What do you think?
Rate this book
Magical Child
"An innovative, philosophical restructuring of modern child psychology."
Magical Child, a classic work, profoundly questioned the current thinking on childbirth pratices, parenting, and educating our children. Now its daring ideas about how Western society is damaging our children, and how we can better nurture them and oruselves, ring truer than ever. From the very instant of birth, says Joseph Chilton Pearce, the human child has only one concern: to learn all that there is to learn about the world. This planet is the child's playground, and nothing should interfere with a child's play. Raised this way, the Magical Child is a a happy genius, capable of anything, equipped to fulfill his amazing potential.
Expanding on the ideas of internationally acclaimed child psychologist Jean Piaget, Pearce traces the growth of the mind-brain from brith to adulthood. He connects the alarming rise in autism, hyperkinetic behavior, childhood schizophrenia, and adolescent suicide to the all too common errors we make in raising and educating our children. Then he shows how we can restore the astonishing wealth of creative intelligence that is the brithright of every human being. Pearce challenged all our notions about child rearing, and in the process challenges us to re-examine ourselves. Pearce's message is simple: it is never too late to play, for we are all Magical Children.
Magical Child, a classic work, profoundly questioned the current thinking on childbirth pratices, parenting, and educating our children. Now its daring ideas about how Western society is damaging our children, and how we can better nurture them and oruselves, ring truer than ever. From the very instant of birth, says Joseph Chilton Pearce, the human child has only one concern: to learn all that there is to learn about the world. This planet is the child's playground, and nothing should interfere with a child's play. Raised this way, the Magical Child is a a happy genius, capable of anything, equipped to fulfill his amazing potential.
Expanding on the ideas of internationally acclaimed child psychologist Jean Piaget, Pearce traces the growth of the mind-brain from brith to adulthood. He connects the alarming rise in autism, hyperkinetic behavior, childhood schizophrenia, and adolescent suicide to the all too common errors we make in raising and educating our children. Then he shows how we can restore the astonishing wealth of creative intelligence that is the brithright of every human being. Pearce challenged all our notions about child rearing, and in the process challenges us to re-examine ourselves. Pearce's message is simple: it is never too late to play, for we are all Magical Children.
272 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 1977
79 people are currently reading
1,383 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Chilton Pearce
47 books88 followersFor nearly half a century Joseph C. Pearce, who prefers to be known simply as Joe, has been probing the mysteries of the human mind. One of his overriding passions remains the study of what he calls the "unfolding" of intelligence in children. He is a self-avowed iconoclast, unafraid to speak out against the myriad ways in which contemporary American culture fails to nurture the intellectual, emotional and spiritual needs and yearnings of our young people. Part scholar, part scientist, part mystic, part itinerant teacher, Joe keeps in close touch with the most brilliant men and women in each field of inure relevant to his guest. He creates a unique synthesis of their work and translates the results into a common language-such a valuable contribution in these days of increasing scientific specialization.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 15, 2011
The biggest problem with this book is the fact that although much of it is science-based -- the author, Joe Pearce -- doesn't have a science-oriented degree (although he does have a Master of Arts degree and some "post-graduate studies" under his belt). Also, the text, although still highly relevant, is a bit outdated (1977).
The main premise of the book is written on the cover: "this book will help you rediscover nature's plan for our children". And, really, Pearce does make a promising case, except for some far-fetched mystical situations he poses (such as healing a bleeding wound simply by willing it to stop, and bending of spoons with the mind). There is however another realm of interpretation that the author makes room for, which is that reality is truly subjective and that we need to trust ourselves more instead of fearing the unknown, and there are some positive messages about power coming from within (for us adolescent and adult folk, the ending seems to tie together some messages that stretch beyond the childhood we've left behind). It is not a disappointing read for those of us who do not have children yet.
This book is VERY unschooling-related and focuses on:
- a new concept of intelligence not as memorization of facts, but of ability to respond to and assimilate new information ("muscular-mindedness")
- recognizing and meeting the needs of children (right from birth!)
- seeing children as whole people, while understanding their current developmental stage
- recognizing and responding to our own needs
- understanding that intent precedes ability
- the learning cycle (stress-assimilation)
- neuroscience, how people learn, and stages of learning
- how children move from concrete to abstract thought
- why being a "late reader" is a positive thing
Some key movements this text seems to support? natural birth, attachment parenting, unschooling, radical unschooling (except for his very "1977" aversion to television)...
