Customer Reviews

Boomerang Nation: How to Survive Living with Your Parents...the Second Time Around

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My father bought this book for me this weekend. At first I thought it was a prank on me poking fun about me moving back in with him, my mother and little sister in a few weeks. However after reading it, I can't recommend it enough for someone moving back in. Rather than focus on how hard it is to move back home, the book makes a person realize that they are not alone and that many people are doing the same. The advice given is really practical and it seems it is written by someone who understands the needs of a twenty one year old who wants to have an active social life and get out fast. I did wish the book expanded more on some how to explain to friends that this is normal. In the end I found this book very helpful and very funny.

I was disappointed in this book because it focused too much on one specific living situation - young adults who are moving home with their happy suburban parents. In several places, the author suggests that doing your own laundry and not coming in at 3am trashed will greatly improve many relationship issues with your parents. It never actually occured to me to ask my folks to do my laundry - I think I'm missing out here. Also, there are many mentions of things like how to deal when your hip parents when they want to go to happy hour with you and your friends, and how to understand that they are tired from the workday too and might want to hit the bar. What about dealing with retired parents, single parents, ill parents, and all those other things that bring us home that raise many issues (like privacy, expenses, mealtime, etc.). Finally, it was difficult for me to feel bad for the people in the book who lived in the 'burbs and had to drive a whole hour to get to their friends hang outs now that they lived at home. There is a large portion of people who don't live anywhere near a metropolitan area for a quick fix in an hour's drive. The suggestion that those of us in small towns still have places to go to meet people our own age - like the local bookstore - perplexed me. We have two stoplights. I haven't noticed a bookstore at either intersection - but I can dream. On the bright side, it was nice to see some stats in the book about how many young adults really are returning home (for various reasons) and there are some good web sites metioned in the book for things like health insurance, moving, finding jobs, and meeting people. If you are not an early 20s college grad who just moved an hour away from a major city and are suffering by living with your extremely hip working parents who refuse to always look the other way when you drag kegs into your room, then definitely only get this book only for some humorous stories - not actual advice.

This book was so much fun! Anyone who is considering moving back home (or anyone who has someone who is moving back home) should read it. Elina Furman has very good insight and the book was light and easy to read.

I love this book. It makes me want to move home just so I can follow its advice and get my act together!

Excelent book that points out advantages to moving back home, and the advantages to your parents ( assuming that you are not a do nothing leech). It's a stepping stone to a better life for you, if you do the things discussed by Elina Furman. Get to apppreciate your parents better, and share the love, because it will make you a better person. This book is not for infantile adults, to make it work you must enter the second time around with an adult mentality. Stay with Elina and take responsibility for your day to day life.
Linda Baldanzi, LCSW.

I've been living at home almost a year. This book was funny, smart and easy to connect to. I quickly recognized myself in the first few pages. I give this book the highest recommendation. The author clearly knows what it's like to be in the situation and the advice is right on target.

Fascinating look at what people go through when they move back home. I just got home 2 months ago because of layoffs after 12 years of living on my own, and it's been really weird. One minute my mom is looking at my emails, asking me who so and so and my dad is yelling at me to change all the lightbulbs in the house. Even worse my old room is horible.. It's become this huge catch-all for my mom's magazine collection and all my dad's old clothes and paintings. Furman is pretty funny and doesn't talk down ever!! Which is nice since everyone says people who move are basically losers with no life. I have a graduate degree and have held down excutive positions so it's kinda strange to be in this position. But as soon as I find a job I'm moving out again, hopefully by next year.

I had to move home three months ago to help my dad after (...) divorce to my step mom. I left my job, my friends, and moved to a new city. My friend had read about this (...) and gave it to me as a present when I moved home. I read it cover to cover and it really made me feel better to know that other people were going through (...) same thing. I especially liked (...) section about dealing with single parents, cuz it's so true what she writes about. I'm taking Furman's advice and setting a move out date so my Dad doesn't get too dependant on me living at home. Thanks.

In "Boomerang Nation," Elina Furman covers the range of issues related to moving back with your parents, the second time around, in an intelligent and fun way. As a boomeranger herself, Furman weaves her personal experience into the book, giving the book credibility and relate-ability for the reader. Since she's been through it, she knows her boomerang stuff. As a boomeranger myself, this book helped me see the forces at play while I was living with my folks, like a good friend talking about the situation with you, and not making you feel embarrassed about it. Praise to Furman and "Boomerang Nation" for taking away the sting of living at home with your parents as an adult, while guiding you into making the right decisions.

This book consists of two parts and that's what makes it so enticing for the reader. The author was very smart to analyze the shifts in our society landscape for the past 20-30 years: the way we were and the way we are. And there is a whole different picture out there for the college graduates today. Her research and commentary are very insightful, and it reads like a breeze. There are plenty of sound advices for new graduates from Furman. It always helps to write what you know and Furman once again proves that she knows.