I first purchased this book in 1994 and have found it to be enormously useful, well written and very cogent. It has not gotten stale with time only more accurate as the effects of family breakdown that he predicts become even more apparent. I use it as a reference and have referred several people to this book who have thanked me for that advice.

I will keep this short as I think that G.W. Thielman's opus review tells it like it is.

Be no more... carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Ephesians 4:14

William D. Gairdner, a Canadian citizen and former professor at Stanford, has written a book warning the citizenry of the state-subsidized efforts by collectivists to destroy the nuclear family and atomize people into autonomous servants of the state. This opus is titled _The_War_Against_the_Family_ and should be read by all who are concerned about the policies behind the popular rhetoric labeled "family values" by public ofÞcials. Despite its 644-page length, the temptation to underline everything is compelling.

Dr. Gairdner begins his book outlining the efforts of the therapeutic state to subsidize and coerce the private lives of its citizens in exchange for votes, before launching a critique of popular illusions employed to justify this intrusion. The ten tenants eviscerated are listed as: Individualism--the dissolution of interdependence for state-imposed autonomy, Communalism--the exchange of voluntarism with the compulsory society, Freedom--the replacement of and moral obligation with license, Rationalism--"from a worship of the God-man (Jesus), the people... worship the Man-god (ourselves)", Relativism--the decline of critical assessment, Victimism--the guarantees demanded by self-serving professional victims, Tolerance--the new thought-control, Rights--indulgent desires that have been transformed into claims against society, Equality--the votary of universal mediocrity, and Determinism--the denial of free will.

Many critics of the traditional family claim that the nuclear family--father, mother and children with mutual love and division of labor among the members--is a rather recent development, born in the industrial age. The author shows this notion to be nonsense. He also disabuses the arguments alleging familial oppression--"It is not the individual who creates the family, but rather the family that creates individuals." He further emphasizes the importance of protection to private property and the dangers of excess taxation in injuring domestic tranquillity. The impersonal treatment of human beings can leave emotional scars on mature adults, but when waged against children, the results can be tragic indeed. Dr. Gairdner defends the family a "the only social institution ever invented to provide children... with a form of love that is unconditional"--in contrast to the impartiality of day care as espoused, among others, First Lady and NY Senate candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Dr. Gairdner critiques the philosophies of the great collectivists, from Plato to Rousseau to Sartre and lays to shame their allegedly noble objectives. Then, the author contrasts the results of state intrusion by comparing nations with limited interference--Switzerland and Japan versus the most collectivist among democratic regimes--Sweden and Canada and those in between--United States and New Zealand. Statistics on these countries range from taxation burden to the illegitimate birth rate and much more besides.

The state-funded schools receive their share of criticism in four chapters. Intellectual, moral and physical education are evaluated and are found wanting. While the costs of public education have increased exorbitantly, objective measurements demonstrate failure to teach knowledge or skills to their students, and instead have focused on political agitation and sexual indulgence.

This is followed by scathing attacks on modern feminism with its emphasis on lesbian rights and abolition of the family instead of protecting children from outside forces, and radical homosexuality which has contributed to civic breakdown and spread of com-municable diseases. "The right to be treated equally by the State is transmuted into the right to have equal privileges from society--privileges formerly reserved for those who earned them." A few pages later he writes, "wise societies have always known that the general sexual energy of humanity, unconÞned by any hierarchial moral order, will always seek ap-proval for what is essentially narcissistic, masturbatory self-indulgence, and be loosed to maraud against the larger social order."

