And, once again, I’ve fallen off my list of creative reading, this time with a book I had read once before: NutureShock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. I’ve read a number of Po Bronson’s books and enjoyed them. He tends to focus on sociological topics, which I find interesting. The study of people stirs creative thoughts in me, which is how this book relates to my Year of Creative Reading, even though it’s not on my official list.
When I found NutureShock at the library, I had no memory of having read it back in 2011. Reading it a second time triggered no recognition of the content. Thankfully, I track most of my reading on GoodReads and found it on my list there, along with the date I read it.
NutureShock covers a variety of studies related to raising children, including the notion that if we just tell kids how smart they are, they will have good self-esteem. Mmm, not so much. The book also discusses lying in children, a “skill” they learn at a surprisingly young age. The Marshmallow Test is also covered. During the Marshmallow Test, children are told that if they can resist eating a marshmallow for a short period of time, they can have two. The test indicates a child’s potential for delayed gratification, which supposedly gives him/her a leg up in society because of the benefits of self-control.
I finished the book a couple of weeks ago, having moved on to Bowling Alone, and while I enjoyed reading NutureShock, the information from the book is already slipping away. Shucks. Perhaps it would stick better if I were still raising my kids.