Unlearning Adoption: A Guide to Family Preservation and Protection (Paperback)

by Jessica DelBalzo (Author)
Key Phrases: positive adoption language, past adoption practices, adoption bonuses, Baby Scoop Era, United States, The Girls Who Went Away (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Unlearning Adoption provides no nonsense, straightforward information that strips away myths and illusions down to raw reality: adoption hurts people. This much needed, long-awaited book should be read by all who struggle from lifelong wounds caused by separation from natural family members, as well as the general public who, for many decades, have been taught that adoption is `a loving option' and `in the best interests of the child.' Not only does DelBalzo offer humane alternatives to adoption, she also explains clearly why adoption is solely `in the best interests" of people who seek to adopt, the multi-billion dollar a year adoption industry, and those who work within it." -- Karen Wilson Buterbaugh, co-author of Adoption Healing... a path to recovery for mothers who lost children to adoption and founder of OriginsUSA.

Product Description
"This book is a 'MUST READ' for all Americans, especially social work and counseling students, who hold enormous power to bring about change in adoption law and practice. DelBalzo challenges the machinery that drives the multi-billion dollar adoption industry, and the media frenzy that fuels it, creating a supply to meet a fabricated demand. She unravels and reframes the deceitful language of adoption that made the unpalatable palatable - especially for those of you who may have preferred to remain unknowing. She exposes the myth of 'open' adoption as a false promise not supported in law, and explains, step by step, how the industry and its workers psychologically disable mothers in order to force them to surrender their babies. This truly is a 'journey of unlearning' - all the spin, all the lies that the adoption industry does not want you to question. If you want to know the truth about North American adoption, read this book. And then begin to ask those questions you will be sure to have." - Joss Shawyer, author of Death by Adoption.

"Unlearning Adoption provides no nonsense, straightforward information that strips away myths and illusions down to raw reality: adoption hurts people. This much needed, long-awaited book should be read by all who struggle from lifelong wounds caused by separation from natural family members, as well as the general public who, for many decades, have been taught that adoption is `a loving option' and `in the best interests of the child.' Not only does DelBalzo offer humane alternatives to adoption, she also explains clearly why adoption is solely `in the best interests" of people who seek to adopt, the multi-billion dollar a year adoption industry, and those who work within it." - Karen Wilson Buterbaugh, co-author of Adoption Healing... a path to recovery for mothers who lost children to adoption and founder of OriginsUSA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (July 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419672061
• ISBN-13: 978-1419672064
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,217,612 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Where is the other side?, September 6, 2007

By	D. Plass "boston_horns" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is quite possibly one of the worst anti-adoption books I have ever read. Ms. Delbalzo is not a psychologist, nor is she a social worker. From what I understand in reading the book, she is not even adopted and has little upfront contact with adoptees and adoptive families.

She seems to ignore the other side of the issue- that there are children whose biological families abandon them, that there are children who have no family members to be their legal guardians. She flys right over the positive things adoptees and birth parents have to say, and instead only focuses on one side.

I enjoy reading books that have to do with controversial topics, but this one is just very poorly written. If you decide to be anti-adoption or want to educate yourself on the issue, please find a book that covers both sides of the story and is written by somebody with actual credentials.

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible! Mean-spirited; this author needs therapy., December 10, 2007

By	A. Conrad (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Narrow-minded, one-sided, selfish and uncaring about the reality of what good things there are about adoption -- mostly for the child. Is this woman crazy?? Where did she get her "agenda?" I'd like to give the book a -5 rating, but it's not a choice. So it's a big, fat ZERO. Avoid this book, unless you want to get yourself aggravated and upset. Boy does she have issues!

54 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible, November 30, 2007

By	Sassette "Sassette" (Athens, GA) - See all my reviews

I really wish I could give a 0 star review on this book. It's terrible. Jessica DelBalzo could have actually researched this topic and the book might have been better. Instead, she spills her "riot girl" attitude into these pages and tries to pass them as wisdom and knowledge of subject. While age does not indicate intelligence or knowledge, the 26 year old author of this book does show her age or at least maturity through her once sided, biased, and unfounded look at the subject.

Lastly, her publisher, BookSurge, will publish just about anything. Her book is in effect self published, meaning that no one had to fact check or validate her claims. Self publishing in principle makes a book, in my opinion, less creditable.