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The American Epidemic: Solutions for Over-Medicating Our Youth
by Frank J. GranettThe American Epidemic: Solutions for Over Medicating Our Youth provides new knowledge for parents, educators, all healthcare professionals, and public health policymakers to help rule out underlying risk factors of behavioral conditions prior to premature drug therapy. Nutritional, physiological, and environmental risk factors have created a behavioral health crisis in America. The American Epidemic: Solutions for Over Medicating Our Youth reveals how to eliminate these risk factors and revert children to normal behavior without drug therapy. Also discussed is the prudent use of drug therapy protocols to prevent harmful side effects.
American Eyes: New Asian-American Short Stories for Young Adults
by Lori M. Carlson Cynthia KadohataHeartfelt short stories written by ten young Asian-American writers who share the conflicts that many young people feel living in two distinct worlds - one of memories and traditions, and one of today. Stories by Marie G. Lee, Ryan Oba, Katherine Min, Mary F. Chen, Lois-ann Yamanaka, Fae Myenne Ng, Cynthia Kadohata, Peter Bacho, Lan Samantha Chang, and Nguyen Duc Minh.
American Families: A Multicultural Reader
by Stephanie Coontz Maya Parson Gabrielle RaleyThis collection testifies to the extraordinary variety of families in the U.S, revealing that family arrangements have always been diverse and have often been in flux. Case studies describe the wide array of family forms and values, gender roles, and parenting practices.
An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice
by Khizr KhanIn fewer than three hundred words, Khizr Khan electrified viewers around the world when he took the stage at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. And when he offered to lend Donald Trump his own much-read and dog-eared pocket Constitution, his gesture perfectly encapsulated the feelings of millions. But who was that man, standing beside his wife, extolling the promises and virtues of the U.S. Constitution? <p><p> In this urgent and timeless immigrant story, we learn that Khizr Khan has been many things. He was the oldest of ten children born to farmers in Pakistan, and a curious and thoughtful boy who listened rapt as his grandfather recited Rumi beneath the moonlight. He was a university student who read the Declaration of Independence and was awestruck by what might be possible in life. He was a hopeful suitor, awkwardly but earnestly trying to win the heart of a woman far out of his league. He was a brilliant and diligent young family man who worked two jobs to save enough money to put himself through Harvard Law School. He was a loving father who, having instilled in his children the ideals that brought him and his wife to America—the sense of shared dignity and mutual responsibility—tragically lost his son, an Army captain killed while protecting his base camp in Iraq. He was and is a patriot, and a fierce advocate for the rights, dignities, and values enshrined in the American system. <p> An American Family shows us who Khizr Khan and millions of other American immigrants are, and why—especially in these tumultuous times—we must not be afraid to step forward for what we believe in when it matters most.
An American Family: A Memoir Of Hope And Sacrifice
by Khizr Khan'Khan's aspirational memoir reminds us all why Americans should welcome newcomers from all lands' Kirkus ReviewsIn fewer than three hundred words, Khizr Khan electrified viewers around the world when he took the stage at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. And when he offered to lend Donald Trump his own much-read and dog-eared pocket Constitution, his gesture perfectly encapsulated the feelings of millions. But who was that man, standing beside his wife, extolling the promises and virtues of the U.S. Constitution?In this urgent and timeless immigrant story, we learn that Khizr Khan has been many things. He was the oldest of ten children born to farmers in Pakistan, and a curious and thoughtful boy who listened rapt as his grandfather recited Rumi beneath the moonlight. He was a university student who read the Declaration of Independence and was awestruck by what might be possible in life. He was a hopeful suitor, trying to win the heart of a woman far out of his league. He was a brilliant and diligent young family man who worked two jobs to save enough money to put himself through Harvard Law School. He was a loving father who tragically lost his son, an Army captain killed while protecting his base camp in Iraq. He was and is a patriot, and a fierce advocate for the rights, dignities and values enshrined in the American system.An American Family shows us who Khizr Khan and millions of other American immigrants are, and why-especially in these tumultuous times-we must not be afraid to step forward for what we believe in when it matters most.
