Rating: 
Summary: A "must read" for any parent of a child struggling in school
Review: As a career coach I deal with clients who feel embarrassed about their own lack of motivation. And there's a lot of hype these days about "assessments" that are one step away from witchcraft. Here's the Real Deal.Levine argues that most people want to learn and succeed in their lives. What holds them back often is the way their brains are wired. (Okay, he's a lot more scientific.) I can personally relate to some of his examples. I've always had trouble controlling pieces of paper and my desk always looks as though I'd dumped a wastebasket upside down. Throughout my life people have sighed, "You've got to get organized!" Yet I've learned to accomplish a lot by compensating -- once I realized it was a cognitive deficit. And, as Levine points out, adults have an easier time than children. We don't have to excel in so many different areas. Levine acknowledges his own quirks. Don't give me anything you want back, he says, and if you want me to sign something, stand there till you get my signature! I can relate to those too. The lesson is that nearly everyone has strengths as well as functional deficits. If a child doesn't have the coordination for basketball or baseball, he or she can try another sport, like weight-lifting or wrestling. Levine presents knowledge in the form of case studies, which are both educational and easy to follow. He's honest: there are few Cinderella stories and happy endings. That's the part of the book that's most difficult to deal with. His center provides some of the best testing and counseling in the world, yet not everyone will be responsive. It's not enough to receive a diagnosis: you also need a supportive environment, especially if you're a child. I didn't care for Levine's chapter on "what might have happened."
I'd rather have seen composite cases or cases with details disguised, with stories of "real" endings. And people need to be aware of non-psychiatric settings that allow people to make progress. I've taken well-designed, non-competitive exercise classes that helped everyone's coordination -- including some who could barely shuffle into the class when they started. However, Levine deserves credit for not succumbing to the simplicities of the self-help genre. You won't find self-diagnostic tests or "ten things you can do..." here. He's
drawn the line in the sand: he's writing as a physician and scientist. Perhaps the greatest contribution of this book will be to alert teachers, managers, parents and everyone to the great variety of learning skills and the possibility for cognitive deficits. Too many children are ridiculed and even punished for "laziness" and worse, and even adults can be hassled by ignorant bosses, spouses and friends.
Rating:
Summary: Strategies to help children reach their potential.
Review: Dr. Mel Levine, founder of "All Kinds of Minds Institute" and the Director of "The Center for Development and Learning," debunks "The Myth of Laziness." Levine maintains that everyone longs to be productive and useful, and that some children who are called lazy by their parents, teachers or peers, may in reality be suffering from "output failure." Dr. Levine maintains that a whole spectrum of neuro-development dysfunctions may prevent children from reaching their potential. Examples of such dysfunctions are difficulty expressing oneself orally or in writing, an inability to organize one's time, workspace or materials, or a problem as basic as "graphomotor breakdown." This means that a student's writing is sabotaged by movement problems that prevent his or her fingers from capturing ideas and putting them down on paper. In his specialty as a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, Levine has spent thirty years working with children who have had difficulty living up to the expectations of their parents, their schools and themselves. Levine has strategies for helping these children, starting with specific tests to diagnose which area of memory, language, attention, or motor function is causing the problem. He also suggests ways that that children can compensate for their deficits and make better use of their strengths. "The Myth of Laziness" is an informative look at some of the obstacles that many kids face during their school years. Readers should be warned, however, that the book contains hard-to-follow psychological and educational jargon. Fortunately, many case studies help clarify Levine's ideas for the reader who is not familiar with the language of developmental psychology. Principals, teachers, and parents should read this book and consider how they can incorporate some of its ideas in both public and private school programs. Perhaps, if kids with "output failures" receive skilled help at an early age, they may succeed in school and in life instead of falling through the cracks.
Rating:
Summary: You'll be able to relate to this book!
Review: Heard the taped version of THE MYTH OF LAZINESS, written and
read by Dr. Mel Levine--a professor of pediatrics at the University of
North Carolina Medical School. Levine persuasively makes the point that children and adults
aren't really lazy when they can be seen not working up to their
potential . . . rather, he contends that "everybody yearns to be
productive" . . . and what happens is that they are simply
experiencing "output failure" due to different neuro-developmental weaknesses. While the aforementioned may come across as gobbledygook, it
really isn't because of Levine's use of case studies . . . you'll
be able to relate to the seven children and adults profiled, either
because you will see yourself and/or others you know. I liked the last few chapters best because they were devoted
to concrete suggestions for what can be done to help supposedly
lazy folks . . . tips on how to cultivate writing skills, as well as
how to set up an organized home office, are presented . . . also,
teachers are urged to take into account the individuality of their
students' learning skills. Furthermore, I found several worksheets in the book version (that I
skimmed after listening to the tapes) that can be most helpful
to help students plan their stories and reports.
