Born to Rebel : Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives

Rating:
Summary: SOCIALIZATION IS THE ISSUE; AMERICA SCHOOLS THE TARGET
Review: THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT SOCIALIZATION TAKES PLACE IN THE FAMILY. NOW COME THE REBELLIONS IN EDUCATION THAT MUST BE BORN OF THIS EVIDENCE. GIVEN PROFESSORS SULLOWAY'S EXTENSIVE EVIDENCE. THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT AT ALL. WHAT THIS EVIDENCE MEANS IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO EDUCATION IN REGARDS TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IT IS A SIMPLE MATTER. REVIEWS MUST DO THIS. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN IS AT ISSUE. CERTAINLY THIS BOOK IS IMPORTANT. THE APPLICATION OF THE EVIDENTIARY PRINCIPLES IS EVEN MORE EARTH SHAKING THAN THE OPPORTUNITY THAT CONSCIOUSNESS OF FAMILY SHAPING CAN HAVE TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHILE MANY FEAR THE DETERMINISM OF EVIDENCE IS IT NAUGHT BUT LIBERATING FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AWARENESS THAT CAN CAUSE A FIRST BORN TO BE MORE OPEN TO INNOVATE AND TO ALL READERS TO BE OPEN TO APPLYING THE INNOVATIVE EVIDENCE TO SCHOOL GROUPS AND PERSONAL LIFE CURRICULA BOTH OTHER QUIBBLES AND CASES FOR CATEGORIZATION OF EVIDENCE CAN BE MADE AND SUBSTANTIATED. NONE CAN BE MADE TO CONFLICT WITH THE EVIDENCE OF SOCIALIZATION IN THE FAMILY BEING PRIMARY IN EVERY CASE. IT IS CLEARLY TRUE AND EVIDENTIALLY SUPPORTABLE IN PROFESSOR SULLOWAY'S EXACTING STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. NO NONSENSE INTO STATISTICS IS NO NON-USE OUT OF THEM, EITHER. THE UTTER NONSENSE OF AMERICAN TEACHER TRAINING IS AT ISSUE. STUDENTS DO NOT ACCLIMATE TO SOCIETY WITH PEERS IN SCHOOL SINCE THAT IS DONE IN THE FAMILY. THE EXTRAORDINARY WASTE OF TIME ALLOWED IN THE NAME OF THAT SOCIALIZATION IS THE HALLMARK OF BUNK IN AMERICAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER TRAINING. THE MORASSMENT OF CHAOTIC IDEOLOGIES FROM TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS HAS LONG BEEN APPARENT. IDEALIZING ON ONE HAND THAT SOCIALIZATION IS AN IMPERATIVE ALLOWING FOR INTERACTIVE NONSENSE ON ONE HAND WHILE COMPLAINING CORRECTLY ABOUT FAMILIES PRODUCING REPROBATES AND SIMULTANEOUSLY ALLOWING FOR INTERACTIVITY TO THE POINT OF GUNFIRE, CHAOS, AND DISORDER IN THE NAME OF SOCIALIZATION IS TYPICAL OF THE ILLOGIC IN SCHOOLS ALL OVER AMERICA. FURTHER COMPLAINTS THAT TESTING MEASURES ONLY INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENTS WHILE HAVING DEGRADED CURRICULA IN FAVOR OF THE SOCIALIZATION THEORY TO THE POINT THAT NONE IN 2000 A.D. CAN PASS AN 1890'S EDUCATIONAL TEST FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THEN IN HIGH SCHOOL NOW ALL POINTS A GOLDEN FINGER OF CERTITUDE TO SULLOWAY FOR THE RESTORATION OF CURRICULA; COMPREHENSIVE CLASSICAL LEARNING; RESTORATION OF ORDER; AND DISBANDING BUNK CURRICULA USING SOCIALIZATION THEORIES THAT NEVER MADE SENSE IN FAVOR OF EVIDENCE FROM PROFESSOR SULLOWAY. BORN REBELLIONS IN THIS THINKING TO THE NONSENSE OF AMERICAN EDUCATION ARE YET TO BE PUT TO APPLICATION. THE RESTORATION OF INTENSIVE SOURCE WORK AND IN-DEPTH STUDY TO CURRICULA IN AMERICAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS MUST BE IMPLEMENTED ON THE BASIS OF THIS EVIDENCE. COLLEGES OF EDUCATION NEED TO REVISE THEIR TRAINING AND RE-TRAIN THE LAZY, NO-NOTHING METHODOLOGY BUMS THEY PRODUCED TO UNDO THE CHAOS THEY'VE IMPLEMENTED SEEN IN DISORDER IN THE CLASSROOM AND HALLS AND HEARS AROUND THE WORLD IN GUNFIRE AND DEATH IT HAS PRODUCED. THERE LIES THE PRIMARY IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSOR SULLOWAY'S EXHAUSTIVE RESEARCH. LET US APPLY IT NOW. HART EMERITUS COLORADO USA AUGUST 2000 [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: A seminal theory of development backed by masterly data
Review: This book by Frank Sulloway places birth order, and the "Darwinian" struggle for parental attention, at the center of personality formation. Sulloway has taken 26 years to write his book - Born to Rebel, and it is worth it. He bases his theories on meticulous research into the biographies of over 3000 scientists, from the days of Copernicus to the present. His theories began with, and are founded on, the observation he made back in 1972 that there are dramatic differences between the groups of scientists who promote the periodic revolutions in science, and the groups who oppose and support orthodox science. His observation is that these differences are related to differences in family position, and Sulloway demonstrates a degree of statistical significance in these relationships that is almost unheard of in the social sciences. The book is remarkable on a number of levels. First of all, the theoretical observations have a power that may put Sulloway up on a level with Freud and Piaget in unveiling the mechanisms of human development. Secondly, the topic of the book is a fascinating read: first of all, on the personal level, and Sulloway is not so much of an academic that he shuns this. There are sideline remarks throughout the book that encourage the reader to apply the insights to him- or herself. Thirdly, the book is very interesting on the level of biography, and fourthly in its insights into the history of science. Also, it is beautifully written: it survives with flying colors the test that I apply - reading it aloud. Also, Sulloway is a master of statistical exegesis - in his command of statistical theory and technique (there is an appendix on the use of descriptive statistics that stands on its own as a beautiful piece of education), in the clarity of his explanation of the significance of statistical results, and in his use of just the right diagram. I have a particular fetish about the intelligent use of statistics and the representation of quantitative data. I have two favorite books on these subjects. There is Cathy Marsh's book on descriptive statistics called Exploring Data, and a book by Edward Tufte called The Visual Display of Quantitative Data. These two books, however, are textbooks. They explain in the abstract how to use statistics effectively and truthfully, though both books abound with fascinating examples. Sulloway, though, is manipulating his numbers for real, so his achievement is doubly impressive and doubly fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty darned good
Review: This book indeed, in some respects, represents the "stunning intellectual achievement" celebrated by one of its reviewers. However, it is bent, on every paragraph of every page, against older siblings. I know from my own personal experience that there is in fact a distinctive and characteristic older-sibling world view, but the author of this book appears to be so envious and so spiteful that he cannot see anything but the dark side of this distinctive pattern. Thus, the definitive written work understanding and celebrating the diversity of different birth-order world views remains to be written.