American Family: A Novel
by Catherine Marshall-SmithRichard and Michael, both three years sober, have just decided to celebrate their love by moving in together when Richard—driven by the desire to do the right thing for his ten-year-old-daughter, Brady, whom he has never met—impulsively calls his former father-in-law to connect with her. With that phone call, he jeopardizes the one good thing he has—his relationship with Michael—and also threatens the world of the fundamentalist Christian grandparents who love Brady and see her as payback from God for the alcohol-related death of her mother. Unable to reach an agreement, the two parties hire lawyers who have agendas far beyond the interests of the families—and Brady is initially trusted into Richard and Michael&’s care. But when the judge learns that the young girl was present when a questionable act took place while in their custody, she returns Brady to her grandparents. Ultimately, it&’s not until further tragedy strikes that both families are finally motivated to actually act in the &“best interests of the child.&”
American Fatherhood: A History
by Jürgen MartschukatExplores the surprising diversity of fathers and fatherhood throughout American history and society The nuclear family has been endlessly praised as the bedrock of American society, even though there has rarely been a time in history when a majority of Americans lived in such families. This book deconstructs the myth of the nuclear family by presenting the rich diversity of family lives in American history from the American Revolution to the twenty-first century. To tell this story, Jürgen Martschukat focuses on fathers and their relations to families and American society. Using biographical close-ups of twelve different characters, each embedded in historical context, American Fatherhood provides a much more realistic picture of how fatherhood has been performed within different kinds of families. Each protagonist covers a crucial period or event in American history, presents a different family constellation, and makes a different argument with regard to how American society is governed through the family.
The American Girl
by Rachael English*No.1 bestseller*From a storyteller who combines the warmth of Maeve Binchy with the elegance of Maggie O'Farrell comes an unforgettable novel . . .Boston 1968. Rose Moroney is seventeen, smart, spirited - and pregnant. She wants to marry her boyfriend. Her ambitious parents have other plans. She is sent to Ireland, their birthplace, to deliver her daughter in a Mother and Baby home - and part with her against her will.Dublin 2013. Martha Sheeran's life has come undone. Her marriage is over, and her husband has moved on with unsettling speed. Under pressure from her teenage daughter, she starts looking for the woman who gave her up for adoption more than forty years before.As her search leads her to the heart of long-buried family secrets, old flame Paudie Carmody - now a well-known broadcaster - re-enters the frame. From Boston to rural Ireland; from Dublin back to Boston, The American Girl is a heart-warming and enthralling story of mothers and daughters, love and cruelty and, ultimately, the embrace of new horizons.
The American Girl: A page-turning mother-daughter story for fans of Maeve Binchy
by Rachael English*No.1 bestseller*From a storyteller who combines the warmth of Maeve Binchy with the elegance of Maggie O'Farrell comes an unforgettable novel . . .Boston 1968. Rose Moroney is seventeen, smart, spirited - and pregnant. She wants to marry her boyfriend. Her ambitious parents have other plans. She is sent to Ireland, their birthplace, to deliver her daughter in a Mother and Baby home - and part with her against her will.Dublin 2013. Martha Sheeran's life has come undone. Her marriage is over, and her husband has moved on with unsettling speed. Under pressure from her teenage daughter, she starts looking for the woman who gave her up for adoption more than forty years before.As her search leads her to the heart of long-buried family secrets, old flame Paudie Carmody - now a well-known broadcaster - re-enters the frame. From Boston to rural Ireland; from Dublin back to Boston, The American Girl is a heart-warming and enthralling story of mothers and daughters, love and cruelty and, ultimately, the embrace of new horizons.
