Adoption: Choosing It, Living It, Loving It

I'm a little more than 1/2 done with this book but feel confident giving it 5-stars. It is such a great read. Dr. Ray speaks in laymen terms and is easy to understand. He uses some words where I had to resort to a dictionary. He brings the topic of adoption down-to-earth in an easy-to-understand format. He uses his sense of humor to discuss various topics. I'm very glad I started to read this. I was previously reading another book involving "20 things" in the title. This book is such a contrast in a good way. The other book would scare people away from wanting to adopt. This book lets you know there will be challenges but gives practical tips on how to be the best parents possible. I highly recommend it!

I love it. It has so many straight forward answers. It is like chatting with somebody that has experienced adopting and being successful on it. Of course, you will need further instruction to rise and instruct your adoptee, but this book is a great start to dispel the concerns and the overanalyzing questions that are attached to adoption or social judgment. Other books may help you with particular training to deal with some behavior linked to your child, but this one will give you an overview without the anxieties that a particular diagnosis is encouraging.

I think that this is a very valuable read if you are considering adoption. I enjoyed the writing and humor, but did feel that the author was too often saying that all kids may come with baggage, challenging personalities, special needs, etc, and somewhat downplaying the fact that adopted children do come to families with special circumstances and (1) may have suffered neglect, etc that birth children never have to experience, and (2) that that you have no insight into their future personality, whereas you might see parallels between yourself and birth children.I trust his experience and know-how, but for example know for a fact that not just 10% of children seek to meet their birth parents — of the 5 adopted people/children that I know, all of them want(ed) to meet their birth parents. But I value his professional opinion and insight into many areas.

Having been raised in a house that provided foster care for 32+ years... and being part of a sibling group of 10.... I'm second oldest of the ten and four of us kids as biologically from our parents. I can relate to the questions and the answers. As my daughter pursues adoption, I again chuckle at what the ???'s might be, But the author has a wonderful sense of humor. I loved this enough to purchase a book for my parents. And they each say that they are laughing and chuckling as well - 'cause they can relate - I mean RELATE!!

This is an easy read and the author is funny! His sense of humor and no-nonsense approach provide helpful insight to common questions regarding adoption.

The humor was a bit corny at times, but I wasn't reading it for the humor. There was some good information, but it definitely seems to be geared towards those adopting babies or young children. While I recognize that is the majority of adoptive and prospective adoptive parents and therefore considered a plus, we are adopting teenagers so much of it, while interesting, was not very relevant to our situation. Additionally, some questions seemed to be asked more than once with slightly different wording so the answers became somewhat redundant. Overall, I would recommend this book for those adopting younger kids.

This is the most helpful book on adoption that I have read. The question-and-answer format makes it easy to find specific information. I highly recommend it for anyone considering adoption or interested in learning more!

I am not interested in adoption, never considered it. I started reading this book only because of the author. It's amazing how he is able to address all your fears, doubts and misconceptions about adoption.It's a great resource for those considering adoption or those willing but afraid. It's also a great read and inspiration for those not considering adoption.Thank you, Dr. Ray, and God bless everybody embarking on this exciting journey.