Abunga Blog

I recently ran across the online version of The Bridge, which is the magazine of my alma mater. They had what looks like a great list of parenting books reviewed/recommended by some of the faculty. (Link to full article). I’ve grabbed most of the books they listed to share with you here. Enjoy the books!

The Mystery of the Child by Martin E. Marty, ( Eerdmans, 2007)

Well-known theologian, historian, and award-winning author Martin Marty here turns his attention to the child, and the result is a wide-ranging and wonderful exploration of children. The book is driven by a deep love for and perhaps deeper wonder at children, whom Marty views as a mystery to behold rather than a set of problems to be solved. The book is typically insightful and incisive, and not a little bit counter-cultural. Parents and other caregivers are challenged to exchange the urge to control for the chance to respond creatively and seek our own “childness.”
— Brian Smith, senior lecturer in Bible and teaching pastor

The Heart of Parenting (audio book) by John Gottman (Simon & Schuster, 1997)

This book is well written and has a solid research base that tells parents how to help their children to “understand and regulate their emotional world.” Gottman has found that children who “acknowledge and master their emotions” tend to be more self-confident, physically healthier, do better in school, and are more likely to grow into emotionally healthy adults.

— John Addleman, professor of psychology

The Intentional Family: Simple Rituals to Strengthen Family Ties by William J. Doherty (Harper Paperbacks, 1999)

In this book, Dr. Bill Doherty, a nationally recognized marriage and family therapist, offers suggestions for “reviving a lost sense of family.” Recognizing the need to attend to marriages and families in order to keep them strong, Doherty outlines a variety of practical strategies that families can employ to enhance family communication and connectedness.

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John M. Gottman and Nan Silver (Crown, 1999)

After years of research with married couples, John Gottman claims to be able to predict whether a couple’s marriage will succeed or fail with 91% accuracy after observing and listening to them for five minutes. In this book, he shares scientifically verifiable secrets that contribute to marital happiness.
— Raeann R. Hamon, distinguished professor of family science and gerontology

Active Start for Healthy Kids - Activities, Exercises, and Nutritional Tips by Stephen J. Virgilio ( Human Kinetics Publishers, 2005)

The author realizes the importance of encouragement and structure if children are to develop positive attitudes towards exercise. In this book he presents more than more than 50 developmental exercises and activities for flexibility, muscular fitness, and cardiorespiratory endurance and another 20 fun family physical activities that parents can use with their children in the early formative years.

—Doug Miller, professor of health and human performance and Wellness Director at Messiah’s Wellness Center

I was a really good mom before I had kids: Reinventing modern motherhood by Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile ( Chronicle Books, 2007)

The authors interviewed mothers and uncovered some little-talked-about, yet strikingly common, themes about the challenges of modern motherhood. The authors cleverly use humor and story to let mothers know they are not alone in their struggles and in so doing help them recover more of the joy of motherhood.
— Jennifer Fisler, assistant professor of education