Customer Reviews

Confessions of a Former Child: A Therapist's Memoir

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3 star:		(1)
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I have never seen so much love, hate, anger, laughter, and resolution in a book. There were moments that I laughed hysterically out loud. Other times I was mesmerized at the profoundness of some situations. I even took a half a day of work off to finish the rest of the book. It was like watching someone bake a cake. It seems so simple until its time to do it. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone! Thank you so much to the author for the experience of your experiences!

As a child, Daniel J. Tomasulo had a very active imagination. He was convinced his father was a spy, not just an ordinary spy either, but a double agent. He was so proud of his father and would beg to join him on some of his "missions." Daniel also believed that he controlled all of the street lights and traffic lights in Union City, New Jersey and New York City, so he was pretty upset when his family moved to the country. His father solved all of his problems by secretly wiring a local streetlight to all of those in Union City and New York City. When Daniel's mother told him that she became pregnant when a seed grew inside her, he swore off all foods that could possibly contain a seed and subsisted on cream cheese and butter sandwiches, as long as the bread wasn't rye, of course. Daniel grew up, got married and became a psychologist and psychodrama trainer. He tells the story of the first person he did a psychological test on for the state. It was the first time he'd tested someone with an intellectual disability and his patient was quite a character. He shares the story of accidentally decapitating his daughter's Ken doll. He tells of training for and running in the New York City Marathon.

These and other stories are included in Daniel J. Tomasulo's Confressions of a Former Child: A Therapist's Memoir. Tomasulo's writing engaged me right from the beginning. His memories are written in a non-linear fashion, but he writes in such a way that it works. When he writes about his childhood, it's obvious he remembers how it feels to be a child. Some parts of this book are very funny and had me laughing out loud. I even read parts to Carl and he was laughing at it, too. Carl said he could see why I was enjoying the book. I have to say that I really didn't enjoy the part when he wrote of the psychodrama he performed to resolve some issues with his late mother. While this may have been something important for him to go through, I felt like it was too personal for me to read about. Overall, I felt like this was a good, but not great book.

As a book coach, I seldom get to read just for pleasure, without having to edit or mark up a manuscript. What a delight to take this break and read Daniel Tomasulo's Confessions of a Former Child. It meets all my criteria for a fabulous read:
* It made me laugh out loud many times.
* I just had to share excerpts with my husband--it was too good to keep to myself.
* Passages moved me and expanded my world.
* I found myself relating and the book offered me a new perspective on my own parents and myself as a parent--it made me think and grow.

Tomasulo is a master storyteller and his childhood offers many great stories. It's the kind of book that makes you ask, "Why isn't my life as funny as this, or is he just better at seeing the humor in everything?"

I love the way he weaves vignettes together and brings things back around. And his stories about directing the traffic lights from his childhood apartment in NYC are among my favorite.

Looking forward to more from this author!

Having known Dan and his wife Nancy, I was expecting to roar with laughter the way I do when I speak to him in person......well I did roar with laughter, but I also teared up in places because I related so closely to some of these stories from Dan's childhood. We are the same age (two months apart) and my Dad and his family are of Italian descent so some of Dan's anecdotal stories were similar to experiences I had growing up in the fifties and sixties. The fact is, I realized after reading this book that I am still growing up and I don't ever want to lose my childhood enthusiasm for life.....no matter how tough it gets. This book is a must read for anyone with a sense of humor and the willingness to shed a tear.

This is one that you wish would go one a few more chapters. If you are like me, you will see yourself and your family in much of the book. Every chapter provides lots of laughs coupled with some insightful thoughts on how our family relationships shape us. I'm looking forward to reading it again. Don't miss this one.

Dan Tomasulo gives an insightful look at life through a therapists eyes in "Confessions of a Former Child."
I knew the book would be a "great read" for all ages as I wrestled my nineteen year old son to get my copy back from him and a chance to devour another chapter. The stories captivated my attention from the start with funny anecdotes about family obligations, and heartfelt accounts of the emotions tied to the birth of a child, as well as the death of aging parents. A thoroughly delightful interpretation of life's twists and turns that keeps the reader enthralled from beginning to end. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be entertained and enlightened, as the stories in this memoir merge both wonderfully.

This is an extremely insightful book, written with humor and love on every page. I couldn't put it down. At 3 in the morning with tired eyes, I was still saying "just one more story, just one more". I've gifted this book to everyone I know.

This book gave me an insight on how childhood memories play out in adulthood... And have done so with great stories, in fact I was so much into the book that I missed to get off the train (very unusual for me)... Some pages I was crying other pages I could not stop laughing... highly reocommneded

Daniel Tomasulo's memoir offers uncommon insight into the journey of a man who, as he moves through adult life in his professional training and practice as a psychologist, reflects upon the connections between his childhood and present. Alternately poignant and whimsical, this accessible read is a genuine page-turner filled with delightful and sometimes harrowing surprises.

Tomasulo adroitly weaves episodes from his adult life with anecdotes from childhood, sussing out a constellation of relationships between events that span years and are sometimes unapparent. From an escapade with a childhood friend that nearly ends in tragedy, to his humorous attempt as an adult to run the New York City marathon, the author takes us on a jaunt across decades that is both entertaining and informative.

Written by a clinically-trained therapist, these divulgements are refreshingly intimate and down to earth, though laced with particular observations that would not be possible without his background. In part, this is what makes for such an interesting read, especially when Tomasulo explores the darker and more complicated history with his parents, and how his early familial relationships play out in adult life. Unexpectedly, I discovered that his own revelations prompted me to ponder my own experiences, especially the chapters in which he relates the use of "psychodrama" to come to grips with and achieve closure in physically inaccessible relationships with unfinished business.

Dan Tomasulo's book Confessions of a Former Child will make you laugh out loud and warm your heart with touching stories. Dan shares some beautiful stories about his family and childhood that touch on universal experiences we can all relate to in some way. I found myself cracking up reading about "magical powers" and memories of a spirited and feisty Italian grandmother that reminded me much of my own. One of my favorite stories is when Dan is dressed and ready at the crack of dawn to go out with his dad. He is ready for all kinds of adventure and any peril that may come their way in his favorite Hopalong Cassidy outfit! When his father gets an unexpected call to work overtime that day I found myself thinking "Oh no! I hope he turns down the overtime". Overall this was a fantastic book start to finish. Dan's memoir is brave, honest and will leave you wanting more stories.