Customer Reviews

The Sister Knot: Why We Fight, Why We're Jealous, and Why We'll Love Each Other No Matter What

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a middle sister, I was excited to hear Apter's discussion about her book on NPR. Unfortunately, the best parts of the book were all covered by Apter in her book tour interviews, the book itself was anticlimactic.

Apter has conducted interviews with a number of sisters at various ages and stages of their lives. In the book she dissects the interviews and features tidbits to illustrate certain sibling theories well-known in the genre of psychological literature. This is all ground that has been explored before by other researchers and writers. I found the writing to be stilted and overly academic for a popular treatment of the subject matter. It would have helped for us to have a more thorough family background for the siblings quoted. As it was, Apter failed to interest me in whatever these people were saying, because I wasn't given much of a context for their comments.

I really cannot recommend this book for purchase. It would be best to get this one from the library, if you are interested in the subject matter.

A thorough analysis of the complex relationship between sisters. Makes a good case for the differences between sister/sister, brother/sister and brother/brother bonds and conflicts. I especially like how she de-pathologizes the rivalry between siblings. Anyone who wants insight into the sister bond, and especially, I believe, parents of sisters would learn a lot from this book.

a wonderful and fresh account of sisters' complex feelings, warm and funny and so helpful!

I read "The Sister Knot" because I found Terri Apter's "What do you want from me?" so helpful in understanding two other women in my family. The attachment and competition between sisters that Apter describes fits the story between me and my brother, too, though I can see that if you felt you shouldn't compete with someone you love, then the inevitable competition between you could make things worse. but what I like about both "This Sister Knot" and Apter's book on in-law relationships is that she concenceptualize highly complex relationships and offer a way that the reader can use to think about what's going in in her - or his - life.

I don't know, I couldn't get through it. The first chapter was so sad, with its description of the author teasing and excluding her baby sister (and the baby sadly turning away and sucking her thumb in response... aw!) that I put it down and didn't come back to it.

The author is very good at writing fancy words and complicated sentences that put you to sleep. Zzzzzz...It is one of the most boring books I've read, next to text books. I've read many books written by doctors and other professionals, and they did a decent job in trying to get the points accross without using too many jargons and psycho babble. This book didn't come close to that. The point of this book from what I could gather from reading paragrahps here and there (I couldn't get through more than a couple pages each time I picked up the book), is that girls/women are so complicated, full of conflicting feelings. They love and hate, hurt and help the same people. Their feelings are overwhelming and powerful, and a driving force behind their actions. They pretty much do what they feel. Really? Whatever happens to the moral compass, knowing things right from wrong? I thought the author was describing some alien creatures unknown to me. Or at best she was describing teenage girls going through the hormonal cycles. As a woman myself, I disagree much with what the author wrote. If you are into feelings and doing things based on what you feel, then you probably enjoy this book. I am going to donate my copy to goodwill and get a tax deduction.