I just purchased a copy of this book in English, because my wife has been translating the Thai version form me and we are both completely impressed by the wisdom contained in this book. My wife is Thai and her parents raised her with the same considerations and compassionate love that the book uses as the foundation for guiding parents how to raise their children. Currently, we are experimenting with the classic US style of education at the American School of Bangkok and will also try one of the Thai Waldorf school near our home and observe how the child responds the each on all levels of development. We, because of living in Bangkok, have the multiple education options incudintg British system, French system, Australian system, Multiple Intelligenc system, Montisori system, Christian schools etc..., and are very impressed with what we have seen in the Waldorf schools. Regardless of which education modality we choose the foundations in this book will guide our child development decisions.

I am completely put off by reviewers splattering their judgements of cultish, religous etc around this book. I just don't get it. If someone writes about Montisorei they reference Maria Montisori. If someone writes about Multiple Intellegence education they reference Harvard's Garnier. The primary researcher is always the source of the knowledge. Let's stick to what we know and not conjecture and judge what we do not know. Steiner was definitely on the something, and in today's world we definitely need all the help we can get in raising a new breed of human.

This is the first Steiner influenced book I have read and since I am a new parent and most of the info in here is aimed at small children, this was a good jumping off point for me. There were a few things in this book that bothered me, though, it may not be the author, it may be some of the ideas in this particular philosophy, I'm not sure yet. One was in her section on gifted children, she recommends holding back "precocious" children....that really bothered me. If a child wants to learn, by all means let them...that seems more like respecting the spirit of the child than trying to squelch their passions. The other thing was the constant reverance to which she spoke of Steiner. He is a smart guy and all, but, come on, he's not Jesus. That in particular leaves me with a cult like feeling about the whole movement.

The best thing about the book, though, and what makes it a good starting point for newbies, is at the end of each chapter she has a list of resources, mostly more books to read on the subject in the chapter and most of the time, she is clear about which ones are Steiner influence and which are not. It, also, is really easy to read (unlike the actual writings of Steiner) and most of the information is really practical. If you're interested in the Steiner movement, particularly if your children are still small, this is a really good book for you. If you are just looking for a parenting book, this may or may not be a good book for you....read into the Waldorf/Steiner ideas first before you decide.

As a first time parent I bombarded myself with books about child raising and child develpment but this is the one to which I return to over and over again. It matters not that this book is aligned with Steiner principles, the information contained within its pages is timeless, and stirs a forgotten knowledge that can be found within all of us if we only take the time to look. In a consumer driven material world where we are bombarded with ten million ways in which to bring up our children, it is both refreshing and mellowing to find a book that gives power back to parents. Everything we need to know about raising happy, well adjusted, self-loving children is within us already. This book just helps to bring it into our conscious minds. If every new parent were given a copy of this book and put this forgotten knowledge into practice, what a wonderful childhood our next generation could enjoy.

I haven't read a ton of books on child development. I have a nine month old. I check Dr. Sears' Baby Book every once in a while. Surprisingly, I felt like this book had very little to teach me. Most of it I had heard before or seemed like it was just common sense. The references at the end of each chapter seemed slightly out of date and far from comprehensive. I only read the beginning as my child is not yet a toddler. Maybe it gets better. But for babies it felt like a waste of money.

This is the book that not only profoundly changed my parenting style, but led to a career change and major lifestyle change for my family. This was the book that introduced me to Waldorf education and led me to pursue Waldorf teacher training. As a result of this introduction, my husband and I were led to re-evaluate our values and our lifestyle, and we ultimately made the transition from a fast-paced life in the show-business world of Los Angeles, to a quiet life living on a small farm in rural Maine. As a Waldorf early childhood teacher, I have recommended this book to countless families as an introduction to Waldorf education. I always give it as a gift to friends and family with new babies. It is the book I wish I'd had before the birth of my first child. I don't expect most families would experience such a dramatic lifestyle change as a result of this book as ours did, but it may help you relax into your role as a parent, realize that less is indeed more, and make your journey as a parent more meaningful and satisfying.