Nurtured by Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education [Paperback]

Shinichi Suzuki (Author), Waltraud Suzuki (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1993 | ISBN-10: 0874875846 | ISBN-13: 978-0874875843 | Edition: 2

This book is the cornerstone upon which to build any Suzuki-oriented library. In it the author presents the philosophy and principles of Suzuki's teaching methods. Through the examples from his own life and teaching, Suzuki establishes his case for early childhood education and the high potential of every human being, not just those seemingly gifted.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Japanese

Product Details

• Paperback: 108 pages
• Publisher: Alfred Music; 2 edition (June 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874875846
• ISBN-13: 978-0874875843
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational January 20, 2003

By Gene Zafrin

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book by Shinichi Suzuki is part-description of the principles of his Talent Education method, part-snapshots of personal history, part-statements on his philosophy of life. It is written with great optimism and love for humane development of children into noble people. Based on his observation that all children speak their mother tongue fluently (and are thus highly capable to be educated in many disciplines) and on his belief that talent is not inherited but learned, Suzuki's method concentrates on creating the best environment for child development. His famous violin teaching method incorporates parent involvement, listening to the same piece many times and extensive practice, among others. Importance of memory training and good mentors (Einstein was one of Suzuki's) is stressed. Many real-life stories illustrate his points.

By way of criticism, while themes of compassion and developing a noble character recur throughout the book, it takes some effort to piece it all together. The book reads like a series of short improvisations on the themes of love and rearing of children. The parts of personal history, for example, with the description of illness, war and Suzuki's father's starting violin manufacturing business, while interesting, do not blend with the rest of the book. A chapter entitled "If you think of something do it" has nothing to do with its title (there is a chapter that talks about people of action in his other book, "Ability development from age zero", which repeats many of the stories verbatim). Some bits of Suzuki's take on life's truths, such as "an unfair advantage leads to evil" sound out of place.

In spite of some shortcomings, I would recommend this book. Not as a practical guide, but as an inspirational material for parents.

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars surprising book about life & nurturing talent June 30, 2001

By Carol C. VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I thought this would be a book about the Suzuki method of converting toddlers into musicians -- revealing some of the secrets about what makes the Suzuki method unique & what makes it effective. It was that, but much more. What I knew as the "Suzuki method," Shinichi Suzuki calls "Talent Education," based on the underlying philosophy that all children can be well-educated and all talent can be nurtured. Suzuki believes that talent is developed, not inherited; he believes in nurturing the talent in each child, in creating a culturally-supportive environment and coupling it with training to develop mediocrity into excellence. Suzuki exlains how & why he developed "Talent Education," drawing on his own experiences as a musician and during WWII. His text is filled with anecdotes about students, many of whom became quite successful as musicians, many of whom teach at conservatories around the world.

Suzuki's "method" includes focus not only on music, but also on character development -- on awareness, joy, integrity, courage. He believes that "However little talent on thinks he/she has, one should at least try". This book is easy to read, filled with stories & philosophy and bolstered by photographs here & there, inspiring joy in the reader.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book - enlightening August 29, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

I am new to Suzuki Violin and when my instructor assigned this book I thought I was going to read a book about music, but instead a read a book about how to live a beautiful life! What a great gift Suzuki was to the world -- I wish everyone could read his books -- it truly would be a better world as a result!