Rating:
Summary: a pediatrician's view
Review: I bought this book because I took several courses with Dr. Levine while he was at Boston Children's and because of the children in my practice. It is superb. I have started recommending it to the parents in my practice. It explains very succintly and precisely various types of learning issues and how to handle them. It also helps parents be their children's advocate. Children should not be kept back unless the teachers know what is happening to that particular child. Children are starting school too late and too much is required of them when developmentally they are not able. Why is it that teachers accept differences in their colleagues but not among children. It is time that we stop putting round pegs in square holes. It is time that teachers teach better with more compassion and understanding. This is what Dr. Levine has been trying to do for years.
Rating:
Summary: a pediatrician's view
Review: I bought this book because I took several courses with Dr. Levine while he was at Boston Children's and because of the children in my practice. It is superb. I have started recommending it to the parents in my practice. It explains very succintly and precisely various types of learning issues and how to handle them. It also helps parents be their children's advocate. Children should not be kept back unless the teachers know what is happening to that particular child. Children are starting school too late and too much is required of them when developmentally they are not able. Why is it that teachers accept differences in their colleagues but not among children. It is time that we stop putting round pegs in square holes. It is time that teachers teach better with more compassion and understanding. This is what Dr. Levine has been trying to do for years.
Rating:
Summary: Myth of Laziness
Review: I was so grateful to discover this book. I am a homeschooling mom of 4 and since I work closely with my kids on a daily basis I was able to recongnize some real frustrations in my 10 year old son. It had been suggested that I have him tested for ADD but this just didn't seem right to me. When I read Dr. Levine's profile of the child in Ch. 2, it was as if I were reading about my own child, with a few exceptions. I am confident I have found the source of his frustrations. I am recommending this book to every pediatrician, physician and school teacher I know. I am grateful that my son will have the chance to put this information to use for his benefit from such a young age. It makes me grieve for the countless number of intelligent school children and adults that have been accused of being "lazy" or not "living up to their full potential." Shame on us for not taking the time to understand them.
Rating:
Summary: Myth of Laziness
Review: I was so grateful to discover this book. I am a homeschooling mom of 4 and since I work closely with my kids on a daily basis I was able to recongnize some real frustrations in my 10 year old son. It had been suggested that I have him tested for ADD but this just didn't seem right to me. When I read Dr. Levine's profile of the child in Ch. 2, it was as if I were reading about my own child, with a few exceptions. I am confident I have found the source of his frustrations. I am recommending this book to every pediatrician, physician and school teacher I know. I am grateful that my son will have the chance to put this information to use for his benefit from such a young age. It makes me grieve for the countless number of intelligent school children and adults that have been accused of being "lazy" or not "living up to their full potential." Shame on us for not taking the time to understand them.
Rating: 
Summary: important, but missed
Review: It is an important book, as it tries to refute the myth of laziness. Levine argues that the so called `laziness`, is actually the result of a neurodevelopmental problem, and that every child `yearns to be productive`. According to his analysis a broad spectrum of neuro-development dysfunctions may prevent children from reaching their potential. I found Both claims very problematic as they ignor the social construction of reality as a major determinate factor.
Rating:
Summary: important, but missed
Review: It is an important book, as it tries to refute the myth of laziness. Levine argues that the so called `laziness`, is actually the result of a neurodevelopmental problem, and that every child `yearns to be productive`. According to his analysis a broad spectrum of neuro-development dysfunctions may prevent children from reaching their potential. I found Both claims very problematic as they ignor the social construction of reality as a major determinate factor.
Rating:
Summary: Addresses the very Real problem of laziness....
Review: Mel Levine's first book 'A Mind at a Time' succeeded in taking a common sense approach to the important subject of learning types. This book does the same thing, but focuses on one specific functional challenge - that of a lack of productivity.
1. Levine continues to assert that different learning styles require different teaching strategies. As a result, he does not believe that any child is inherently lazy. While this is likely true for young children, it does not seem to be necessarily the case for adolescents or adults. (Levine would disagree) That is, laziness can be learned and even chosen later in life. In fact, I often find myself choosing the way of the sloth - to my own frustration and embarrassment. 2. Levine identifies a number of causes of low performance. Some of these are internal like organizational problems, poor ability to verbally express, or poor writing skills. However, these types of things don't seem to be 'causes' as much as they do 'results' or 'symptoms'. He does go on to briefly discuss external factors like socioeconomic background, family life, and negative role models. Now these seem to be more root-causes - however, he doesn't spend much time on these, which I found to be disappointing. 3. The thing that I do like about Levine is that he develops suggestions for what parents can do to encourage productive output in children. Additionally, he provides objective means for identifying if the problem is internal or environmental. I happen to believe the vast majority of people fall into the latter category - at least as the initial influence. However, it seems laziness becomes a choice as well. So, there's a bit of controversy here - which makes the book interesting and relevant. 4. Lastly, Levine doesn't leave the reader in an ethereal and contemplative world, but brings problem solving down to a real-life level by providing worksheets, which assist children in planning stories and reports - to get their minds working. 5. It seems it's so necessary to start fostering creativity, activity, and expression at a young age. Additionally, abundant parental praise related to accomplishments is also very needed. In short, this is a good book, however it would have been helpful if Levine had focused more in the area of relationships.
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