The American Girl: The Number One bestselling novel of heartbreaking secrets in a home for unwed mothers
by Rachael English'A true storyteller who keeps you turning the pages' CATHY KELLYInspired by heartbreaking true events in a home for unwed mothers, and set between Boston and Ireland, the No.1 bestselling novel The American Girl is a heartrending and captivating story of mothers and daughters, love and cruelty and, ultimately, the embrace of new horizons.* THE LETTER HOME, THE NEW NOVEL FROM RACHAEL ENGLISH, IS AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW *Boston 1968. Rose Moroney is seventeen, smart, spirited - and pregnant. She wants to marry her boyfriend but her ambitious parents have other plans. She is sent to Ireland, their birthplace, to deliver her daughter in a home for unwed mothers - and part with her against her will.Dublin 2013. Martha Sheeran's life has come undone. Her marriage is over, and her husband has moved on with unsettling speed. Under pressure from her teenage daughter, she starts looking for the woman who gave her up for adoption more than forty years before.As her search leads her to the heart of long-buried family secrets, old flame Paudie Carmody - now a well-known broadcaster - re-enters the frame.___________________________________FIND OUT WHY EVERYONE LOVES RACHAEL ENGLISH:'A compelling read' Sheila O'Flanagan'Utterly moving and compelling. That first line . . . wow! I was hooked' Patricia Scanlan'Fantastic storytelling looking back at Ireland's dark past' Liz Nugent'A powerful, important, beautiful book' Sinéad Crowley'Outstanding. I was on the edge of my seat *****''It broke my heart. Rachael has managed to tell a truly heartbreaking story beautifully and with real grace and dignity *****''Beautifully written and enjoyable *****''I loved this book. Despite the subject matter this book is very uplifting *****''A beautifully written story, uncovering some untold truths *****''An addictive read *****''Could not put it down. Highly recommend *****'
The American Girl: The Number One bestselling novel of heartbreaking secrets in a home for unwed mothers
by Rachael English'A true storyteller who keeps you turning the pages' CATHY KELLYInspired by heartbreaking true events in a home for unwed mothers, and set between Boston and Ireland, the No.1 bestselling novel The American Girl is a heartrending and captivating story of mothers and daughters, love and cruelty and, ultimately, the embrace of new horizons.* THE LETTER HOME, THE NEW NOVEL FROM RACHAEL ENGLISH, IS AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW *Boston 1968. Rose Moroney is seventeen, smart, spirited - and pregnant. She wants to marry her boyfriend but her ambitious parents have other plans. She is sent to Ireland, their birthplace, to deliver her daughter in a home for unwed mothers - and part with her against her will.Dublin 2013. Martha Sheeran's life has come undone. Her marriage is over, and her husband has moved on with unsettling speed. Under pressure from her teenage daughter, she starts looking for the woman who gave her up for adoption more than forty years before.As her search leads her to the heart of long-buried family secrets, old flame Paudie Carmody - now a well-known broadcaster - re-enters the frame.___________________________________FIND OUT WHY EVERYONE LOVES RACHAEL ENGLISH:'A compelling read' Sheila O'Flanagan'Utterly moving and compelling. That first line . . . wow! I was hooked' Patricia Scanlan'Fantastic storytelling looking back at Ireland's dark past' Liz Nugent'A powerful, important, beautiful book' Sinéad Crowley'Outstanding. I was on the edge of my seat *****''It broke my heart. Rachael has managed to tell a truly heartbreaking story beautifully and with real grace and dignity *****''Beautifully written and enjoyable *****''I loved this book. Despite the subject matter this book is very uplifting *****''A beautifully written story, uncovering some untold truths *****''An addictive read *****''Could not put it down. Highly recommend *****'
American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers
by Nancy Jo SalesA New York Times BestsellerInstagram. Whisper. Yik Yak. YouTube. Kik. Ask.fm. Tinder. The dominant force in the lives of girls coming of age in America today is social media. What it is doing to an entire generation of young women is the subject of award-winning Vanity Fair writer Nancy Jo Sales’s riveting and explosive American Girls.With extraordinary intimacy and precision, Sales captures what it feels like to be a girl in America today. From Montclair to Manhattan and Los Angeles, from Florida and Arizona to Texas and Kentucky, Sales crisscrossed the country, speaking to more than two hundred girls, ages thirteen to nineteen, and documenting a massive change in the way girls are growing up, a phenomenon that transcends race, geography, and household income. American Girls provides a disturbing portrait of the end of childhood as we know it and of the inexorable and ubiquitous experience of a new kind of adolescence—one dominated by new social and sexual norms, where a girl’s first crushes and experiences of longing and romance occur in an accelerated electronic environment; where issues of identity and self-esteem are magnified and transformed by social platforms that provide instantaneous judgment. What does it mean to be a girl in America in 2016? It means coming of age online in a hypersexualized culture that has normalized extreme behavior, from pornography to the casual exchange of nude photographs; a culture rife with a virulent new strain of sexism and a sometimes self-undermining notion of feminist empowerment; a culture in which teenagers are spending so much time on technology and social media that they are not developing basic communication skills. From beauty gurus to slut-shaming to a disconcerting trend of exhibitionism, Nancy Jo Sales provides a shocking window into the troubling world of today’s teenage girls. Provocative and urgent, American Girls is destined to ignite a much-needed conversation about how we can help our daughters and sons negotiate unprecedented new challenges.