Also, even though Pearce apparently attended a theological college, his writing has NO religious slant whatsoever, though in general he takes a very "earthy and mystical" approach to living.
I'm interested to see what Pearce discusses in his sequel, Magical Child Matures. I'm curious about how his concepts apply to older children, adolescents, and adults.
The main premise of the book is written on the cover: "this book will help you rediscover nature's plan for our children". And, really, Pearce does make a promising case, except for some far-fetched mystical situations he poses (such as healing a bleeding wound simply by willing it to stop, and bending of spoons with the mind). There is however another realm of interpretation that the author makes room for, which is that reality is truly subjective and that we need to trust ourselves more instead of fearing the unknown, and there are some positive messages about power coming from within (for us adolescent and adult folk, the ending seems to tie together some messages that stretch beyond the childhood we've left behind). It is not a disappointing read for those of us who do not have children yet.
This book is VERY unschooling-related and focuses on:
- a new concept of intelligence not as memorization of facts, but of ability to respond to and assimilate new information ("muscular-mindedness")
- recognizing and meeting the needs of children (right from birth!)
- seeing children as whole people, while understanding their current developmental stage
- recognizing and responding to our own needs
- understanding that intent precedes ability
- the learning cycle (stress-assimilation)
- neuroscience, how people learn, and stages of learning
- how children move from concrete to abstract thought
- why being a "late reader" is a positive thing
Some key movements this text seems to support? natural birth, attachment parenting, unschooling, radical unschooling (except for his very "1977" aversion to television)...
Also, even though Pearce apparently attended a theological college, his writing has NO religious slant whatsoever, though in general he takes a very "earthy and mystical" approach to living.
I'm interested to see what Pearce discusses in his sequel, Magical Child Matures. I'm curious about how his concepts apply to older children, adolescents, and adults.
May 14, 2015
3.5/5. Pearce's take on development is opinionated, but I think that the ideas he works with are mostly accurate. Yes, the work is heavily influenced by Piaget, but it was also first published in 1977. There are times when Pearce skates a little too close to the edge of woo (particularly in the chapter about child psychics and telepathy), but then, as the title "Magical Child" suggests, Pearce seems somewhat receptive to magic as a concept. The book suffers from Pearce's writing style, which is...dry. And repetitive. And at times almost incoherent. As I already mentioned, though, I think that Pearce is mostly working on sound ideas. It's where he sometimes takes those ideas that presented problems for me. His claims that children should not be taught to read until they're eleven almost made me spit out my coffee. And no man has any business talking like he understands what it's like to experience childbirth. But aside from some of these not-insignificant issues, "Magical Child" is a classic and is worth reading...if you can get through its difficult style.
June 2, 2012
WOW. That's really all I can say. Not at all an "easy" read, but intense and life changing. Very few books have that power but this is definitely one of them.
January 16, 2008
I gave up reading this book after 100 pages. I found it to be hard to read, depressing, and woefully out-of-date (written in the mid-1970s). While it's nice to know that we've come a long way (in the positive direction) since sedated childbirth and scheduled bottle feedings, the idealization of Ugandan women and the way they give birth and rear their children (up to age 4) is a bit ridiculous. I'd like to see the author go through childbirth! However, being a child of the 70s, I think I came out okay despite the birth experience and formula feeding. So, I won't feel bad about not reading the rest of the book.
February 5, 2013
An interesting idea- that children should be left to encounter the earth until about age 11. That all of our children have lost the connection to the planet by having to go to school so early. I wonder how he thought his readers should implement his ideas.
I also didn't agree with his idea that women in 3rd world countries do birth better. They may do the emotional part of birthing better...if the baby and mother survive the birth process. With few hospitals, or clinics it's hard to see how their life is 'better'.
I'd take more interest in his ideas if he wrote a sequel on the how-to's of his ideas in the modern world.
I also didn't agree with his idea that women in 3rd world countries do birth better. They may do the emotional part of birthing better...if the baby and mother survive the birth process. With few hospitals, or clinics it's hard to see how their life is 'better'.
