Rocket Mom! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance [Paperback]

Carolina Fernandez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2003

Combining the analytical skills of a businesswoman with the wit and comforting sensibilities of a mom with nearly twenty years on the front line, Rocket Mom is the quintessential blueprint for motherhood, where "brainy" meets "zany."

Discover how to:

Identify and nurture your child's own genius--and trust her, she'll prove that it's there--by studying the traits of giants such as Einstein, daVinci, and Mozart

Develop your child's brain by playing a musical instrument--even if you don't know the difference between an arpeggio and a spaghettio

Transform your home with beauty so that it serves as your children's "third teacher"--and learn why this is so vital to boosting your creativity quotient

Contribute to an ethical renaissance in your own little corner of the earth--as well as all over the globe

Manage the schedules of simultaneous stages of childhood--while watching dust accumulate and toys reproduce--and get a grip on your unique occupational hazards

Maintain and health and fitness regimen of your own--while maintaining kids who are too young to take care of themselves

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. and worked at IBM and then as a stockbroker with Merrill Lynch before coming home to start her family.

Four children and almost twenty years later, she has come to the realization that the inherent challenges of motherhood make her education and work experience seem like child's play. Coming home to longer hours, harder work, and more demanding relationships left her feeling totally overwhelmed. Her frustration at her lack of ability in tackling motherhood's challenges pushed her into a four year labor of love. Her research into child development, along with indispensable insights and experiences gained along the way, evolved into Rocket Mom.

She totally re-invented herself in the process. She dabbles in the domestic, performing and visual arts, undertaking projects ranging from painting in oils to singing in Carnegie Hall.

She writes and speaks extensively and has a particular passion for inspiring creativity in people of all ages, and for helping moms on the front line.

She lives with her husband and four children in Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: FourQ Press (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974418706
• ISBN-13: 978-0974418704
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,503,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carolina Fernandez had an epiphany while attending New York City's Gift Show on a wintry day in January of 2006. Her own frustration at finding any resource books on French kitchen design in her individual pursuit of installing an authentic country French kitchen of her own, led her to ask the woman in the Gibbs Smith Publisher booth why they don't produce a book on the subject. A leading publisher of art and architecture books, and particularly books on French interior design, it seemed to her like it would be a natural fit. When she suggested that Fernandez send her some ideas, she attacked it from her perspective as a homeowner in search of answers. A book contract quickly followed.

During this two year process, Fernandez scouted nearly fifty kitchens, doing all of the heavy lifting for the reader: analyzing floor plans, testing appliances, scrutinizing cabinetry integrity and configurations, manhandling faucets, measuring sinks, caressing stone countertops, and scouting art and antique collections throughout the northeast. With her book on multiple bestseller lists, she ranks as the nation's leading authority on country French kitchen design and style.

She has been quoted in dozens of internet sites, blogs, newspapers, magazines, and in such publications as News Day, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping and Nickelodeon. More than two hundred of her articles and stories have been published and syndicated worldwide. She has appeared as a guest on radio and television programs across the country, including the FOX News business program "Your World with Neil Cavuto."

Despite the success of the book, Fernandez believed that it could be used for a greater good. Country French kitchens are a wonderful thing, as is French design and French cooking. But she hoped that the book could be used as an engine driver for philanthropy. She started hosting authentic Country French dinners in her own home to support charities large and small. Bid on at silent and live auctions at charity galas, the winner is treated to a French dinner in Fernandez's home in Connecticut. Opening her door to complete strangers has allowed her to raise tens of thousands of dollars for charity, and the dinners keep rolling in. This past weekend, Fernandez hosted a charity dinner for the American Heart Association. Its winner: an 87-year-old father and grandfather who celebrated not only his birthday, but his 43rd wedding anniversary around Fernandez's dining room table. "Preparing a hearty French dinner using all organic ingredients has been a source of pleasure for me over the course of this past year. I never know who's coming for dinner, so the surprise element keeps it lively. And the dinners have indeed been lively! Breaking bread, enjoying French food and wine and great conversation is one of life's grandest pleasures," says Fernandez. A short author talk of "what makes a French kitchen a French kitchen" generally takes place over a dessert of creme brulee and French roast coffee. A tour of Fernandez's authentically Country French kitchen, designed by her with generous help from antiques dealer Monique Shay of Woodbury, Connecticut, follows. Each couple is treated to an autographed copy of her book.

To learn more about French kitchen design, follow Fernandez on her blog: gleaux. Sign up to receive it in your inbox on her web site: www.countryfrenchkitchens.com

Bon Appetit!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the Mom CEO- chief EVERYTHING officer, February 7, 2006

By 

Frank Lunn "Author of 'Carpe Aqualis!- Seize ... (Bloomington, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rocket Mom! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance (Paperback)

I could not be more excited to review and highly recommend Carolina's book "Rocket Mom!" From work to Motherhood to Womanhood and all parts in-between, this book is the complete package for surviving and thriving in the complexities of modern Moms!

I originally got a copy for my CEO "chief EVERYTHING officer" wife and Mom to our three kids. Carolina's approach and outlook on life is entrepreneurial and it is refreshingly practical.

Carolina Fernandez is the real deal and "Rocket Mom!" is one book to own yourself and about ten to give away to the 'Rocket Moms' in your life!

Bravo!~ Frank F. Lunn- Author of Carpe Aqualis! "Seize the Wave" 7 Essential Surfing Skills to Revolutionize Your Business and Personal Life www.CarpeAqualis.com

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical and inspiring advice for mothers, November 20, 2004

By 

NewEngland Book Reviewer (Ridgefield, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rocket Mom! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance (Paperback)

After seeing the author on "Your World with Neil Caputo" on Fox News, I read her book, ROCKET MOM! I would highly recommend it to any parent, but especially to mothers. Not only will you learn very practical ideas for raising great kids, you will also be inspired to become a better parent. Carolina's strategies are all designed to bring excellence into the parenting equation. The author does something that few other parenting experts do: she lays out the research and then spins it through the filter as only a mom with four kids and nearly twenty years of "in the trenches" parenting can do. Exquisitely written, it's a must-read for parents of all ages. Do yourself a favor and buy this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, December 2, 2003

By 

Debbie Milam "www.creatingpeaceproject.org" (Weston, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rocket Mom! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance (Paperback)

Rocket Mom is packed with amazing wisdom so simply written that it is like sitting down chatting with your best friend. Carolina Fernandez has done a terrific job combining practical strategies, solid scientific reserach, and inspiring stories from her own life. I especially enjoyed the chapter on Building Character in Children. As the founder of the Nonprofit Organization The Creating Peace Project, www.creatingpeaceproject.org, nothing is more important than raising the next generation to become all they are meant to be. This book will inspire you as a parent to do just that, help your children become all they are meant to be.