Empowering Underachievers: New Strategies to Guide Kids (8-18) to Personal Excellence [Paperback]

Peter Spevak (Author), Maryann Karinch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2006

Updated and revised - Spevak reveals his dynamic method that has helped motivate 2000 failing students to perform at or near their full potential.

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: New Horizon Press; Rev Exp edition (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882822829
• ISBN-13: 978-0882822822
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #73 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Reference

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Help your underacheiver - read this book!, October 18, 2006

By 

b.bingham - See all my reviews

This review is from: Empowering Underachievers: New Strategies to Guide Kids (8-18) to Personal Excellence (Paperback)

If your child is smart, but consistently fails to perform in school...
If your child is capable but consistently fails to complete tasks without you getting involved...
If your child is good at heart but consistently tries to shirk responsibility...
This book can help!
Dr Spevak details what is really going on (bad attitude due to emotional immaturity) and how to get your kid unstuck. The usual methods (rewards, punishment, getting involved etc) all dissapoint because they are external to the child and do not motivate him to change. So what will? Empowering him! When the child realizes he has choices, the capability to choose well, and the opportunity to succeed, he begins to make better choices instead of "disengaging" and relying on defense mechanisms.
I have found the techniques to be very helpful on a practical level - especially "processing comments" (making comments to get your child thinking about his true underlying emotions) and "with-holds" (instead of punishments, deliberately deny the child something he asks for, and link it to a specific act of misbehavior). But just as important is understanding the underacheiver's behavior on the emotional level, the theory behind the techniques - and Dr Spevak explains this very well.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The way underachievers think...unveiled, September 24, 2009

By 

S. Patterson-Young "Stevie Indy" (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Empowering Underachievers: New Strategies to Guide Kids (8-18) to Personal Excellence (Paperback)

I like to tell people that this book didn't just improve my child's motivational level; it changed my life and brought peace to my relationship with my 12 year old daughter. She is incredibly smart, kind and.....stubborn. Or, so I thought. Reading this book really helped me realize her perspective on things and as a result, I changed the way I interacted with her. It required reading the book and planning but it was worth it and I have seen real results in just about 6 months. I have seen this kid make the connection between her poor choices and the results that they produce. Her last progress report was all A's and B's for the first time in several years. To date I have bought nearly 10 copies as gifts to my friends that find themselves in the same situation.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally practical insight that your whole family will benefit from..., September 16, 2010

By 

Pamela L. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Empowering Underachievers: New Strategies to Guide Kids (8-18) to Personal Excellence (Paperback)

Reading this book gave my husband and myself a whole new look at what is really behind underachieving. We saw ourselves, our kids and our family in a new light. Even over-achievers will relate to aspects of themselves as they read this book. It definitely will change the way you relate to the underachiever in your family or...in yourself.
The book itself is a fast read with no Ph.D. required to comprehend. Spevek is very down to earth and gets to the point in an easy to understand, clear manner. This guy wrote a book that will change your entire perspective on the whole underachievement thing after just a couple of chapters. No b.s. to wade through, no chapters tooting his own horn, no finger-pointing and no underlying motive to sell you something...how refreshing! Years of parent-teacher meetings essentially only taught me how common this problem is in high school. Today I bought a copy of this book for my son's advisors at school. They admit their frustration in understanding why these kids just refuse to get motivated. While it doesn't give an instant fix, it surely makes you realize why all the "tactics" everyone thinks "should" work ...don't work! And that in itself changes everything... If you are the parent of a bright kid with a 1.4 GPA...buy the book. It will change you as much as your kid and suddenly everyone is part of the solution instead of the problem.