Growing Up: A Classic American Childhood [Hardcover]

Marilyn V. Savant (Author), Marilyn Vos Savant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2002

In the Spring of 2001, columnist Marilyn Vos Savant published a column for parents on what their children should know by the time they leave home. This guide is the result of an unprecedented number of responses from readers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Parade magazine advice columnist vos Savant (Ask Marilyn) has penned a sort of "Life's Little Instruction Book" for the younger set. The book is a checklist for parents and kids of the things children need to know by the time they reach adulthood. Everyday skills ("be able to brew really good coffee and tea") as well as experiences ("have made hand puppets from old socks and staged an impromptu show with a friend") are included in the 32 chapters, all in bullet list format, which cover subjects like "Telephones & Talking," "Being a Good Citizen," "Science All Around Us" and "Dating and Dining." The nostalgic collection, accompanied by vintage photos and period quotes, can seem a little musty ("be able to dance just one current step well enough to have fun at parties and not just watch"), but vos Savant adds a contemporary edge by suggesting kids learn to use e-mail and "be able to tell your family if you're gay." Vos Savant also reveals just how many activities there are that don't cost a lot of money, such as catching fireflies in a back yard, fishing with a bamboo pole or searching for arrowheads and fossils. Her sweet and useful guide to living a good life is bound to start plenty of conversations between parents and their children.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Marilyn vos Savant is listed in The Guinness Book of Records Hall of Fame for the highest IQ. She writes the popular "Ask Marilyn" column for Parade magazine and has raised two kids.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393051250
• ISBN-13: 978-0393051254
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,786,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Book!, January 11, 2003

By 

"ginatgm2" (Central NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Growing Up: A Classic American Childhood (Hardcover)

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!

The format made the book enjoyable and easy to read. The "checklist" feature was interesting!

I wish my parents had this book when I was growing up! At age 30, I learned much from reading it.Though I have no children at this time, there were so many great items/goals I feel I can use right now for myself...it's never too late!

I loved that while there were goals that encouraged maturity, there were also a good balance of goals that stressed just being a kid and having fun! (This is so important today! As a teacher, I have seen too many students under pressure. If we lose our ability to have fun, we're missing out on an important part of our lives!)

While one reader felt the book put too much pressure on teenagers, I feel that it only serves to expand their horizons in life. It opens up many possibilities for children. Not EVERY goal has to be accomplished, but the book is a great starting point for raising well-rounded, socially -conscious children.

I know that I will be using it to some degree as a reference when I become a parent!!

I hope there's a sequel!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Growing Up: A Classic American Childhood, September 7, 2002

By 

"deanofkids" (Austin, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Growing Up: A Classic American Childhood (Hardcover)

This book is outstanding and truly a "Classic!" I guess you shouldn't be surprised by the excellence of the information and advice in this book, because it's written by the smartest person in the world!

If your children or grandchildren experience just a few of the many activities listed, your life and theirs will be greatly enhanced! It certainly won't overwhelm them and put even more demands on them. Just take it a step at a time. You don't have to complete every activity immediately. Also, this book is very valuable for children to learn about practical and necessary skills for day-to-day living. It will allow them to become much more independent and grateful!

The beauty of this book is that it's designed for all kids and families, not just traditional families. And most of the skills and activities require little or no money.

My wife and I have two children (ages 10 and 8), and all of us are still enjoying the book after nine months of owning it. In fact, it's a book that you should reference consistently for a lifetime, it's that good!

Corey Dean Schmidt

PS: I agree with the previous reviewer on one thing: I love Marilyn too!

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect relief from a cynical world, August 13, 2005

By 

Jack Ireland (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Growing Up: A Classic American Childhood (Hardcover)

I would highly recommend this book to readers of all ages. One can only hope that our future presidents have parents that closely followed the suggestions in this book.

Marilyn clearly spells out that these are suggestions for an "ideal" childhood. As she states they may not all be possible, but shouldn't we shoot for the ideal. As for one reader's complaint that these ideas are expensive to implement, nothing could be further from the truth. Most require little or no money.

If you are a parent please buy this book!