Customer Reviews

Radical Unschooling - A Revolution Has Begun

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First of all, I am in agreement with radical unschooling philosophies for parenting and education. I appreciate what Dayna Martin is trying to do. But I desperately wish she was more effective. I cannot figure out who her audience is. She presents herself as an unschooling evangelist, but she doesn't explain things nearly enough for people new to the concept. Nor does she explore nuance in enough depth for people already familiar with the philosophies.

The book is poorly written, and neither anecdotal nor research-based. It is a long stream of "Radical Unschooling is great! You should do it!" I get that she's an inspirational speaker, but I want some substance behind my inspiration. At one point she says "Ninety percent of the kids in the world today are saying, I am not securely attached. I need something. I need something." And that's the end of the chapter. She doesn't back up the statistic or even explain how she might hypothesize such a thing. She may be right, but a thoughtful reader wants more than invented statistics.

I hate to give a terrible review to someone doing so much to advocate radical unschooling. But this is a really terrible book. People seeking information on the topic should consult the countless blogs that offer a great deal more insight and in-depth discussion than this book does. And people already enmeshed in the cause should give their money to Martin's Unschooling United organization, instead of wasting it on this book.

Edited to Add: Within minutes of posting this review, the author's husband found me via Facebook and left me a vicious, harassing message.

You might be disappointed if you are looking for more of the nuts and bolts of how to unschool. I recommend buying The Unschooling Handbook if that is what you want. This book is more about the philosophy of Unschooling. And, in reality, the book really extends the boundaries of the definition of unschooling beyond just "educating" your children in a certain manner. It is a whole life philosophy of living. I've read all the classic unschooling books, so I didn't think I would gain much more, but I sure did. The book really focuses on your relationship with your children, and your spouse. I gained valuable insight into how I treat my spouse. And, I gained more valuable insight into how I treat my beautiful children. This book is definitely designed for someone who already understands a little bit about what unschooling is already, and less for someone who has lots of questions. For someone with lots of questions I recommend the book by Rue Kream. But, this book is worth buying if you are at all interested in unschooling.

I should not need much convincing on the subject, since I share the author's views. But the book was so poorly written, it was difficult to get through page after page (and there are not that many of them). I know that the author has interesting views on the topic and I believe she is interesting to listen to on video, but none of that was transferred to the pages of this book. I would recommend that Dayna Martin, should she ever be interested in putting out another book, use a professional writer to work with her. Unfortunately the level at which it was written makes it impossible to take the book--and therefore the subject--seriously. It's that bad.... and a complete waste of money. Warning****If any unschooling families are considering buying this book so that they can share it to convince others of the saneness of their path--please don't--it may backfire.

I am a big proponent of unschooling and attachment parenting so I hate that I have to give a negative review of this book. It just doesn't seem to offer much of anything, though. It is poorly written and seems to ramble on, often without getting to the point. She makes claims without backing them up, and the tone is often self-righteous. At times she comes across as very judgmental, even though she claims not to be. I'm not sure who the target audience for this book is because if you've ever read anything about attachment parenting or unschooling, you will find nothing new in these pages. I feel like her time would have been better served had she chosen one aspect of unschooling to focus on instead of producing what amounts to random gibberish. I will say that I very much appreciate her outlook on life, and I have no doubt that she is raising happy children. I will continue to follow her blog, but should she write another book, I won't be buying it.

This is a terrible book. I am an unschooler and, frankly, this book embarrassed me. The author is condescending and general, offering no specifics or backup to her proclamations about life. The book is tiny--almost like a zine. There's no "there" there.

Do not waste your money.

I have been unschooling for three years, and I have inhaled many, many books on this subject as well as those on mindful/gentle parenting. Dayna's book was very well written and so inspiring. The words flowed off the pages effortlessly, and spoke straight to my heart. This read has re-energized my desires to be at peace, and find joy in the everyday with my three outstanding children. This is a book you definately want on your shelf, when you are needing a reminder about what is truly important in this life. Daynna points the way to the most amazing path that you can walk with your family!

But I couldn't. It was poorly written and full of unsubstantiated claims. For instance, she writes: "Most homeschoolers do school-at-home, meaning they buy a curriculum, they sit at the kitchen table and basically do what schools do." Now, I'll be the first to admit that there are families that homeschool this way, but "most?" Where does she glean this fact? The book is full of broad, sweeping statements that she never backs up.

Also, many of the benefits that she attaches to unschooling are benefits that nearly ALL homeschoolers have - regardless of their choice in educational modality. The book ends up reading like many others, that tout "their" chosen method as the one perfect method for learning. This is a pretty asinine, as would be somebody claiming that public school is the one perfect educational model,.

I'm really glad that I got this book through an interlibrary loan. I would suggest you do the same. If you end up loving it - great, you can buy it! If not, you'll have saved yourself some money and disappointment.

Like others, I found this book to be poorly written and without anything of substance. As a long time advocate of whole life unschooling and natural learning it was a big disappointment, especially since she seems to think her ideas are "groundbreaking" and that she is the leader of a movement that was a grassroots, organic movement which started many decades ago. It's a "rah-rah" approach to something that requires much thought and discussion for most families. Her heart may be in the right place, but she needs to hone her writing skills and give credit to those that actually pioneered the unschooling movement.

Dayna has captured the idea and lifestyle that is unschooling with this book. A wonderful read and a great source for parents of any philosophy living a family lifestyle. I highly recommend buying two copies, one to keep and one to share! As a dad of 4 unschooled children I find that us dads need just as much inspiration and it is all in this book!!

This is an insightful read for all families whether you are an Unschooling family or not. This is for all parents who want to parent peacefully and live life freely as a family. It is positive and upbeat and a great book to keep out for moments when you are feeling a "setback" and need some inspiration. My favorite part of the book is the Unschooling Moment where she shares an Unschooling experience in her families life. These are all throughout the book.
I also really appreciated the chapter on if you and your spouse are not quite on the same page in parenting yet. Helpful and honest.
A book for every Parent!