cover image The Smart Parenting Revolution: A Powerful New Approach to Unleashing Your Child's Potential

The Smart Parenting Revolution: A Powerful New Approach to Unleashing Your Child's Potential

Dawna Markova. Ballantine Books, $23.95 (240pp) ISBN 978-0-345-48245-7

At once a textbook, workbook and storybook, Markova's latest offering is more than the sum of its parts. The text is packed with practical suggestions, illustrative examples and food for thought. Markova points out that ""the brain is an analog processor, meaning that it works by analogy and metaphor, as well as anecdotes,"" and occasionally illustrates points using histories of famous people, such as Picasso. Markova reminds readers that everyone experiences the world differently and provides a concrete system for learning about how other people process information. She then unveils her own ""Thinking Talents"" and ""Mind Patterns."" Although she favors her own theories and does not acknowledge widely accepted educational concepts such as learning styles or multiple intelligences, and though her writing can be overemotional at times, Markova is nevertheless a gifted author. She is at her best when relating personal experiences with children or when highlighting kids who've done extraordinary things and have had a positive impact on the community. The book will be most helpful to parents who do not have a background in education and to those who are looking for strategies to help them reconnect with their families or improve their family lives.