I'd take more interest in his ideas if he wrote a sequel on the how-to's of his ideas in the modern world.
December 3, 2008
Excellent synopsis of the brain stages; needs one or two good graphics to lay out what the text summarizes. Not prescriptive which I like.
January 11, 2022
Sadece çocuk gelişimini değil insanın kendi gelişim süreçlerini de felsefik bir bakış açısı ile gördüğü tekrar dönüp okumak istediğim bir kitap oldu.
July 12, 2010
wonderful. I didn't finish it, because its long and it was due back, but it was truly wonderful while it was relevant to me and the stage of development i was experiencing. I will borrow the book again in the future, after some time has passed, because it will be interesting to keep this book as a beacon towards raising an intelligent, intuitive self and child.
Its a great counter-story to the fear and anxiety based development stories that exist, and it was incredibly refreshing to hear an Optimal story of development and to set the standard as such.
I particular enjoyed the description of the optimal story of pregnancy and childbirthing. Definitely a must-read for anyone expecting a baby, who may have fear in their body. the chapter 'establishing the matrix' describes a peaceful, conscious pregnancy, and a gentle birth, as well as the moment/days after birth. It describes the transition from womb/water element into breast/air element, and ways in which the gentle, conscious momma accommodates the babe so that it may feel safe in his new matrix.
ohh wonderful.
Its a great counter-story to the fear and anxiety based development stories that exist, and it was incredibly refreshing to hear an Optimal story of development and to set the standard as such.
I particular enjoyed the description of the optimal story of pregnancy and childbirthing. Definitely a must-read for anyone expecting a baby, who may have fear in their body. the chapter 'establishing the matrix' describes a peaceful, conscious pregnancy, and a gentle birth, as well as the moment/days after birth. It describes the transition from womb/water element into breast/air element, and ways in which the gentle, conscious momma accommodates the babe so that it may feel safe in his new matrix.
ohh wonderful.
June 1, 2021
Her ebeveynin ve ebeveyn adayının veya içindeki çocuğu anlamak isteyen her bireyin okumasını hararetle tavsiye ettiğim bir eser.
Okurken dikkat edilmesi gereken nokta bence, kendi bilgi ve görgü filtrenizden süzerek okumanızdır. Özellikle ezoterik ve olağandışı konulara atıf yaparken yazarın kendisi de yazdıklarının kulağa nasıl geldiğinin farkında ve olağanüstüye duyulan o gizemli inanışını paylaştığını yer yer ifade ediyor.
Kitabın sonu Ravel'in Bolerosu gibi her adımda anlatımı yapılan ileri kavramların zirvesi adeta, tüm kitap sondaki anlatımın kavranabilmesi için bir altyapı çalışması gibi.
Yeni şeyler öğrendim, kendimle ilgili ilginç keşiflerim oldu. Bir serüven misali okudum bu kitabı. Belki kendimiz Sihirli Çocuk olamadık ve fakat bir Sihirli Çocuk yetiştirme ihtimalimiz artık var 😊
Okurken dikkat edilmesi gereken nokta bence, kendi bilgi ve görgü filtrenizden süzerek okumanızdır. Özellikle ezoterik ve olağandışı konulara atıf yaparken yazarın kendisi de yazdıklarının kulağa nasıl geldiğinin farkında ve olağanüstüye duyulan o gizemli inanışını paylaştığını yer yer ifade ediyor.
Kitabın sonu Ravel'in Bolerosu gibi her adımda anlatımı yapılan ileri kavramların zirvesi adeta, tüm kitap sondaki anlatımın kavranabilmesi için bir altyapı çalışması gibi.
Yeni şeyler öğrendim, kendimle ilgili ilginç keşiflerim oldu. Bir serüven misali okudum bu kitabı. Belki kendimiz Sihirli Çocuk olamadık ve fakat bir Sihirli Çocuk yetiştirme ihtimalimiz artık var 😊
August 22, 2011
mind-blowing book, this is a re-read for me, wish I'd read it before I had my children . . . I agree with 90% or more of it, I only don't quite buy the premise of delayed education. Between this and Evolution's End, I think I read more into them the first time around, a little disappointed the second time for each, but the premises, the ideas are there that I am so for exploring some more! I definitely "got" more of the concrete concepts this time around, it might take a couple more times or exploring more (& more current) research into the areas discussed here to fully develop my own philosphy and understanding of the materials . . . I highly recommend this author and these books for a starting point into discovering our brain-mind-connections and potential abilities.
