Rating: 
Summary: Error-riddled
Review: This book is not well researched. I know a fair amount about cognitive processes (I am a professor of cognitive psychology and neuroscience) and Levine gets a great many things wrong. The mistakes are not trivial details. Many of the "processes" that Levine discusses appear nowhere in the scientific literature. When he does use concepts that are accepted in cognitive science or neuroscience (e.g., consolidation) he sometimes gets them wrong. Other times he makes recommendations that sound okay based on his assumptions, but are obviously wrong if you are a bit more familiar with how learning works. For example, he advocates block scheduling (i.e., long periods of work on the same subject) based on his erroneous view of consolidation, but ignores the substantial research literature showing that learning distributed over multiple sessions is more enduring.The fact that he gets a lot of the research wrong might not be so bad if the basic ideas in the book were not so trivial. His point is that 1) the sort of learning kids do in school is complex in that it utilizes many basic cognitive processes.
2) of these many processes that contribute, children will likely be strong in some and weak in others
3) we should be sensitive to these differences so that we can maximize a child's strengths while minimizing any weaknesses These points are not controversial, and that's why it is so vital to correctly outline the *details* of what the specific processes are (that we are to identify as strengths or weaknesses in an individual child). Levine seems to think that he can intuit these fundamental processes through case studies. This is exactly the method used by Freud, and the results are about the same. Freud at least had the excuse that there was not a world of research on the subject that he was systematically ignoring. If you don't know that learning is complex and children are individuals, you will learn that from this book. Anything else you get from the book is not reliable.
Rating: 
Summary: A excellent resource for academia, parents, & future parents
Review: The author Mike Levine provides us a book of rare quality and singular distinction as it relates to child development. Drawing from his experiences, Levine shares many interesting stories about children and their learning struggles. The universal theme running through his book is how to identify a child's weakeness, focusing on the child's strengths and interestes, and finding techniques or methods to circumvent the weaknesses. I rank this book among great writtings, such as, "Now discover your strengthens." The primary difference being, Levine provides a more clinical examination of children learning disabilities. Levine explores more of the neurological disorders that plague children than "Now discover your strengths". Levine helps us gain a more awareness about how these disorder effect children. Additionally, he helps us to understand the level of fustration and pain these disorders cause children. Levines book increases ones self awareness of the challenges associated with learning. Levine doesn't classify minds as good, fair, or poor rather he states that each mind learns differently. By accomodating the different types of learning weaknesses are circumvented. Some of the weakness Levine addresses are short term memory problems, sequencing handicaps, spatial orientation, gross motor skills, relations, higher conceptualization, word and grammer challenges, and when a mind falls behind. The book has a fair number of diagrams which visually assist the reader in understanding various learning models being expressed by the author. I like the book because it provides a list of do's and don'ts at the end of each chapter. The reader learns about many ineffective behaviors they may have no effect on a struggling child.
Rating:
Summary: 'DA BOMB!!
Review: Without (hopefully) sounding too breathy, I believe Levine will do for learning theory what Jung did for the study of the unconscious. This is big stuff, and while Levine may be somewhat of a learning theory disciple himself, he takes good work and adds his own enlightened and profound vision. Result? A focus on how EVERY child is not only unique, but completely capable and wired for intellectual success. We've just got to determine how to best enhance and encourage this process by being able to work from the child's unique blueprint. It's our job as teachers (and I mean all of us, not just the teaching professionals) to guide, nurture and foster the minds of young children - to try to understand and encourage them, not just practice the same old traditional (and often damaging)learning models. We are the smart, experienced adults, aren't we? We must be willing to at least entertain the idea that perhaps there are other ways of teaching and learning - that children's intelligence is as varied and valuable as the intelligence of adults. Dr. Mel Levine, in addition to being well-educated and credentialed, is perhaps most importantly, a visionary. He possesses a humbleness and divine reverence for that sometimes unseen but always present potential. This potential exists not only in children, but all living things. It is a most inspiring work, and he, an inspiring, beautiful soul.