The context of Dr. Gairdner's argument is largely moral, so it is no surprise that the author turns to abortion and euthanasia as the moral perils of our times. He outlines the degradation clinically--"we seem to ignore... that only four crucial and very simple elements are necessary to fuel the Þres of barbarism, ancient or modern. The Þrst is... _progressive_ moral degradation..., the second is _ofÞcial_sanction_ of such behavior..., third is the idea that all potential victims of barbarism must be ofÞcially deÞned as _non-persons_, under the law..., and fourth comes the belief that designated classes of élites may be empowered to _substitute_ their judgment for that of the victims... [emphasis original]" His graphic descriptions of third-trimester abortion procedures (dilation & evacuation, saline amniocentesis, prostaglandin, and hysterectomy)--often for organ harvesting--make for disturbing reading. A brief summary of an article mentions a federal subsidy for medical experiments on live aborted babies purchased from Helsinki, Finland. Advocates of these procedures hold sway in government and the media on the basis of political expediency and in a vacuum of debate. We may seek solace in believing ourselves are exempt from such treatment, but as Dr. Gairdner writes, "nothing whatsoever can protect a single human soul from the ambitions of a group, except for the obedience of the group itself to some higher inviolable standard of behavior that declares each soul to be worthy of preservation and dignity." With public conÞdence in moral absolutes waning, the threat to each of ourselves, inside the womb or in the nursing home should serve as a warning that society has degenerated from the abstract principle of _eros_ or life to _thanatos_ or death.

Meanwhile, Dr. Gairdner asks why so many religious leaders have ignored the warnings--and instead, proclaim a social gospel of political advocacy, often in favor of leftist socialism and multiculturalism. This reintroduction of the church's Þrst heresy--Gnosticism (of which New Age is merely a sect) has transformed a portion of the clergy from promoting faith to endorsing élitism.

The author calls on families to familiarize themselves on the war against them that is waged ostensibly on their behalf. He condemns the Canadian ratiÞcation of various United Nation treaties advocating rights on this or that--"so-called 'human rights' really amount to a set of obligations on a State only too happy to take everything you have in order to give you everything you want." Many of the policy suggestions pertain primarily to Canadian politics, but the basic message is universal--mothers and fathers must guard their families against encroachment by the governmental élite. A more timely and philosophically argued defense of the family could hardly be found.

I recommend this book for professionals. Good clear ideas, well-written, many different authors.

William O'Malley, S.J. takes us into the high school classroom in "Converting the Baptized," and allows us to see that high school students want and are capable of a personal relationship with God. They just need a litte help from Teachers, Parents, and Pastors. This fine book, which is at once practical and humorous, frank and heartfilled, is a "must-read" for any new teacher or parent, and one for any veteran teacher or parent as well. By focusing on the need to teach students how to think and give them the tools to develop their realtionship with God, O'Malley invites us to reflect on our own. I couldn't stop underlining and highlighting, and I know I'll refer to the book again and again.