June 2, 2021
Acayip şeyler yazıyor bu kitapta :) Kesinlikle beyin açan, bol bol düşündürten, ezberbozan nitelikte. Ama 1977 yılında basıldığını göz önünde bulundurarak okumak gerek. Muhtemelen bugüne kadar alanda birçok gelişme olmuştur ve bazı bilgiler yanlışlanmış olabilir. Bazıları da doğrulanmış olabilir tabii. Bu sebeple bilimsel bir bilgi kaynağı gözüyle bakamadım bu kitaba. Diğer yandan, yazarın verdiği bazı örnekler ve bunlara getirdiği açıklamalar pek duygusal ve spiritüel. Bu açıklamalar "öyle açıklanmak istendiği için" çarpıtılmış, indirgenmiş diye düşündürtmüyor değil.
Kısaca bazı şeyler kafama çok yattı, bazıları çok düşündürdü, bazıları hiç yatmadı. Bilimsel olup olmamasını bir yana koyarsak, ufuk açan bir kitap.
Kısaca bazı şeyler kafama çok yattı, bazıları çok düşündürdü, bazıları hiç yatmadı. Bilimsel olup olmamasını bir yana koyarsak, ufuk açan bir kitap.
August 27, 2009
This book is based on Jungian approach to child rearing. The claim is that by nature, a child is vividly exploratory and it is our culture that tames that out of him. In a rather new age claim to an almost eatern mysticism, this book would appeal to parents with high spirituality and less of an empericist attitude. I enjoyed this book, even though I am not particularly New Age in any way. It is still about balance and harmony of who we are.
July 30, 2020
Sevgili Nihan Kaya vesilesi ile bu kitaptan haberdar oldum. 1970'lerin başında yazıldığı için verdiği bilgiler, araştırma sonuçları günümüzde değişmiş, yeni yorumlar getirilmiş olabilir. Bilgilerin bilimsel referansı konusunda değerlendirme yapamamakla beraber geleneksel çocuk yetiştirmeye getirdiği eleştirel düşünceleri, özellikle 0-6 yaş arasına odaklanan beyin ve zihinsel gelişim faktörlerini açıklamasını çok kıymetli buldum. Ebeveyn adaylarının faydalanabileceği bir kitap.
July 24, 2012
This is by far, the second most important book I read while pregnant with my son. The first is Magical Child Matures, which is essentially a second edition of this book. But it is not a phoned in second edition. It contains substantive differences.
April 9, 2018
It is a very interesting book that describes the child development from a new and provocative perspective: psychological, social, esoteric and spiritual. It is a good parenting book. I see it as an interesting complement to actual child development psychological theories.
February 23, 2011
Everyone should read this book, especially when you become a parent. It changed my perspective and stirred many conversations with my husband.
June 26, 2023
THE POPULAR AUTHOR MAKES SUGGESTIONS FOR CHILD-REARING
Author Joseph Chilton Pearce wrote in the Preface to this 1977 book, “The material in this book has led me to a position so at odds with current opinion about the child mind and human intelligence that I have been at some loss to bridge the gap. At issue is a biological plan for the growth of intelligence, a genetic decoding within us that we ignore, damage, and even destroy. The mind-brain is designed for astonishing capacities, but its development is based on the infant and child constructing a knowledge of the world as it actually is. Children are unable to construct this foundation because we unknowingly inflict on them an anxiety-conditioned view of the world … Childhood is a battleground between the biological plan’s INTENT, which drives the child from within, and our anxious INTENTIONS, pressing the child from without.” (Pg. xi)
He adds, “The clue lies with the child’s universal compulsion to play and fantasize. Researchers state that the infant makes no random or useless movements; from the beginning every action has meaning, purpose, and design. In the same way, is all children compulsively spend the bulk of their time in some activity, then that activity must play a major role in genetic. Fantasy play and magical thinking cannot be errors of nature or examples of a faulty child logic needing adult correction because no species could survive with such a built-in contradiction.” (Pg. xv-xvi)
He continues, “What I have done is to take the liberty of using Piaget’s research and terms as a basis for examining the child’s experience. But I have included those magical areas found unacceptable to academic thought. Once all aspects of the child’s experience are examined as natural and meaningful, Piaget’s own developmental theory takes on dimensions far beyond, yet still encompassing, his own interests… My task has been to sketch the picture of the child’s mind and nature’s plan for intelligence… [I] intend this book to be an aid in the correction of a monstrous misunderstanding.” (Pg. xvi)
He states in the first chapter, “This book discusses a corresponding, beautifully coordinated biological plan for the development of intelligence. Indeed, we find that body growth, so self-evident, follows the needs of the mind-brain’s development in perfect synchrony. To allow full development of intelligence, we must acknowledge and cooperate with this biological plan. In so doing, we will find that most of our current problems with infants and children will never materialize. For our problems are largely man-made, caused by ignoring nature’s plan. Nature herself worked out all problems aeons ago.” (Pg. 4)