Rating: 
Summary: it is obvious why this book gets such great reviews
Review: Of course all parents want to believe that each of their kids is special, blah blah blah, and so they rave about a book which tells them that. Yes, there is a basic message here useful for parents and educators-- don't treat kids the same, duh. And while the author seems like a great person, and the book is well written with lots of nice stories, I was very disappointed in (a) the lack of scientific facts (e.g., predictions based on tests and research to show predictions were accurate) and (b) a list of options for your kid if they profile a certain way. It would be great if there were a simple test one could take to score yourself in each of the N (here, 8) main functional areas of the brain, and then tell you what careers would be best for you, to maximize your unique profile, leverage your strengths, and minimize impact of your weaknesses.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT FOR UNDERSTANDING YOUR KIDS
Review: Wether your a teacher or a parent or a psychiatrist, this book is a usefull tool for understanding the way children act, why they act, and what drives them. The Author has a wonderful understanding on how important it is to catch the child early on. Another book along these lines that I would also recommend, but more for teens, is called "The Little Guide To Happiness". It's great for beating teen depression.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: This is by far the best book on learning styles and education i have read. The focus is on maximizing *each* child's personal potental. The message is extremly positive. *EVERY* child has abilities and *NEEDS* consistant re-enforcemant for what they do have as opposed to what they lack...which is unfortunately how alot of school system function. There is information on disabilities but the focus seems to be on each childs *abilities*... and to nurture these abilites . I found the information very helpful. The explanations clear and informative without being difficult to understand. There were suggestions that you could incorporate into your childs education and new ways to look at problems. It helps you focus on where the problems are and helps you to find solutions... Is disruption actually boredom? Is inattentiveness boredom? or is it a signal of a learning issue...or is your child bored and inattentive *because* of a concrete learning issue? And even than it is broken down... is it a problem with memory? is it long term momory or short term? Can your child remember a certain number of facts but past a certain point it becomes a confusing mess? Is it not memory at all...but can your child just not get his thoughts down on paper? There are suggestions for helping all kinds of children. The overall message is that *ALL* children can be productive and positive in their own way and *all* children dont learn well in the typical school environment. Many do not, it seems. I found this book to be very up-beat and not dry. Despite that there is alot of information provided. It is a book i will read more than one time
Rating:
Summary: A Refreshing Alternative
Review: Mel Levine is a pediatrician and what some would call a "learning expert," and as such, he explains the task of learning and promotes the methods in which to help every child learn appropriately. It is evident that childrens' minds work differently, with some advancing well through the multiplicity of tasks which they must learn in school. Then there are the others who struggle. Rather than "labeling" children, or even these "others," as "learning disabled" or that A.D.D., Mel Levine advocates diagnosing particular problems and using quite specific strategies to overcome them. This is a breath of fresh air which has entered into this dialogue, and I would recommend those who want a provocative read to dive right in.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book for teachers and parents
Review: This book helps you identify the issues that are holding your children back, how to prevent labeling and how to identify their learning style and promote their strengths. It can give you general information about how to promote a healthy emotional development. I would couple this book with practical application through a book entitled Kid Cooperation: How to Stop Yelling, Nagging and Pleading. The result of combining the knowledge from these two books will be happy, well-rounded children and peaceful parents.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read for parents
Review: Dr. Levine has a logical, common-sense approach to education and learning. Why do we expect children to be experts in all subjects, when we wouldn't think of expecting the same of adults? Any parent who wants to be an effective educational advocate for his or her child would do well to read and absorb the philosophy presented in this book. I gave it four stars instead of five simply because I found it somewhat dry reading in places. But on the whole the language is straightforward and the ideas excellent.
Rating:
Summary: A Map of the Mind
Review: This book is one of the best that I have read this year. There is so much sensibility and science in coming to know how we learn. If you read but one book in 2002 then this book is the one that you should read. The writing will help you better to understand yourself, and the many people in your life. I have applied the ideas in the book to working with my children, with co-workers, managers, and customers. The result has been improved and more productive relationships because now I am able to understand how "my machine" works, as well as how others think. The best fighter pilots understand the strengths and weaknesses of their aircraft. So, they prepare for combat by maximizing the strong qualities, and in minimizing the weak points. This analogy is useful to apply to our lives. We tend to torture ourselves about our weaker qualities, but we have a habit of overlooking our strengths. Consider the book's examples, and use this information to find and to apply your most powerful qualities while neutralizing your weaker skills.
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