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A
List of Great Books for Families
By
H. Wallace Goddard
For
almost three years I have reviewed and recommended great books for
families to Meridian readers. While it may be useful for many readers to have some in-depth
discussion of great books one-at-a-time, it also seems useful to
offer a list of great books on family and developmental topics.
So I have created a list in four vital areas: personal development,
marriage, parenting, and development.
In
this list I have generally not included the great books that are
intended primarily for professionals. For example, the Handbook
of Positive Psychology is an excellent book. But, weighing in
at over 800 pages and $100 and with chapters that are more philosophical
than practical, it is not the book in which you will find ready
answers for your family dilemmas.
If
you are looking for a great self-help book in some other area besides
the four listed below, I encourage you to consult The Authoritative
Guide to Self-Help Resources in Mental HealthBy Norcross and
colleagues (2003, New York: Guilford).
Great
Books for Personal Development
(* = highest
recommendation)
*Authentic Happiness By Martin E. P. Seligman,
2002, New York: Simon & Schuster Superb book about the three
levels of happiness.
*Anger Kills: 17 Strategies for Controlling the Hostility
that Can Harm Your Health By Redford and Virginia Williams,
1998, New York: HarperCollins. Excellent book on overcoming anger.
Learned Optimism By
Martin E. P. Seligman, 1991, New York: Alfred Knopf. Optimism may
be a key to mental wellness.
Finding Flow By
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, 1997, New York: Basic Books. Good if you
want to understand optimal human functioning.
What You Can Change and What You Can’t By
Martin E. P. Seligman, 1993, New York: Fawcett. Seligman summarizes
what therapies and medications are effective for various disorders.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People By
Stephen R. Covey,1989, New York: Simon & Schuster. Seven habits
for greater personal and interpersonal effectiveness.
Finding Your Own North Star By
Martha Beck, 2002, New York: Crown Books. A fine book to help you
in your journey to self-discovery and expression.
Great
Books for Marriage
*The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work By
John M. Gottman, 1999, New York: Crown. Excellent book with many
measures and recommendations.
*Why Marriages Succeed or Fail and How You Can Make
Yours Last By John Gottman, 1994, New York: Simon & Schuster.
Describes three kinds of relationships and ways to make yours strong.
*Fanny’s Dream By Caralyn and Mark Buehner, 1996,
New York: Dial. A delightful children’s book with a powerful message.
*Reconcilable Differences By Andrew Christensen
and Neil S. Jacobson, 2000, New York: Guilford Press. Acceptance
is important in maintaining a strong relationship.
Beyond the Myth of Marital Happiness By
Blaine J. Fowers, 2000, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Insightful book
about the importance of values in sustaining marriage.
The Intentional Family By
William J. Doherty, 1997, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Quality family
life should not be left to chance.
Take Back Your Marriage By
William J. Doherty, 2001, New York: Guilford Press. Many good ideas
for protecting your marriage from outside demands.
The Divorce Remedy: The Proven 7-Step Program for Saving
Your Marriage By Michele Weiner Davis, 2002, New York: Fireside Book.
Divorce is often a poor solution to marriage problems.
Not “Just Friends” By
Shirley P. Glass and Jean Coppock Staeheli, 2003, New York: Free
Press. Affairs can be prevented or overcome.
Great
Books for Parenting
*Between Parent and Child By Haim Ginott; UpdatedBy
Alice Ginott and H. Wallace Goddard, 2003, New York: Three Rivers
Press. The classic book on parenting and dealing with emotions.
*Between Parent and Teenager By Haim Ginott,
1969, New York: Macmillan. Classic book is out of print but available
on the web (www.betweenparentandchild.com
) & used bookstores.
*Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child By
John Gottman, 1998, New York: Simon & Schuster. This book describes
four ways of dealing with children’s emotions.
*Santa Calls By William Joyce, New York: Geringer.
What appears to be a children’s big holiday adventure is really
about getting past sibling rivalry.
*Now One Foot, Now the Other By Tomie de Paola,
1980, New York: Putnam. Bobby learns to be sensitive to his grandfather
who has had a stroke.
*Principles of Parenting By H. Wallace Goddard,
Pamphlets available online at: http://www.humsci.auburn.edu/parent/
Individual units can be purchased for 10 cents eachBy writing to
Publications. ACES. Duncan Annex. AU, AL 36849-5623. Especially
recommended: Taking Care of the Parent; Being Understanding; Sending
Messages of Love; Enjoying Each Child as an Individual; Something
Better than Punishment.
Raising Courageous Kids By Charles A. Smith, 2004, Notre
Dame, IN: Sorin Books. Full of ideas for cultivating practical heroism
in children.
What Kids Need to
Succeed: Proven, Practical Ways to Raise Good Kids By Peter L. Benson,
Judy Galbraith, Pamela Espeland, 1998, Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit
Publishing. Build developmental assets in order to assure children’s
future.
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will
Talk By Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, 1999, New York: William
Morrow & Co. Practical ideas based on Ginott’s classic work.
Great
Books for Development
*A Child is Born By Lennart Nilsson and Lars
Hamberger, 2003, New York: Dell Publishing. Amazing photographs
of in uterine development.
Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care By
Benjamin Spock, 1997, New York: Pocket Books. Good book for basic
care of young children.
Web Resources
If
you are looking for good family information and not necessarily
a book, you might try web sites developed by universities and extension
systems. For example, our University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension
web site has more than 60 articles on development, marriage, parenting
and family life at www.arfamilies.org (then
click on “Family Life”). The national Extension repository for family
info is at the Children, Youth, and Family Education and Research
Network ( www.cyfernet.org ).
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© 2004 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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