American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers
by Nancy Jo SalesA New York Times BestsellerInstagram. Whisper. Yik Yak. YouTube. Kik. Ask.fm. Tinder. The dominant force in the lives of girls coming of age in America today is social media. What it is doing to an entire generation of young women is the subject of award-winning Vanity Fair writer Nancy Jo Sales’s riveting and explosive American Girls.With extraordinary intimacy and precision, Sales captures what it feels like to be a girl in America today. From Montclair to Manhattan and Los Angeles, from Florida and Arizona to Texas and Kentucky, Sales crisscrossed the country, speaking to more than two hundred girls, ages thirteen to nineteen, and documenting a massive change in the way girls are growing up, a phenomenon that transcends race, geography, and household income. American Girls provides a disturbing portrait of the end of childhood as we know it and of the inexorable and ubiquitous experience of a new kind of adolescence—one dominated by new social and sexual norms, where a girl’s first crushes and experiences of longing and romance occur in an accelerated electronic environment; where issues of identity and self-esteem are magnified and transformed by social platforms that provide instantaneous judgment. What does it mean to be a girl in America in 2016? It means coming of age online in a hypersexualized culture that has normalized extreme behavior, from pornography to the casual exchange of nude photographs; a culture rife with a virulent new strain of sexism and a sometimes self-undermining notion of feminist empowerment; a culture in which teenagers are spending so much time on technology and social media that they are not developing basic communication skills. From beauty gurus to slut-shaming to a disconcerting trend of exhibitionism, Nancy Jo Sales provides a shocking window into the troubling world of today’s teenage girls. Provocative and urgent, American Girls is destined to ignite a much-needed conversation about how we can help our daughters and sons negotiate unprecedented new challenges.
American Gothic: The Story of America's Legendary Theatrical Family—Junius, Edwin, and John Wilkes Booth
by Gene SmithThe dramatic biography of one of the most notorious families in American history. Junius Booth and his sons, Edwin and John Wilkes, were nineteenth-century America's most famous theatrical family. Yet the Booth name is forever etched in the history books for one terrible reason: the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865. In American Gothic, bestselling historian Gene Smith vividly chronicles the triumphs, scandals, and tragedies of this infamous family. The preeminent English tragedian of his day, Junius Booth was a madman and an alcoholic who abandoned his wife and young son to move to America and start a new family. His son Edwin became the most renowned Shakespearean actor in America, famously playing Hamlet for one hundred consecutive nights, but he suffered from depression and a crippling fear of inheriting his father's insanity. Blessed with extraordinary good looks and a gregarious nature, John Wilkes Booth seemed destined for spectacular fame and fortune. However, his sympathy for the Confederate cause unleashed a dangerous instability that brought permanent disgrace to his family and forever changed the course of American history. Richly detailed and emotionally insightful, American Gothic is a "ripping good tale" that brings to life the true story behind a family tragedy of Shakespearean proportions (The New York Times).
