Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this book hoping for some insight on dealing with our three year old and her normal "three year old misbehavior". I really enjoyed the first couple of chapters and I definitely support the idea that parents should "be" what they want their children to "become". I liked his admonition to focus on the positive behavior and not the negative. I also gleaned some other good advice here and there throughout the book. However, once I got into the book, it became obvious that his "method" is based heavily on an elaborate bribery system [including numerous detailed tables of rewards for different age groups]. There is actually a chapter called "Never Give Away The Ice Cream" in which the author chastizes a family for taking their children out for ice cream. He says that *nothing* should ever be given to children unless it is tied to their behavior as an award. Forget unconditional love; quality family time for the sake of family time; or teaching children to do the right thing BECAUSE it is the right thing - this method is a sure fire way to teach your kids that nothing is worth doing unless they are being PAID to do it. In my opinion, following the advice in this book is a great way to raise superficial, materialistic, self-serving brats who are guided not by their conscience, but by an external reward system.