Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Adoption: Everything You Need to Know About Domestic and International Adoption

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My bookshelf is lined with adoption books, and I can tell you this is by far the best one. Information is up to date, complete, and comprehensive. The book is well written, witty in places, and compassionate. The chapter on domestic adoptions is by far the most helpful of any book out there, with advice on waiting in the hotel while the Interstate Compact clears. Info on international adoptions is also very comprehensive. For anyone researching adoption, it is very important to get your information from the most updated and reliable sources, because there is incredible misinformation out there, and the various processes for different kinds of adoption change rapidly and profoundly.

Elizabeth Swire Falker, The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Adoption (Warner, 2006)

Thinking of adopting? Elizabeth Squire Falker has made an attempt to write the only adoption book you'll ever need. Whether she succeeded or not, I can't tell you; we haven't gotten far enough along in the process to tell you from personal experience. She does certainly seem to have covered as many of the bases as possible, however, and has created a solid, easy to read adoption guide here.

Two possible caveats from the prospective reader: first, while Falker's writing style is mostly an asset here, there are some times where she goes overboard. (Someone confiscate the woman's exclamation point key before she writes another book.) Second, if you haven't yet decided whether to go domestic or international for your adoption and read both sections, be prepared for a good deal of overlap in the material. (For "a good deal" here, read "eighty to ninety percent"; if you're leaning towards one type, read that section, skim the other.) Other than that, though, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to prospective adoptive parents, and I'm sure I will be in coming years. *** ½

I read the author's book on surviving infertility and when my husband and I decided to explore adoption - I bought this one as well. Elizabeth speaks plain english, does not sugar coat the truth and let's you know that you are not alone. I bought a couple of other books - which overwhelmed me - this book is more like an "Adoption for Educated Dummies" as well as a Girlfriend's Guide. Since I have been quoting it for the past week - my husband finally asked if he could read it . . .. On a serious note - it is a great pre-read before you attend any adoption information sessions and a great book to have at your side as you do your online research.

Don't waste your time if international adoption is your focus. Most info is geared to domestic adoption, and international adoption is second-hand at best (and poor advice at worst).

This book on adoption did not provide me with things I didn't already know. If you have been researching adoption on your own, attending meetings and are looking for something to go beyond this is not the book. If you are starting from scratch, it may help. The problem with information on International adoption is that the rules change all the time so anything you read in a book, follow up with government websites to make sure it is accurate.

I've started the adoption process and read a few books. I was hopeful that this book would provide more concrete details about the process. However, it was not very helpful given my planned course for adoption - using the domestic social service system. When the reviews were positive about the details around the domestic adoption process, I assumed it would include both using a private agency, as well as the social service system. Unfortunately there in nothing about adopting an older baby through social services. The main focus of this book was on how to make decisions and prepare yourself on topics such as using an agency or lawyer, how to "market" yourself to the birth mother, what to take to the hospital and hotel when picking up the baby, etc. Additionally, this book really focused on the domestic adoption of newborns and did not do justice to adopting an older baby or toddler. I'm sure this is helpful information for many people, but it's a waste of time and money for parents adopting through social services.

This book shines as a general introductory guide to all forms of adoption. Falker brings her expertise as both an adoption attorney and adoptive parent to this book. Falker adopted domestically, and I thought her domestic adoption chapters were the strongest. I particularly liked her chapter on Managing a Domestic Adoption, which included a great discussion about the do's and dont's about talking with potential birth mothers. This is not the only book you will need, but it is a good first step.

it is a great book with updated information! It has different sections for domestic and international, so this would be a great first book to help people decide

Ms. Falker has put things in such an honest perspective! It is easy reading, enough that isn't patronizing, but keeps my non-reader of a husband actually interested! She even includes a little humor. As someone who is still researching adoption and exploring options, and very aprehensive about everything, I really feel like I have all the info I need to be able to process all the info i receive and make confident decisions. It is such a great resource for addtl research as well. Would recommend this to anyone considering adoption!