American Gypsy: A Memoir
by Oksana MarafiotiA vivid and funny memoir about growing up Gypsy and becoming AmericanFifteen-year-old Oksana Marafioti is a Gypsy. This means touring with the family band from the Mongolian deserts to the Siberian tundra. It means getting your hair cut in "the Lioness." It also means enduring sneering racism from every segment of Soviet society. Her father is determined that his girls lead a better, freer life. In America! Also, he wants to play guitar with B. B. King. And cure cancer with his personal magnetism. All of this he confides to the woman at the American embassy, who inexplicably allows the family entry. Soon they are living on the sketchier side of Hollywood.What little Oksana and her sister, Roxy, know of the United States they've learned from MTV, subcategory George Michael. It doesn't quite prepare them for the challenges of immigration. Why are the glamorous Kraft Singles individually wrapped? Are the little soaps in the motels really free? How do you protect your nice new boyfriend from your opinionated father, who wants you to marry decently, within the clan?In this affecting, hilarious memoir, Marafioti cracks open the secretive world of the Roma and brings the absurdities, miscommunications, and unpredictable victories of the immigrant experience to life. With unsentimentally perfect pitch, AmericanGypsy reveals how Marafioti adjusted to her new life in America, one slice of processed cheese at a time.
American Haven
by Elizabeth YatesTeenagers Michael and Meredith Lamb find new friends and mountains to climb when they travel from war-torn London to New Hampshire with their Uncle Tony during World War II.
American Heirloom: Baby Names
by Charlotte DanforthOver 1,500 timeless American names for today's baby. Appealing and timeless, the names in this book are gathered from the pages of our history books and rooted in the nation's heartland. They are the names of real-life American poets and soldiers, artists and pioneers, entrepreneurs, teachers, and athletes. Distinctive and prestigious names can give children instant, natural role models-the heroes and positive idols who have had their names before. Entries in this unique guide include: - Classic names and descriptions of the heroic Americans who bore them - References to writings by and about each namesake that families can enjoy together - Historic sites related to each heirloom name suitable for family field trips - Famous names in all ethnic groups - The greatest names in medicine, law, statecraft, sports, business, philanthropy, exploration, invention, and more - Print features and reviews
American Man: Speaking the Truth about the War on Masculinity
by Lawrence JonesFox & Friends cohost Lawrence Jones delivers the common sense book America needs more than ever in this definitive takedown of the left&’s never-ending attacks on masculinity. A generation ago it was understood that men and women were unique, yet interdependent, and designed by God to be that way. Today, the woke crowd wants you to believe masculinity is &“toxic.&” In his first book, Lawrence embarks on a thorough examination of who is doing the attacking and why. Informed by his travels across the country for Fox News, Lawrence explains how confused progressives are about manhood—and how powerful the need is to set the record straight. Men, he argues, are indispensable to thriving families and prosperous societies, and the sooner men start acting like men, the better off we all will be. Packed with stories from his own life and work, Lawrence makes a persuasive case for the virtues of manliness—courage, resilience, godliness, and self-reliance among others. Lawrence challenges his fellow men to live up to their responsibilities as men and to fill the cultural void woke ideologues have been happy to exploit. In confronting the chaos of contemporary culture, Lawrence is forced to reexamine his own beliefs as he spurs an honest discussion about what it means to be a man in America. The book also includes candid, never-before-shared interviews conducted by Lawrence of his Fox News colleagues, like Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Pete Hegseth, Will Cain, as well as other prominent voices like NFL great Ben Watson and actor Dean Cain. This insightful and uncompromising book from one of the country&’s fastest rising stars will enlighten and inspire readers—as it proves once and for all the crucial role men can and must play in American life today.
