Review by Chelsea498 -- Reflections of an Anxious Africa...

[Chelsea498]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad" by Eric L. Heard.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Everyone has a different journey in life. People born in different eras have different experiences. When shared, these experiences give us a broader perspective on life and helps us to learn to look at life through someone else’s eyes. In his book Reflections Of An Anxious African American Dad ,Eric L. Heard takes us through an epic journey of growing up in the 1970s when the issue of race was still a touchy issue, and later on, being a father with a rich background of struggle and growth. Eric tells us the challenges that African-Americans faced in the 70s, both economically and politically. He gives us an honest account of how his life has been influenced by his background. Heard tells his wife in the first chapters that society has somehow set double-standards when it comes to African-Americans and therefore the bar has been set higher for them. As a father, Eric tries to chart a different part of fatherhood that sets him apart from cliché parenting. After his situation with his son, he ‘attempts to re-evaluate his behavior as a father and make corrective changes to prevent his son from falling into the generational curse.’ Eric passes a very powerful message here. He encourages parents to make sure that their children get a better life than the one they did.
What I loved about this book is that Eric opens our eyes to the issue of parenting and race. He helps us to appreciate and embrace diversity in society. By bringing up our children with this mentality of appreciating the diversity of our backgrounds, we teach them to be better members of society. Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad show us that our backgrounds will always be a part of us. It is up to us to embrace and be proud of who we are. Eric recognizes that he has a rich background that he tries to expose us to in this book. This book is a whole journey, and I am so happy that Eric shared with us his life experiences.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars . It is an open account that is rich in life lessons, not only in parenting but also in being a better person in general.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an insightful account of how growing up in the 1970s was like. This book is rich in values that I am sure will benefit everyone from every background.

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Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad
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