Customer comments on this Youngstown Ohio Book
 Shameful (Amazon reviews LYING about authors)
I note an ignorant review or two here making false claims about the research participants in this revolutionary study, as well as false claims about their own "knowledge" on the matter. If I were the authors, I'd sue these people for slander! The research participants are wonderful, successful, happy people with no problems that a reviewer or two here imply or overtly (falsely) claim. Such is the risk of freedom of speech, I suppose. Read the book: you'll love it!
 Shameful
Shameful. I grew up near the Adler family in Boulder, CO and witnessed the emotional damage inflicted on children by the authors of this book. By choosing the role of observers rather than parents, the Adler's coddled and encouraged socially destructive behavior in their daughter and her friends. Instead of intervening when children did the nasty things that children often do (as any responsible parent would), they took notes while allowing cruel behavior to escalate. Thus, the behavior they observed was distorted, if not fabricated, by their parental absenteeism. More disturbing, they subjected unknowing children to unnecessary manipulation and trauma.
Insight in to 8-12 age group structure/dynamics first hand
As a therapist who thinks a lot about group dynamics, I found this book's map of peer status catagories and group structure very deep and practical. The map of four layers of groups, Popular/wannabes/middle group and isolates rich and multi dimentional. It was also painful to hear about the raw quest for power lived out in popular group dynamics. In contrast to one reviewer's disturbing experience, my disturbing expereince in reading this book was the appearance of non-involvement from the researchers who were witnessing children going through enormous social stress. Very enlightening. I use their work a lot in how I think and work with groups and with clients.
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