3 out of 4 stars
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Where did the society go wrong in providing the much-needed guidance that children require? Why are many young adults resulting in mass killings or suicide as their last resort to their hopeless situations? Is there hope for a well-knit society in the future? Rony Joseph, after keenly observing a group of emotionally and psychologically needy children, wrote A Lost Child.
The book consists of six chapters. In every chapter, Rony gives a detailed account of an aspect that he believes plays a fundamental role in the upbringing of children in today’s highly polarized society. The book gives the author’s point of view regarding the state of parenting in the 21st century.
Every child that is born into the world has a specific purpose that he/she ought to serve. The first chapter of the book gives an overview of the purpose of a child. The subsequent chapters focus on the various entities that should ensure that a child serves his/her purpose. They include parents, schools, the federal government (the author has focused on the USA), and the society.
I liked the author’s realistic approach towards the issue at hand. He did not blame anyone in particular for the failure of many children in America. He noted that the raising of a functional and stable generation is a collective responsibility of everyone in the society. I could not agree more.
The author supported his points with good examples. For instance, he gave an example of Seung-Hui Cho who killed 32 students in the Virginia Tech shooting. Rony believes that if everyone had given Cho all the attention that he required, without any form of stigmatization due to his psychological issues, the mass murder could have been avoided. Cho’s college roommate had raised an alarm to the college authorities that Cho was possibly suicidal. However, it seems that they only gave him some ‘superficial’ help without a thorough follow up.
Rony stated in the book that he works as a chauffeur for a company where his primary job is to carry students to and from school each day. I expected to read more about the behavioral patterns that the children exhibit since he interacts with them daily. However, that was not the case. I believe such information would have added more flesh to the book. For instance, I once boarded a bus where I had an encounter with three high school students. They were discussing how they had managed to hide their drinking habits from their parents for many years. I couldn’t help but listen to their conversation. I am sure that, as a chauffeur, the author must have had similar experiences.
The book seemed to have been professionally edited. I only noted one error. I have read many books, and the authors always write their names in the first pages of their book. To my surprise, Rony did not write his name in the copy of the book that I had. I believe his name should be included in the book. Overall, I give the book 3 out of 4 stars. I liked many aspects of the book. However, I still felt that adding examples from the children he interacted with would make the book great. Parents will benefit most from reading the book. It is an eye-opener about raising emotionally and psychologically stable children. Well, if you are looking for a thriller or an action-packed book, this is not a book for you.
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A Lost Child
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