Boteach offers readers realistic, effective and remarkably simple advice in this eminently readable guide to achieving a better family life. As part of his TLC television series, Shalom in the Home
, the rabbi follows 10 families who have requested his counseling to resolve family dysfunction. From cheating husbands and raging wives to spoiled children and rebellious teens, Boteach underscores, with a smile and a calm voice, that the key to domestic peace lies in core values: taking responsibility, leading through inspiration, treating our spouses and parents as we would like our children to treat us, raising our children with patience, and loving them for who they are, not what they do. Perhaps most significant is the rabbi's admonition to remember that as human beings, every word and action results from the split-second choices we make. His mantra of "words which emanate from the heart penetrate the heart," works well, and his genuine desire to effect change is evidenced by his frequent admissions of qualities he lacks, as well as a willingness to push the envelope and risk the wrath of the profiled families and the criticism of his fans. Boteach's traditional wisdom will find approval with religious enthusiasts, but his candor and commitment will earn him the respect of anyone who values a peaceful home. (Mar.)
