The trouble with reading a book ten years on from its release, is that the world has moved on and some of the hopes and expectations dashed. This tome was published in 2010; America had rejected the wacky George Bush for the more mature Barack Obama and even British politics had rejected the paternalistic Blair years. Reading the optimism now when transatlantic leaders vie to be the biggest joke, mature politics looks to be a LONG way off!

The book is, however, far more than a political treaty; it has much to say about family life and personal relationships. A great deal of that verges upon the unassailable truth. That does not, of course, mean that it will be picked up and revolutionise society.

I heartily agree that we are too fixed upon physical possessions - and believe that you should have less... me? Oh, I need a new pair of trainers, that book which has just come out and my computer is nearly three years old!

The book's basic argument is a reduced version of the old saying, "Give me a child up to the age of seven, and I'll show you the man". Sue Gerhart has compressed this to two years; with particular emphasis upon the second year. She sites good evidence for this assertion and I have no doubt as to her accuracy. The problem is getting a parent who has not had a good early childhood to recognise that their skills may need honing and to get sufficient help for them. The other difficulty is that, for many, this would be seen as state control and brain washing: indeed, would you trust our leaders not to corrupt the programme?

Maybe the solutions provided need a little work, but this book does demonstrate a major problem with twenty-first century living. ( )

A fresh perspective on what compels us to accept certain elements of capitalism (unconsciously or otherwise) and their demands. Gerhardt proposes that a lack of sufficient emotional development is at the heart of the matter.

The chapter on families was particularly engaging. It highlighted that while women are now making equal headway in the workforce, they are made to somehow feel guilty or weak for giving into biology (i.e. the desire to raise children). Gerhardt then illustrates that we tend to put our own individual needs before that of the child's, thus contributing to problems with emotional development.

An eye-opening read which has encouraged me to look differently at the ways we interact with eachother and question the socio-economic structures that we so take for granted. ( )