Much later in the book, he asserts, “mind must functionally separate from the concrete operations of the brain. Mind can do this only by relating with another mind for the necessary energy flow, and male-female bonding should provide this. The medium would again be the primary process, mind at large. Finally, mind or personality, can relate solely with the primary process and so be able to function independently of the physical body, brain, or world. Thus, when the life-cycle as we know it ends, the next matrix shift, to mind at large, will have been properly prepared, the bonds secured. Our three-billion-year thrust toward this has left nothing out. The matrix is always there. We always have someplace to go if the proper bonding has taken place. The second bonding incorporates all these transitions, and so is one of the most awesome and profound experiences of life, stage-specific to late adolescence and early maturity. Generally, this great movement is thwarted by anxiety and ends in dust and ashes, but its deep and universal significance is sensed by all of us at one time or another… As usual, we are stalemated in the physical and concrete, searching for it in that great missing mind-spirit element. Somewhere in our broken hearts, we have always sensed this, though we have so poor an understanding of where and how it all went wrong.” (Pg. 260-261)
He states in the final chapter, “At the end of a magical child seminar, I have frequently been asked: “Okay, what do we adults do now about our child and our own split selves?’ All of us like prescriptions, some step-by-step spelling out of actions we should follow. Although attractive, this is not possible with the biological plan because although all follow the same format, each is unique. I have tried to describe that format, not prescribe actions. We must not try to impose still another adult prescription on that plan, which is how it gets wrecked in the first place.” (Pg. 262)
This book may appeal to some seeking more unusual/spiritual approaches to child psychology.
Author Joseph Chilton Pearce wrote in the Preface to this 1977 book, “The material in this book has led me to a position so at odds with current opinion about the child mind and human intelligence that I have been at some loss to bridge the gap. At issue is a biological plan for the growth of intelligence, a genetic decoding within us that we ignore, damage, and even destroy. The mind-brain is designed for astonishing capacities, but its development is based on the infant and child constructing a knowledge of the world as it actually is. Children are unable to construct this foundation because we unknowingly inflict on them an anxiety-conditioned view of the world … Childhood is a battleground between the biological plan’s INTENT, which drives the child from within, and our anxious INTENTIONS, pressing the child from without.” (Pg. xi)
He adds, “The clue lies with the child’s universal compulsion to play and fantasize. Researchers state that the infant makes no random or useless movements; from the beginning every action has meaning, purpose, and design. In the same way, is all children compulsively spend the bulk of their time in some activity, then that activity must play a major role in genetic. Fantasy play and magical thinking cannot be errors of nature or examples of a faulty child logic needing adult correction because no species could survive with such a built-in contradiction.” (Pg. xv-xvi)
He continues, “What I have done is to take the liberty of using Piaget’s research and terms as a basis for examining the child’s experience. But I have included those magical areas found unacceptable to academic thought. Once all aspects of the child’s experience are examined as natural and meaningful, Piaget’s own developmental theory takes on dimensions far beyond, yet still encompassing, his own interests… My task has been to sketch the picture of the child’s mind and nature’s plan for intelligence… [I] intend this book to be an aid in the correction of a monstrous misunderstanding.” (Pg. xvi)
He states in the first chapter, “This book discusses a corresponding, beautifully coordinated biological plan for the development of intelligence. Indeed, we find that body growth, so self-evident, follows the needs of the mind-brain’s development in perfect synchrony. To allow full development of intelligence, we must acknowledge and cooperate with this biological plan. In so doing, we will find that most of our current problems with infants and children will never materialize. For our problems are largely man-made, caused by ignoring nature’s plan. Nature herself worked out all problems aeons ago.” (Pg. 4)
