NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

Hard for me to say it, but it's been a while since I tried any psychology book at all, leave alone a child / teen psychology one. All I have to say – a gripping read. First time ever I have a book like this on the beach and don't want to go into the water until the end of the chapter.

Leaves far too many questions open for me, but still – gives extremely valuable advice and sets mind to work on how to bring a child better. Sad I haven't got my hands upon it earlier, say, a year ago or so – actually, it was my wife who found it and put me on course – we would've done a few things differently, I guess.

Set with a purpose of understanding on how to improve parenting experience and get better results in upbringing, the authors do little but summarize in plain “christian” words tons of different research on how to praise a child, stimulate speech development, instill fairness, resolve sibling conflict, teach a child how not to lie etc etc. For me personally, it was a much more useful read than, say, Kindergarten is Too Late – a great book as well, but it gives only concepts that you have to apply in an inexplicable way – but here, some tools as well. Good read.