Mother Nurture by Stephanie Hirsch Books in Review
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Mother Nurture - Life Lessons from the Mothers of America's Best and Brightest
by Stephanie Hirsch
William Morrow
ISBN 0-06-118920-3
Published March 2008 - Hardcover - 326 pages - $24.95

What makes a good mom?  How do you "plan" how your child will grow up and what kind of adult they'll be?  Loaded questions.  No one really knows for absolute certainty, but I do believe parents have a lot to answer for as far as the way their children turn out, genetics obviously notwithstanding.  Author Stephanie Hirsch pondered similar questions when she had her own son.  For her book, she collected personal stories from the mothers of well known people, who range from the likes of Christie Brinkley, Bobbi Brown, Marc Cherry, Lance Armstrong, Tim McGraw, Dr. Oz, Steven Spielberg, Diane Sawyer, and Beyoncé among others.  The stories are about what the different mothers did as a parent to encourage their children.  Not necessarily to be the successes they are today, but there usually was a strong work ethic, family mealtimes together, very little television, often a religious basis of sorts, encouragement in whatever it was the child was interested in, family activities, a sold marriage of the parents (though not a requirement and certainly no guarantee your kids will be successful), music in the house in many cases, and being taught to respect others.  I liked what Linda Armstrong Kelly say: "I wasn't a nagger...but I always told him [Lance] you have choices in life and you know these are choices that will have consequences."  My sentiments in life exactly.  Sadly though, in my opinion, too many women today have kids just because they can.  Many are not ready, not educated, and neither do they know what they're letting themselves in for.  I liked this book and the messages it gives out.
Visit the Mother Nurture website.
Conclusion - Every young mother and mother-to-be should read this book.

"Thank you for your review...much appreciated!  Good Luck!  Stephanie Hirsch

In the Yvonne Cowie story (Colin's mother), I found these unforgivable errors: It says, "When he was fifteen, we signed him up for organ lessons.  Then my husband or I would take him to the lesson."  Two paragraphs later it says: "When Colin was thirteen years old, his father died."  WHAT???  Colin Cowie and I both hail from South Africa, and I was shocked, literally shocked, to read this next sentence, after four mentions of "South Africa" - "Even now, he still comes home every June and July, when Australians celebrate the holiday [Christmas] because of the opposite seasons, to organize the dinner."  What has Australia got to do with anything?  And, incidentally, we (South Africans) don't celebrate Christmas in June and/or July.  We have it on the 24th or 25th of December, just like everyone else.  There are a few fun-loving people who like to have a Christmas-like celebration in the winter (June/July) instead of in the December heat.  Do you find this as inexcusable as I do?  Then, I found this one: "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat" which should have been "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat".
Do read my blog about errors publishers are not catching and which are unnecessarily distracting and insulting to the reader.

Proofreading Services Available - contact me at: pettprojects@yahoo.com

book cover


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