'. It's like a Malcom Gladwell book focused solely on raising children, since it takes the latest scientific research and makes it easy for us laypeople to understand. It's great if you want to know why everything you are doing (or have done) is the wrong way to do it. I'm quite sure they prefer to focus on what sells books ('EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG!'), but regardless, the book makes you think and its arguments are very reasonable so far. I'm enjoying it.
I particularly liked the second chapter, which is about kids not getting enough sleep. Its an old point - that High School starts too early - timed to the parent's work schedule rather than Circadian rhythm. The book points out that kids sleep less now than in the past and it particularly drops off when they hit High School age. This being the age when kids are typically granted the right to regulate their own bed time.
The importance of sleep is unquestioned - it's the time when what we learn is encoded and stored into long term memory. So, sleep is particularly important while our mind is developing, something that happens into our mid-20's. At my age, sleep is when American Idol results are saved (Bo Bice lost), but kids might actually be storing some important stuff.
What really hit the mark for me is how the book describes the traits of a 'stereotypical teenager' matching exactly that of someone who is sleep deprived - remote, angst/agitated, etc. In general, the description of High School as a sleep deprived era rings true from my experience. One of the clearest memories of High School was the battle to stay awake in class.
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