Customer Reviews

It Takes a Village

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My leanings are more right than left but I would take issue with anyone who actually read this book (not just decided to berate the title because you don't like the author) and didn't conclude that Hillary Clinton is every bit a proponent of "family values" as the most right-wing republican.

Mrs. Clinton gives the reader a compelling portrait of her vision for America's Children. To all the rocket scientists who'se reviews made the bold statement "It takes a Mother and Father to raise a Child" you are completely missing the point and obviously didn't read paragraph one of the book. In no way does Clinton devalue parental roles she simply acknowledges that at other people have effects on a child's well being. Children rely on safe neighborhoods, good teachers, readily available health-care and many other facets of "The Village" to be raised properly.

Within the book Ms. Clinton introduces a whole litany of social programs some of which I agree with (better health education and diets in school's to combat obesity, required marital counseling, ) and some of which I don't (socialist medicine and Charter Schools--the former will never fly in this country and the latter are proving to be a flop). Reasonable people can disagree, and while I don't see eye to eye with Clinton on some issues her objective is noble and her writing is enjoyable. FOr the record if Chelsea is any indication--Hillary Clinton is an excellent Mom.

There's little middle ground in this country when it comes to Hillary---I've heard the most vile and disgusting things uttered about her and I've seen her almost worshipped. I like to think I can be part of that middle ground--a right-winger who appreciates the intelligent passionate argument that she brings to the table.

For those of you who lambasted this book for being a Socialist manifesto, may I recommend you actually read it (as opposed to lie about reading it and going on to write a review based solely on your political and religious convictions)?

I was very impressed with how good of a book this is, and I disagree that Hilary had a one-track political agenda in mind when she wrote it. It is obvious from her language and insights that she deeply cares about the welfare of children in America and worldwide, and far from picking a topic that she knew would galvanize public support (say, immigration, health care, social security, etc etc), she makes the bold statement that the best judge of each culture is the welfare of its children. Sadly, that kind of agenda is not going to win her any votes. The irony of that fact of life is exactly her point.

She repeatedly says that she does not think it is up to the state to care for children, but rather, it is up to all of us to see that we, as a culture, ensure that our children are well-cared for. She refers to her own upbringing and the community she grew up in, and says that while she doesn't think it makes sense to try to bring back the '50s, as life in the modern world is radically different, we can try to instill some of the benefits of the community way of life of that era into our modern day hustle and bustle. Her point is that orphans and children of abusive parents left by the wayside often develop into criminals and abusive adults that our own children have to deal with. That is NOT a political diatribe, but an observation anyone with common sense agrees with.

Those of you who purport to be all about 'family values' need to stop jumping up and down and yelling about your family values and give some thought to what 'family values' actually means. It does not mean that everyone needs to believe what you do to raise a family right. It means that you need to value the family and its development for it to grow and coexist healthily.

Read and think, before you attempt to review. Don't lie and use the Amazon book review as your political soapbox. It's deceitful and just plain pathetic.

First, of the reviews I've read, far too many of the negative ones were from those who obviously didn't read the book. Those who severely damned it, most likely wouldn't have given Mrs. Clinton the pleasure of their having bought her book. Also, these reviews offer nothing more than a mere, simple-minded critique of the book's title.

While I can certainly agree with the opinion that Mrs. Clinton's book does include, to some extent, mild political propaganda regarding social programs, we must keep in mind that the work is a collection of Hillary Rodham Clinton's personal views. It's absolutely pointless for anyone to share his/her views in a book without supporting those opinions--thus creating propaganda. It's a no-brainer that the author would back up his/her views only with the facts that best support the opinions while shying away from those that do not.

As far as the title of the book is concerned, it certainly DOES take a village to raise a child, and as Mrs. Clinton points out, the village WILL raise the child, with or without the parents. Those parents who carefully guide their children in what they see as the best direction have much better control over the extent the village raises their children. Therefore, those who fail to take an active role in their childrens' lives are essentially leaving the job to the community, which definately has more than its fair share of negative influences and role models that tend to serve as predators waiting for the misguided or the unguided. The two choices we as parents have are either to guide our children around the negative influences and toward the positive ones, or to allow our children to wander without us through a labyrinth of the above-mentioned "predators" which include violence, recreational sex, substance abuse, reckless conduct, and other immoralities. This is only the beginning! The cycle continues and feeds on itself to populate the "village" with even more of the negative influences, thus making it even more difficult for the best of parents to guide their children in the right direction.

