The Apprenticeship of Being Human: Why Early Childhood Parenting Matters to Everyone Paperback – March 5, 2013

Repeats the same thing over and over again, when the concepts could be described in a lengthy article, rather than a book. Good concept , just doesn’t need to be a whole book

You have to read this book. Graham Scharf gives a manifesto on the vital importance of early childhood development. I am an educator and I did not understand the critical importance of the early years (1-5) in child development. Young children who have loving communication, play and other interactions early in their lives are well ahead of their peers in language skills, self-esteem and in many other categories. This is a must read for all educators, parents and caregivers. The Apprenticeship of Being Human will be regarded as a profound work in this field. I encourage you to buy, read and share this this fine work by Graham Scharf.

This is an absolutely fantastic book that first poses a challenge to parents, neighbors of parents, teachers, and anyone with an interest in improving our communities, and then inspires and provides practical steps to meet that challenge by mentoring our children. Parents matter, but we all have a role to play in helping them raise children who are prepared to live not just "successful" lives, but also ones of character and virtue. This is not the way that many people talk these days, but it is a refreshing alternative to the exclusive focus on performance and achievement that characterizes so much of the parenting literature and causes so much anxiety among parents. To be sure, the author also elevates competence, and indeed excellence, in academics, arts and sports as things to lauded and encouraged, but he doesn't stop there. The clear message is that children are learning, from us, by observation and imitation, all the time. The kinds of people that they will be depends crucially not just on the rules and incentives that we create for them but also the lives that we model. That is a somewhat daunting observation, but also an inspiring one. And if we take it seriously both we and our children will be better for it. A thoughtful, informed, and useful read. Highly recommended.

I have read this book multiple times. It is a quick read, but an important one!Graham Scharf points to the multiple ways in which young children are little apprentices, learning from and imitating the adults around them (both to their benefit and detriment). It is a concise, thought-provoking, and action-provoking book that invites us all to re-examine some of the ruts and grooves that we are in with regard to how we interact with the children in our lives. What I love about this book is that it makes several compelling points, but takes the discourse one step further by actually talking about what we can do to make things better. I highly recommend this book!!

This short book achieves the authors='s gaol to cover the topic in fewer words to make greater impact and to be easily read by a larger audience. Then why isn't it available as an ebook for 1./2 the price?

I'm an educator who is proud of his successes, knowledge, and experience. I say that because I seldom come across a book or article that really gives me pause. This book is one of those books. A must-read for educators, parents, and those willing to engage in the hard work--the multi-generational work--of educating our communities out of poverty and into prosperity.

Parents should buy this book, and then give it to everyone they know, especially teachers, public officials, and anyone with influence in local communities. Our society is failing its children, and we can solve this problem. But not if we rely on the current common wisdom about public education or public assistance.In this book, Graham Scharf lays out a model for early childhood education that literally could change society, one child at a time. His premise is simple: if children are our future, then empowered parents will expand our future possibilities. Inversely, hindered parents will stifle our future. This book goes about explaining how to avoid such stifling and gives detailed, practical steps to empower parents in many spheres of life (family, community and society).What makes Graham's perspective so poignant is his mix of personal anecdotes and the best research available. He uses his own life experience, as a father, a teacher, and an entrepreneur to provide motivation and passion to his argument, but he infuses this well-intentioned spirit with a level-headed grasp of many disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, economics, and even cognitive science. Thus, his approach avoids the common pitfalls of being either a) a good-hearted simpleton with no clue about what is causing a problem or how to solve it or b) a high-minded social engineer with little insight into people's actual life problems. Instead of these, Graham offers hard-won insights, in-depth analyses, and many practical steps to empower parents, and improve the culture surrounding parenting.So, if you want to know how to improve our future, and/or you care about our children flourishing right now, buy this book and put its suggestions into practice.

There are a lot of parenting books out there. Some of them are good. Some of them aren't. But of all the books I've read, Graham Scharf's book stands out above the rest.It's short and narrative. It takes to heart the adage attributed to Frederick Douglas, "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken [people]," offers balanced research to craft a compelling argument, and then offers practical, actionable tools to help develop a deeper awareness of what we are teaching our children and how we are teaching our children. It affirms that the things we do earlier on in a child's life really does form them into the people they will one day be and empowers parents to be more intentional in their role as parent for their children. I think it's a great resource and certainly worthy of the time and energy spent in reading it.