An American Marriage
by Tayari Jones<P>Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. <P>But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn't commit. <P>Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. <P>As Roy's time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy's conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together. <P>This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward--with hope and pain--into the future. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b> <P><b> An Oprah Book Club selection</b>
An American Marriage: A Novel
by Tayari JonesOPRAH’S BOOK CLUB 2018 SELECTIONOne of the most anticipated novels of 2018 according to Entertainment Weekly * Goodreads * Esquire * Elle * Cosmopolitan *BBC * Huffington Post * Bustle * Southern Living * Newsday * Bookish * Nylon * iBooks Store“Transcendent . . . Triumphant . . . Gorgeous.”—Elle“A stunning epic love story . . . An exquisite, timely, and powerful novel that feels both urgent and indispensable.”—Edwidge DanticatNewlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together. This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward--with hope and pain--into the future.
An American Marriage: A Novel
by Tayari JonesOne of the most anticipated novels of 2018 according to Entertainment Weekly * Goodreads * Esquire * Elle * Cosmopolitan *BBC * Huffington Post * Bustle * Southern Living * Newsday * Bookish * Nylon * iBooks Store“Transcendent . . . Triumphant . . . Gorgeous.”—Elle“A stunning epic love story . . . An exquisite, timely, and powerful novel that feels both urgent and indispensable.”—Edwidge DanticatNewlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together. This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward--with hope and pain--into the future.
American Military Life In The 21st Century: Social, Cultural, And Economic Issues And Trends
by Eugenia Weiss Carl CastroAmerican Military Life in the 21st Century <P><P> Social, Cultural, and Economic Issues and Trends <P><P> VOLUME I: Active Duty Life
American Military Life In The 21st Century: Social, Cultural, And Economic Issues And Trends
by Eugenia Weiss Carl CastroAmerican Military Life in the 21st Century <P><P> Social, Cultural, and Economic Issues and Trends <P><P> VOLUME 2: Life of Military Families, National Guardsmen and Reservists, and Veterans
American Parent: My Strange and Surprising Adventures in Modern Babyland
by Sam ApplePart memoir, part journalism, part history, part downright strange and hilarious, American Parent takes readers on a unique tour of the world of new mothers and fathers. As Sam Apple embarks on his own journey into parenthood, he decides to put his background in journalism to good use by talking to a wide range of experts. Along the way, Apple visits with the mohel who circumcised him, enters a trance with a childbirth hypnotist, goes on a stakeout with a nanny spy, and attends a lecture on Botox for new mothers. Apple is full of questions, and none is left unexplored: Is the Lamaze method a Stalinist plot? (Yes.) Are newborns really fetuses that are born too soon? (Sort of.) Is there a universal theory that can explain the origins of circumcision in many diverse cultures? (Maybe.) Does it sting when you pour baby shampoo into your own eyes? (Big–time!) And yet for all the unusual twists in this story—at one point Apple fantasizes about a father losing his mind and refusing to remove his BabyBjörn—the strangest twist of all might be that at its core American Parent is a deeply serious and personal book about the way emotionally vulnerable and confused new parents can get lost in the increasingly complex labyrinth of baby products, classes, and fads.
American Parent
by Sam ApplePart memoir, part journalism, part history, part downright strange and hilarious, American Parent takes readers on a unique tour of the world of new mothers and fathers. As Sam Apple embarks on his own journey into parenthood, he decides to put his background in journalism to good use by talking to a wide range of experts. Along the way, Apple visits with the mohel who circumcised him, enters a trance with a childbirth hypnotist, goes on a stakeout with a nanny spy, and attends a lecture on Botox for new mothers. Apple is full of questions, and none is left unexplored: Is the Lamaze method a Stalinist plot? (Yes.) Are newborns really fetuses that are born too soon? (Sort of.) Is there a universal theory that can explain the origins of circumcision in many diverse cultures? (Maybe.) Does it sting when you pour baby shampoo into your own eyes? (Big-time!)And yet for all the unusual twists in this story--at one point Apple fantasizes about a father losing his mind and refusing to remove his BabyBjörn--the strangest twist of all might be that at its core American Parent is a deeply serious and personal book about the way emotionally vulnerable and confused new parents can get lost in the increasingly complex labyrinth of baby products, classes, and fads.