If it were possible for only the mothers and fathers to raise the children, the world would be almost perfect as even the most uninvolved parents have the best intentions. Unfortunately, far too many leave the job strictly to the village. Our children are raised with or without us. The numbers of prisons, crisis centers, psychiatric units, and adult literacy programs are only a few products of only the village raising our children.

Book Refreshing in Many Ways !
Reviewer: A reader from Wisconsin, USA
Hillary may have her political faults, but she does realize what America's most important priorities should be. If, as a nation we take care of our children, we will be able to start to clean up our culture. In the book, Clinton talks openly about the vulgarity on TV and in the movies and says more regulation and awareness is needed in the area. She says the government must be involved, which hard core republicans may disagree with, but
she also stresses (in so many words) that the government is us, and we must take responsibility for the children that we raise..some on an unhealthy diet of junk food, PlayStation and All Star Wrestling.
She also is strong in her opinion about changes needed in the Family Medical Leave Act. Her words ring true when she says
our culture focusses more on business production than on familyu development, in our get it now culture.

I wish more books like this would be attempted. I believe the family in many ways, is in crisis, and we must be man enough to face it. We need more brave, Harry Truman like democrats who are not afraid to face the facts.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

I've wanted to read this book for years because I'm with Hillary Clinton on the fact that it takes a village to raise a child. No one should ever fear anyone's good influence on their child as it can only enrich the child's life and ultimately lead the child to all that he/she can be. It takes extended family as well as good outside influences to do this.

I read this book when it first came out in the 90s. I loved the way Sen. Clinton, who was then First Lady, related to the struggles that face American families. She showed compassion as well as incredible intelligence.

I am a Mormon, and one thing that impressed me about this book is that Hillary praised the Mormon practice of holding Family Home Evenings once a week. (My family did this growing up). Hillary's point with this book is that we need to look at what's working for American families. We need to emulate good practices in the private sector, and put government back on the side of families.

I think Hillary Clinton is a true hero, and feminine role model. I supported her bid for presidency, not because I agreed with her on every issue, but because I respected her, and felt excited to support a female candidate.

Regardless of party affiliation (I'm a Republican), this book is intelligent, well-researched and written and beneficial to the public policy discourse.

I recommend it!

Democrat, Republican, or Independent, it doesn't matter - "It Takes A Village" has a good message and touches upon a variety of issues regarding our society and children today. Though she does offer some Pollyanna anecdotes about her husband Bill and daughter Chelsea, the book is an enjoyable read and offers some great insights to how our country can rally together for our children.

Mrs. Clinton uses the analogy of the village as a place where the common good of all members, especially the children were taken into consideration and given priority as an investment to the village's future....she compares other nations and uses examples of how their social programs are focusing on children and how successful they appear to be. Mrs. Clinton also incorporates stories of her childhood and the era she was raised in; she does not boast but rather helps us to see how our society has changed and how desperately we need to make provisions to ensure some basics are again instituted in our culture. Mrs. Clinton stresses the importance of adults as role models, how neighborhoods have come together to push crime out of and reclaim their community, how important it is to have safe places to play and stresses the need for bipartisan support in government regarding our children and their education. The need for governmental supported programs for after school, etc. is also mentioned, and that the majority of the changes should start in the home. Mrs. Clinton makes us acutely aware of the media assault that are children are subject to, and that violence, sex and rape have become commonplace via television, music lyrics, and video games.

Mrs. Clinton also touches upon other timely subjects such as gun control, health care, and enhancing public policies to support parents and caregivers. It is evident in reading "It Takes A Village" that Mrs. Clinton has a message: that we need to come together as a society and raise our children collectively and with prudence as an investment in our future.

Some interesting content in the book, but I'm shocked that the tenth anniversry edition still contains a quote in the introduction that is not only paraphrased, but attributed to the wrong author. Did no one fact check this book? Did no editor notice the error in ten years? The quote should be "Ye cannot live for yourselves; a thousand fibers connect you with your fellow-men, and along those fibers, as along sympathetic threads, run your actions as causes, and return to you as effects" and the author is English cleric Henry Melvill, NOT American author Herman Mellville.