I should like to know what the author, Frank Sulloway, thinks of today's China. The Chinese government has for at least two decades, especially in urban areas, encouraged families to be content with only one child. As a result of the partial success of this policy, there are now an uncharacteristically large number of oldest-siblings now growing toward adulthood in China, unleavened by what would otherwise be a proportionate cohort of younger ones. Does Mr. Sulloway view this with alarm? Is he prepared to be consistent with his own theory, which requires those who believe in it to characterize this generation of young Chinese as hierarchically content, unimaginative stick-in-the-muds? Surely nobody who values human diversity would go so far. Sulloway's theories are fascinating and should be followed up by other serious students of human nature. However these theories, when taken by themselves, lead to conclusions that very few real persons would accept.

Rating:
Summary: recommended as a self-help book
Review: This book was valuable in understanding myself and understanding others. I had never realized that there has been an ongoing battle between firstborns and latterborns all through history. Nor had I realized that most of my disagreements have been with people who are of the opposite birth order.

As a result of reading this book, I have twofold advice for anyone:

1. Don't be too hard on yourself if you clash with those of opposite birth order. It's probably not your fault.

2. Don't be too hard on the other party if you clash with those of opposite birth order. It's probably not their fault, either.

I have just one criticism of the historical examples: why wasn't the protest against the Vietnam war ever mentioned?

Rating:
Summary: quite an accomplisment
Review: Wow. This really is THE book on birth order. This book is massivly researched and all the conclusions are fulled backed up. Take a look at the editorial reviews for yourself. It is widely acclaimed. If you have ever wondered why siblings raised in such similar ways turn out so different, than this is the book. You will find it especially enjoyable if you like scientific history and evolutionary psychology. This isn't necessarily easy reading. It is a book of research by an MIT scholar, not a silly book of theories by a bloated psychologist.