As director of an academic library of a private college, I have looked for quality works in family studies. There has been a resurgence of interest into the societal effects of divorce in our nation, with some noteworthy contributions from Linda Waite and others. Some of the work, however, has approached the question in a less than objective fashion. I am therefore glad to recommend Divorce, Family Structure, and the Academic Achievement of Children. This book should be in the library of every college, especially those that engage in training teachers. It is a must-read for teachers of any age group. Parents and community leaders will also benefit from the book's cogent analysis and recommendations. In an admirably even-handed manner, Dr. William Jeynes, Professor of Teacher Education at California State University at Long Beach, has conducted an analysis of the research on whether divorce and remarriage makes a difference in how well children learn.
It is difficult to imagine a more thorough scrutiny of the studies in this field than that performed by Jeynes. Sifting through a plethora of investigations into the divorce-learning link, he notes procedural flaws in a number of the methods that should bring family studies researchers back into the field. Noting the relatively few serious inquiries into the possibility that remarriage negatively impacts children academically, Jeynes' examination calls for new studies to be conducted to determine the extent that this kind of family structure change makes it harder for many students to concentrate on and benefit from even the best efforts of teachers.
Having noted the methodological deficiencies in the research, Jeynes nevertheless finds enough evidence to point to a clear connection between divorce, remarriage, and why Johnny can't read (or understand math or think critically). He substantiates the meteoric rise in family structure breakdown since the 1960's and at the same time reminds us that, during most of America's history, families enjoyed marital stability and a deeper level of security for children: "Even including those children who had lost a parent due to death, the percentage of children in single-parent homes remained in single digits until the early 1960s . . . Today, the U.S. holds the highest divorce rate in the world, with a rate 64% higher than second place Great Britain . . . Estimates are that in the future, 70% of the divorces taking place may involve children under the age of 18 . . . " The author suggests that there is indeed a causal relationship between both divorce and declines in academic achievement and also between remarriage and declines in academic achievement. He encourages education professionals to dialogue not only about the academic effects of divorce and remarriage but also about the various undesirable social behaviors which are highly correlated with coming from a divorced home.
Dr. Jeynes concludes, ". . . To the extent that divorce causes children to hurt, Americans in any field of endeavor ought to do what they can to minimize that hurt."
Educators at all levels have decried the precipitous slide in academic achievement of a growing number of their students. Teachers struggle with the frequent temptation to lower their expectations in their classrooms. At the college level, the level of preparedness of an increasing portion of students has often resulted in the dropping of standards for all students. Grade inflation is a problem even in Ivy League schools. Students lack the concentration and the discipline to engage complex material or subjects that build upon an assumed field of background knowledge that the child or adolescent in fact has not successfully acquired. Articulate presentations fail to get the critical analysis they deserve, and many students conclude that no one can know anything for sure: "It's all just one opinion over against another." Often they assent to the last opinion they encountered, or to the opinion most forcefully or most creatively presented. In truth, the problem may be that they have never been able to develop the cognitive depth to critique nuanced positions.
In a nation that expends more money for education than any other in history, if there is a single most important cause of this slippery slope we are on, it should be of high interest to everyone to know what it might be. Perhaps change in parental marital status does need a closer look to see if indeed it is the most significant causative factor for the deterioration of the achievement level of the American student.

Take a look at the astonishing abuses children have been subjected to throughout the ages. Mr. Irvine exposes the cruelties children have incurred from the 1700's to modern day. Chimney sweeps and coal mine "donkeys", child movie stars and gymnists; European, Asian, American degradations. He suggests that parenthood needs to be examined more closely. Only persons who are committed to making personal sacrifices should consider parenthood. This is a must-read book recommended by The Informed Parent web site. Carol Samson, Book Review Editor

There IS a difference between learning and schooling, and every chapter in Family Learning will convince you that we are surrounded by interesting and amazing things that families can explore together. Common, everyday words and experiences become catalysts for rediscovering the joy of learning. The book is chock-full of tidbits that will cause you to interrupt the person next to you and say, "Did you know this?"

I have used this book extensively in homeschooling my two kids, but I think any family could benefit from the clear explanations(especially in the science and math chapters), hands-on learning activities, and useful family resources included throughout the book. It is a curriculum in itself!

This small pamphlet contains a wealth of comfort and information for parents of abused children. In particular, this book addresses abused children who have begun acting out sexually with other children. The authors delineate criteria for differentiating developmentally expected sex play and problematic sexual behavior in children. Practical suggestions to assist parents in helping their children, and to alleviate the parents' anxiety, are worth their weight in gold. I highly recommend this book to professionals working with abused children and to parents who are struggling to understand how to respond to their child's problems.

If you're concerned or inquisitive about your baby's development, you should have this book! Dr. Sears covers the physical, mental, and emotional develpments of your baby. Hundreds of cute pictures of his own baby. The reason I prefer this book over other infant development books is that the book's style is so "down-to-earth" and conversational, and the pictures help you see what's happening with your baby rather than just reading about it.

This book is about a step-parent getting ready to meet her step kids. She has been dating her step kids dad for quit some time. They had ended up getting married. Know she has a big day of finally meeting her step kids. It has taken her a long time because of the kids real mother dying. The kids had said to there father that they wanted there mom and dad and that was it. There dad had said something to the kids on meeting a women and they where very upset with that. So the Step parent is really afaird on want the kids are going to say and think about her. I liked this book because it is good for kids who's parents had split up.

This book has wonderful illistrations. I thought the ideas in this book were great. I have use several with my daughter and feel she has responded to them.