The premise is a good one (p 317), "Each of us...has the opportunity and responsibility to protect and nurture children." And it would be hard to argue with her contention that (p 16), "Whether or not you are a parent, what happens to America's children affects your present and your future." But the book's subtitle, "And Other Lessons Children Teach Us," is a misnomer, as it is more about lessons Ms. Rodham Clinton wants to impart on readers than those provided by children. The real deal, supposedly, is this (p 17): "It is a statement of my personal views, a reflection of my continuing meditation on children."

Although many topics are touched on, including personal histories of both the Rodham and Clinton clans, and her personal parenting experiences (like six-year-old Chelsea role-playing her father's negative opponent during a reelection campaign), most of the book concerns child-related policy and politics. She shares what the husband and wife team have achieved on the issue: (p 49) "To prevent these children from languishing in foster care, my husband signed legislation...," (p 90) "The Family and Medical Leave Act, the first bill my husband signed into law as President...," (p 137) "The Brady Bill, which my husband signed into law in 1993...," (p 200, 201) " As my husband said in his 1995 State of the Union address:...," "(p 210) "As I said in my speech at the United Nations Fourth World Conference...," (p 237) "On October 31, 1995, I hosted an event at the White House...," (p 244) "I began to work on behalf of education reform in Arkansas in 1983...," and (p 265) "In 1994, the President, again with bipartisan support, signed the School-to-Work Opportunities Act." She sites research: (p 72) "Two in five American teenage girls become pregnant by the age of twenty...," (p 132) "Three times as many children die each year from preventable household accidents than from murder," (p 133) "Nearly half of all American households have guns...," (p 271) "...every year the average American child watches more than a thousand stylized and explicit rapes, murders, armed robberies, and assaults on television," and number four of the Goals 2000 list (p 261), "United States students will be first in the year [by the year 2000] in science and mathematics achievement." And she includes recommendations: (p 82) "Radio and television stations could broadcast child care tips...," (p 120) "Brisk walking, hiking and bicycling are all good exercise and are great ways to spend time together as well," (p 144) "Adults should practice counting to ten and taking a deep breath before contributing to the climate of incivility and insecurity that surrounds us," (p 172) "If more parents introduced their children to faith and prayer at home...I am sure there would be fewer calls for prayer in schools," (p 188) "Standing up for tolerance and respect in front of children gives them models for how to confront bigotry on their own...," and the biggee (p 127) "A reformed health care system that guarantees all children the medical care they need." But overall, it's a bit disjointed and unfocused. While she makes some excellent points, her writing is somewhat stiff and awkwardly overfilled with words and phrases in quotes ("the way things used to be," "come naturally," "upsized," "your turn"). It would have read better if, instead of meandering, she had stuck to the apparent issue: U.S. policy on child-related issues. Better: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, There is No Me Without You by Melissa Fay Greene, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, and Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama.

... to rationalize any other parental combination that isn't natural. I thank God I was raised by a "mother" and a "father". I didn't have a perfect childhood, (far from it), but I have seen what happens to kids who were raised without a "mother" and a "father".

First of all, I am NOT a member of the religous right. I did not vote for Republicans (for President) in the last two elections. I DID read this book from cover to cover with an open mind. I tried to understand what the author was trying to say, and try and understand her reasoning.

Let me first say that I admire Mrs Clinton. ... But she is wrong. It doesn't take a village. It takes two loving, caring, encouraging, uplifting parents to raise a child. (More SPECIFICALLY, it takes a "mother" and a "father" to raise a child.) Any other type of parental/village/care-giver combination other than a "mother" and a "father" puts a child at a disadvantage, and greatly decreases that child's chances at access to mainstream society. That's the truth.

Allow me to quote a very outspoken democrat, who I'm sure voted for President Clinton in the last two elections. "The problems with kids today, and the reasons why our family's are so messed up, and why kids are SO messed up, starts when a child refers to his/her gramdmother as MOM!" This was spoken by Chris Rock. He is so right.