LOVE THAT BOY

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

LOVE THAT BOY
What Two Presidents, Eight Road Trips,
And My Son Taught Me About
A Parent's Expectations
By Ron Fournier

OVERVIEW: Love That Boy is a uniquely personal story about the causes and costs of outsized parental expectations. What we want for our children—popularity, normalcy, achievement, genius—and what they truly need—grit, empathy, character—are explored by The Atlantic's Ron Fournier, who weaves his extraordinary journey to acceptance around the latest research on childhood development and stories of other loving-but-struggling parents.

AUTHOR: RON FOURNIER is a political columnist for The Atlantic and National Journal. He began his family and career in Arkansas covering then governor Bill Clinton before moving to Washington in 1993, where he reported on politics and the presidency during the administrations of Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Fournier also served as a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics, where he wrote the New York Times bestseller Applebee's America. He holds the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi Award for coverage of the 2000 elections, and he is a four-time winner of the prestigious White House Correspondents' Association Merriman Smith Memorial Award.

MY REVIEW: First let me say, this is not just a book for parents with Aspergers. A term I had never heard before picking up this book. "Perhaps the simplest way to understand Asperger's syndrome is to think of it as describing someone who perceives and thinks about the world differently to other people." This form of autism gets its name from Hans Asperger, the pediatrician who first identified this form of autism. Fournier's inspiring book is a blessing to parents with an autistic child but it is also has so much to teach all parents, sons, and daughters.

I agree with comedian Jim Gaffigan who said, "Love That Boy captures both the fears and gifts of fatherhood and Fournier writes about it with honest, selfless clarity. This is a joy to read and should be required for all new dads...really." I love what Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Maraniss wrote, "This illuminating and touching book gives us the great gift of letting us know and appreciate the Asperger's world of young Tyler Fournier, who steals scenes from presidents while teaching his parents and all of us what is important in life." That's it! What is important in life. This is a book about that!

I have been saying this is a book for all parents. It's more than that. You don't have to be a parent to profit from this book. Once again, this is a book about what is important in life.

(I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

FEISTY & FEMININE

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

FEISTY & FEMININE
A Rallying Cry for Conservative Women
By Penny Young Nance

OVERVIEW: Feisty & Feminine takes an honest and transparent look at what it means to be a conservative Christian woman, with thoughtful commentary on the real issues confronting you right now. "Today's conservative women are intelligent, well-educated, compassionate, accomplished, funny, and fearless," says Nance. The time is right for this book, and for conservative women like you to stand up, be heard, and make a difference in our nation.

AUTHOR: Penny Young Nance is the CEO and president of Concerned Women for America (CWA), the nation's largest public policy women's organization. Penny oversees more than half a million active CWA members across the country and more than four hundred CWA chapters. She is also the president of Concerned Women for America's legislative action committee and political action committee. Penny and her husband, Will, live in Fairfax, VA. with their two children.

MY REVIEW: Today's culture is desperate for the message of this book. Penny Young Nance casts the vision of women stepping forward as this generations Esthers, speaking truth in love to a troubled nation.

I love the way she makes it clear how you can be direct with your friends and family without being disrespectful, be engaging but not shallow, and be relevant to the pressing issues confronting you while still holding fast to your faith and conservative values.

In this powerful book, Nance covers it all. She writes about the devaluation of women, sexual assault and politics, marriage and true tolerance, abortion and the sanctity of life, the real war against women, the rise of Islamic extremism and the need to fight back and much more. I especially liked the way she closes the book talking about the art of balance and a vision for the future.

William J. Bennett, former secretary of education said, "Penny Nance is one of today's boldest and most outspoken conservative women of faith." Joel C. Rosenberg, New York Times bestselling author, wrote "I've known Penny Nance for twenty years, and I absolutely love her passion for Christ, her passion to advance freedom and opportunity for all Americans, and her passion to educate and empower a new generation of conservative women to help get America back on the right track."

I agree with editor, Dr. Richard G. Lee, "Often the pages of a book will reflect the personality of its author. This one fits the bill—positive, straightforward, and dynamic. A real joy to read."

(I received this book from BookLook Bloggers, A Division of Thomas Nelson Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review.)