Much later in the book, he asserts, “mind must functionally separate from the concrete operations of the brain. Mind can do this only by relating with another mind for the necessary energy flow, and male-female bonding should provide this. The medium would again be the primary process, mind at large. Finally, mind or personality, can relate solely with the primary process and so be able to function independently of the physical body, brain, or world. Thus, when the life-cycle as we know it ends, the next matrix shift, to mind at large, will have been properly prepared, the bonds secured. Our three-billion-year thrust toward this has left nothing out. The matrix is always there. We always have someplace to go if the proper bonding has taken place. The second bonding incorporates all these transitions, and so is one of the most awesome and profound experiences of life, stage-specific to late adolescence and early maturity. Generally, this great movement is thwarted by anxiety and ends in dust and ashes, but its deep and universal significance is sensed by all of us at one time or another… As usual, we are stalemated in the physical and concrete, searching for it in that great missing mind-spirit element. Somewhere in our broken hearts, we have always sensed this, though we have so poor an understanding of where and how it all went wrong.” (Pg. 260-261)
He states in the final chapter, “At the end of a magical child seminar, I have frequently been asked: “Okay, what do we adults do now about our child and our own split selves?’ All of us like prescriptions, some step-by-step spelling out of actions we should follow. Although attractive, this is not possible with the biological plan because although all follow the same format, each is unique. I have tried to describe that format, not prescribe actions. We must not try to impose still another adult prescription on that plan, which is how it gets wrecked in the first place.” (Pg. 262)
This book may appeal to some seeking more unusual/spiritual approaches to child psychology.
July 8, 2024
In my 29 years of living, this book has a lot of my first time:
-first time annotating a book
-first time reading a book that makes me read a page for 5 minutes.
-first time reading a very abstract, philosophical book
-first time re-re-re-reading a paragraph because I didn't understand the first time
-first time loving a book despite re-re-reading a paragraph for multiple times
-first time owning a book that's autographed by the author
And the best realization was.. it costs me 40Php (0.68usd as of now) buying it from a book sale.
As an early childhood educator, who also grew religiously, wanting to learn how our brains work, this book added so much things to think about. Even despite the abstractness and the words used (which also made me feel smart hahaha), I do think the author did his best to make it as easy to understand as possible. It's really not scientific, but it does give examples of stories that might seem miracles to our ordinary minds. Like how Jesus healed the sick, or how God showed dreams to prophets so they can know the future, his explanation is just as abstract and just as amazing as those stories. Would recommend to those who want to level up their "child development" or to anyone who has been learning about how our brains work.
-first time annotating a book
-first time reading a book that makes me read a page for 5 minutes.
-first time reading a very abstract, philosophical book
-first time re-re-re-reading a paragraph because I didn't understand the first time
-first time loving a book despite re-re-reading a paragraph for multiple times
-first time owning a book that's autographed by the author
And the best realization was.. it costs me 40Php (0.68usd as of now) buying it from a book sale.
As an early childhood educator, who also grew religiously, wanting to learn how our brains work, this book added so much things to think about. Even despite the abstractness and the words used (which also made me feel smart hahaha), I do think the author did his best to make it as easy to understand as possible. It's really not scientific, but it does give examples of stories that might seem miracles to our ordinary minds. Like how Jesus healed the sick, or how God showed dreams to prophets so they can know the future, his explanation is just as abstract and just as amazing as those stories. Would recommend to those who want to level up their "child development" or to anyone who has been learning about how our brains work.
January 16, 2023
The book was quite abstract for me. It was mostly difficult to follow the models he describes, the micro-cosmic holograms, the matrices, the biologic programmes. Yet, I found some interesting concepts around the importance of natural birth, bonding and the formation of self-identity in children. At the same time, I find the book to remain rather a “shelf content” because as much as one may want to be a parent of a “magical child”, we cannot ditch our normal lives and jobs and boycott day care and schools altogether. Our children will not be thankful to us for isolating them from the world either. I believe most of the concepts in the book to be inapplicable in real life, while still providing an interesting perspective to reflect on.
