenleaf paints a comprehensive picture in which the social mechanisms we have created to deal with this problem are woefully inadequate. The agencies are understaffed, underfinanced, and undervalued. Because of the prevalence of this character disorder, we are losing a significant portion of the best of what we have. Her character, Daniel, eventually becomes a moderately productive member of society, but contributes perhaps only a fraction of what he might have. The part he will never manifest is a devastating shortfall, especially when one considers how prevalent this condition is. Greenleaf makes the point well that as a society we can not afford to continue ignoring this problem. We are losing too much of our most vital resource at a time when it is sorely needed: the full commitment to our mutual problems by not only the best and the brightest but by every member of our community. This book gives us an Erin Brockovich heroine who stands up for saving our children by taking on every possible task to try to correct her son's personality flaw. It is an honest statement in which she willingly opens herself to possible criticism by telling her story the way it actually happened. It took years of her time to put this together, a task she performed because she felt this is a story that should be told. She deserves more than our gratitude; she deserves to see a general awakening to the extent of this problem and an increased resolve to do something about it. This is a brave, compelling, and much needed book.

Rating:
Summary: A must-read for all parents of teenagers
Review: This book is very well-written, a brutally honest account of the author's struggles with her wayward son. However, all through the book, one vacillates between having sympathy for the author, and being enraged with her for her arrogance, and bewildermment for having such a son. She seems to be totally naive to the fact that even "good" parents can raise "bad" children, and her methods for trying to "help" him are questionable at best. She seems to be unable to show motherly love to her children, and instead appears to raise them as a scientist conducting an experimment. Additionally, after reading the book, the reader is left with more questions than answers. For instance, what has become of her 2 younger children? How old is "Daniel" now, and what is he doing? And why, in God's name, hasn't she divorced "Peter?"

Rating:
Summary: A must-read for all parents of teenagers
Review: This book is very well-written, a brutally honest account of the author's struggles with her wayward son. However, all through the book, one vacillates between having sympathy for the author, and being enraged with her for her arrogance, and bewildermment for having such a son. She seems to be totally naive to the fact that even "good" parents can raise "bad" children, and her methods for trying to "help" him are questionable at best. She seems to be unable to show motherly love to her children, and instead appears to raise them as a scientist conducting an experimment. Additionally, after reading the book, the reader is left with more questions than answers. For instance, what has become of her 2 younger children? How old is "Daniel" now, and what is he doing? And why, in God's name, hasn't she divorced "Peter?"