Without even noticing it, we diminish children in somany ways. Holt perceptively points out these ways, and offerspractical ways to treat children more respectfully.

Hi all, I don't know how much relevance you can put on this review as I am a direct descendant of The Reverend John Lathrop so my opinion is obviously biased. Having said that I found the book very informative as to the history of this man. It also inspired a new interest in me for the Puritan movement and the early settlers of this country. I know that anyone interested in this reknowned family will not be disappointed in this well researched book. Wood Lathrop

This is a book which has helped me develop an attitude for perceiving children. It and "The Continuum Concept" by Jean Leidloff, have both helped convince me how little of our unsolicited instructions children really need.

John Holt is one who takes 'freedom' to its limits, at least as far as children are concerned.

The change it brought in me: When I have the baby sitter's role with my kids, I try to do that which is of mutual interest to us (myself and the kids), or do something which I like while they're doing their stuff. However, I have an open door policy, and allow them to come up to me for any of their queries. Doing something which just interests my kid is defeating, as my frustration and resentment gets transferred through my tone or through my way of looking at them.

It would enable a person who always finds children to be messy, annoying, revolting and disobedient to see them as friendly, interesting, and transparent.

This volume is the first 12 issues of Growing Without Schooling reprinted in an easier-to-read font than the originals. These first newsletters were all written by Holt (versus staff writers) with the exception of some printed letters from readers. I have been subscribing to GWS for a few years but had never actually read anything written by Holt (who is now deceased). I was wonderfully delighted by these newsletters and could not put this book down.

These writings are a collection of subjects such as: suggesting homeschooling as an option to compulsory schooling, legal issues surrounding the ability to homeschool including having to make up one's own private school name, problems with formal schooling (public and private), how children learn naturally without much help from adults, and that children are capable of handling more responsibility than adults usually allow them to. Holt advises on how parents should deal with the school administrators such as when portfolio reviews are necessary. There is a good amount about the growing homeschooling movement and the legal issues; if that does not appeal to you then just skip over it and there is plenty of other information to make reading and buying this volume worthwhile. Holt includes some letters from readers and then responds, and other times he just prints up a response to issues raised by parents. Interspersed are ideas for ways to teach certain things better such as reading and writing and other useful tidbits. Holt also discusses various books that he has read and tells his opinions of them. Of note: these back issues are much more anti-school and negative in tone than the current issues of the magazine which focus more on just pro-homeschooling and are more of a positive attitude. Holt mentioned in one of these first issues that he hoped someday that GWS would evolve to be a forum for homeschooling families to write of their successes and I feel that indeed that is what has occurred. (The first issues were just Holt doing the writing and the current issues of GWS are almost all reader-submitted essays.)

Very readable and enjoyable. It made me want to buy all the back issues of GWS. I have since gone on to read some of Holt's books, which tackle specific areas (see my other reviews). As a homeschooling parent it made me feel more confident in both my children's natural ability to learn and of my ability as a person not educated in college as a schoolteacher to be capable and even a superior "teacher" for my own children.

I highly recommend that anyone thinking of homeschooling their children read this. Open-minded teachers would learn some helpful tidbits as well.

I used this book in my undergraduate years frequently. It's basic structure focuses on the instruction and practice of expressive, imaginative, and expository writing. It does an excellent job of covering the different modes of organization: narration, description, process, classification, cause & effect, etc. The only possible drawback is its publication date:1984. However, a good book is timeless, and much like White's "Elements of Style," this book is still as useful and informative as the day it was published.

The message of this book, stated concisely, is that the world needs more and better scout troops, community music groups, Little League teams, karate academies, and other informal educational organizations. He would like to see such organizations grow to the point that they replace full-time schools with mandatory attendance. I'm not saying whether I agree or disagree, but I am saying that his opinion is worth thinking about.

If Holt never visited South Korea, I wish he could have. His dream is closer to realization here than it is in the United States. You can't walk a block without seeing a karate school, a music school, an art school, or a music school. Some of these schools hold class all day, some serve as after-school clubs, and some do both.

John Holt does a terrific job describing classic rivers and streams in the beautiful Montana "Big Sky" country. The book is concise, easy reading with lots of accrurate information that the fly fisherman needs to be successful.

I used this book and its sister book for west of the continental divide extensively on my last trip to Montana. It now has a large coffee stain on it but I don't care. The information is exact and extensive. I own a couple of other books by Holt and would recommend any of them. Do not go to Montana on a fishing expidition without a couple of John Holt books in your possesion.

Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of devoted fans as Victoria Holt, has written an absorbing account of the reign of King John, a depraved, dissolute monarch whose tyranny was absolute.

Son of iron fisted King Henry II of England and his headstrong wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, John was their youngest son. When his older brother, King Richard the Lionhearted, died without an heir, there were two who laid claim to the crown of England: Richard's nephew, Arthur, who was the son of John's older, now deceased brother, Geoffrey, and Richard's youngest brother, John.

Arthur had not been brought up in England. He had, instead, been raised as a Breton and was foreign to English ways. Moreover, he was a mere pubescent child of thirteen. Fearing that the people of England would not flock to Arthur's banner and thinking John to have precedence over his older brother's son for purposes of succession, William Marshal, the most respected knight in England, gave John's cause his support, and where William Marshal would lead, others would follow. Thus, John was crowned King, a black day in English history.

John would turn out to be a cruel and evil tyrant, more given to indulging in debauchery than to securing the kingdom over which he reigned. Foolish and dissolute, he prefered to rape, pillage, torture, and murder than to apply himself to statesmanship and governance. Lascivious by nature, he abducted a beautiful twelve year old girl, Isabel of Angouleme, who was betrothed to another, and made her his child bride and queen. Together they would sport, while his kingdom fell apart.

As for Arthur, let's just say that the kid never even had a fighting chance. In the end, however, John, himself, and not Arthur, would be his own worst enemy. John would lose the great possessions for which his ancestors had fought, and, for a time, even England's fate was made precarious by John's failure to rule effectively.

The lurid details of King John's reign make for an absorbing and compelling work of historical fiction. The author seamlessly weaves historical events and persons into a tapestry replete with period detail that fully engages the reader. Devotees of historical fiction will certainly enjoy this novel, which is part of the author's fifteen book Plantagenet saga.

Holt studies Jamaica,from the emanicpation of the slaves to the labor problems faced by ex-slaves in the 1930s. But the narrow focus is misleading - really Holt writes about "the problem of freedom:" the tast of socializing ex-slaves into becoming productive laborers - the problem of convincing freedpeople that it's in their best interest to labor for tiny wages, for the profit of the wealthy. Another major focus is the inherent contradictions of classical liberalism - economic freedom does and always has required brutal and blatent inequalities in the political and social spheres.

Certainly not everyone will agree with Holt, but his argumentation and analysis are impeccable. If you believe that self-determination and free enterprise are practically the same thing - or if you think that capitalism and democracy are one and the same - you must read Holt's book.