There are books, which communicate exactly the same values of natural birth but are written in much more accessible, pragmatic and scientific manner - from where a pregnant woman can actually learn what a natural birth entails, how she can cope and why it matters for the baby, rather than simply stepping on abstractions like “this is what they do in Africa” and “this will provide connection with the mother matrix”.
There are books, which communicate exactly the same values of natural birth but are written in much more accessible, pragmatic and scientific manner - from where a pregnant woman can actually learn what a natural birth entails, how she can cope and why it matters for the baby, rather than simply stepping on abstractions like “this is what they do in Africa” and “this will provide connection with the mother matrix”.
June 18, 2020
An interesting read but very depressive too. Lacking proper scientific evidence to back up its opinions and ideas. Boring at times and misleading at others. I think the problem is a bit more complex than author is trying to picture here. When i look up some references found them wrong or untrue... i was really looking forward to this as this might bring another perspective and i do believe some of it has very good points indeed but again, it is simplified and the false information is a big turn off.
October 10, 2022
3,5* hodne tezko se mi hodnoti; casto pro me byl vyklad prilis abstraktni, jindy zas prilis vedecky..a obsahove jsem taky rozpolcena.. system na sebe navazujicich matric, ktery rozviji nasi inteligenci (ne ve smyslu IQ, ale schopnosti napojit se na kazdou z matric - matku, svet, sve vlastni ja), mi prijde propracovany a dava mi z velke casti smysl..ale kdyz dojde na sugesci a absolutni splynuti s prirodou ve smyslu "porucim rane, aby prestala krvacet a zacelila se", tak se ztracim
January 4, 2025
Love most of the ideas in this book so far related to child development, the importance of birth and how we come into the world, etc. I haven’t finished it yet and the writing style is near insufferable and repetitive at times…
Would love some graphics to go along with the text and break it up a bit.
Would love some graphics to go along with the text and break it up a bit.
November 27, 2019
Amazing! Writing was way too dry for a topic that is so important and exciting!
September 21, 2020
Definitely great book, but some parts are hard to really understand. Will definitely re-read. 👍🏼 👏
September 22, 2022
An excellent book for understanding the stages of child development.
May 7, 2024
Fascinujúca kniha, ale len pre toho kto nečíta len hlavou a logikou a je pripravený sa otvoriť širšiemu poznaniu.
June 9, 2015
I read this classic several time when it was first published in the late 70s and I found Pearce's attachment theory profound and supportive during the early years of my own parenting experience. I still recommend it to new parents and anyone studying childhood development and maturation. You do not want to miss the fascinating story included about the pygmy tribe, demonstrating the significance of bonding and the affect of separation on development.
Martha Char Love
author of "What's Behind Your Belly Button? A Psychological Perspective of the Intelligence of Human Nature and Gut Instinct
Martha Char Love
author of "What's Behind Your Belly Button? A Psychological Perspective of the Intelligence of Human Nature and Gut Instinct
June 30, 2010
"The human child has only one concern: to learn all that there is to learn about the world. This planet is the child's playground and nothing should interfere with a child's play. Raised this way, the Magical Child is a happy genius, CAPABLE OF ANYTHING, EQUIPPED TO FULFILL HIS AMAZING POTENTIAL...."
This isn't just about childbirth practices, parenting and educating children... it's also about nurturing ourselves and seeing into light the "switches" that were turned off, that we can turn on again as adults when we tap into OUR MAGICAL CHILD....
This isn't just about childbirth practices, parenting and educating children... it's also about nurturing ourselves and seeing into light the "switches" that were turned off, that we can turn on again as adults when we tap into OUR MAGICAL CHILD....
July 24, 2008
Although his writing is a bit thick and overly scientific for a parenting book, this is well worth the read. This is another one that I wish I had read before I had children. Most of his ideas will be strange or downright unacceptable to mainstream parents, but if you have an open mind and a desire to truly understand your child's early development, then put this one on your parenting shelf.
June 18, 2007
This should be required reading for parenthood. It played a major role in how I raise my kids, in my decision to homeschool, and how I relate to kids in general. Some of the ideas are pretty radical to the western world- though they are becoming less and less so.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews