Reviews
eoeSolomone(tm)s first chapter, entitled e~Son,e(tm) is as masterly a piece of writing as Ie(tm)ve come across all year. It combines his own story with a taut and elegant prcis of this booke(tm)s arguments. It is required readingeThis is a book that shoots arrow after arrow into your heart.e, eoeSolomon is a storyteller of great intimacy and easeeHe approaches each familye(tm)s story thoughtfully, respectfullyeBringing together their voices, Solomon creates something of enduring warmth and beauty: a quilt, a choir.e, This is one of the most extraordinary books I have read in recent times-brave, compassionate and astonishingly humane. Solomon approaches one of the oldest questions-how much are we defined by nature versus nurture?-and crafts from it a gripping narrative. Through his stories, told with such masterful delicacy and lucidity, we learn how different we all are, and how achingly similar. I could not put this book down.|9780743236713|, eoe[ Far from the Tree ] is a masterpiece of non-fiction, the culmination of a decadee(tm)s worth of research and writing, and it should be required reading for psychologists, teachers, and above all, parentseA bold and unambiguous call to redefine how we view differenceeA stunning work of scholarship and compassion.e, eoeYears of interviews with families and their unique children culminate in this compassionate compendiumeThe truth Solomon writes about here is as poignant as it is implacable, and he leaves us with a reinvented notion of identity and individual value.", eoe[These] stories are entirely unpredictable and offer us the full range of human experiencee"not only the horror but also the astonishing beautye"and in the end a Shakespearean sense that we are such stuff as dreams are made of.e, eoeA book of extraordinary ambitionePart journalist, part psychology researcher, part sympathetic listener, Solomone(tm)s true talent is a geographic one: he maps the strange terrain of the human struggle that is parenting.e, eoeSolomon, a highly original student of human behavior, has written an intellectual history that lays the foundation for a 21st century Psychological Bill of Rights. In addition to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness on the basis of race and religion, this Bill extends inalienable rights of psychological acceptance to people on the basis of their identity. He provides us with an unrivalled educational experience about identity groups in our society, an experience that is filled with insight, empathy and intelligence. We also discover the redefining, self-restructuring nature that caring for a child produces in parents, no matter how unusual or disabled the child is. Reading Far from the Tree is a mind-opening experience.e, "Solomon is a superb writer...[ Far from the Tree ] is the author's "Song of Myself," a book containing multitudes. It is a gorgeous, necessary, ambitious book.", "In Far from the Tree, Andrew Solomon reminds us that nothing is more powerful in a child's development than the love of a parent. This remarkable new book introduces us to mothers and fathers across America-many in circumstances the rest of us can hardly imagine-who are making their children feel special, no matter what challenges come their way." -President Bill Clinton, Profoundly moving…Solomon's own trials of feeling marginalized as gay, dyslexic, and depressive, while still yearning to be a father, frame these affectingly rendered real tales about bravely playing the cards one's dealt., Solomon's first chapter, entitled 'Son,' is as masterly a piece of writing as I've come across all year. It combines his own story with a taut and elegant précis of this book's arguments. It is required reading…This is a book that shoots arrow after arrow into your heart., Profoundly moving...Solomon's own trials of feeling marginalized as gay, dyslexic, and depressive, while still yearning to be a father, frame these affectingly rendered real tales about bravely playing the cards one's dealt., Years of interviews with families and their unique children culminate in this compassionate compendium...The truth Solomon writes about here is as poignant as it is implacable, and he leaves us with a reinvented notion of identity and individual value., Monumental…Solomon has an extraordinary gift for finding his way into the relatively hermetic communities that form around conditions…and gaining the confidence of the natives., Masterfully written and brilliantly researched… Far from the Tree stands apart from the countless memoirs and manuals about special needs parenting published in the last couple of decades., eoeProfoundly movingeSolomone(tm)s own trials of feeling marginalized as gay, dyslexic, and depressive, while still yearning to be a father, frame these affectingly rendered real tales about bravely playing the cards onee(tm)s dealt.e, "Andrew Solomon has written a brave and ambitious work, bringing together science, culture and a powerful empathy. Solomon tells us that we have more in common with each other--even with those who seem anything but normal--than we would ever have imagined." --, In Far from the Tree, Andrew Solomon reminds us that nothing is more powerful in a child's development than the love of a parent. This remarkable new book introduces us to mothers and fathers across America-many in circumstances the rest of us can hardly imagine-who are making their children feel special, no matter what challenges come their way., Solomon has found remarkable fonts of love and kindness in the mothers and fathers of children afflicted with severe problems, and he captures their lives in one touching anecdote after another., eoe Far from the Tree is fundamentally about the bonds and burdens of family, and ite(tm)s a huge valentine to those who embrace the challenge of raising children who are in some way not what they had hoped for.e, eoeAn informative and moving book that raises profound issues regarding the nature of love, the value of human life, and the future of humanity.e, "This is one of the most extraordinary books I have read in recent timese"brave, compassionate and astonishingly humane. Solomon approaches one of the oldest questionse"how much are we defined by nature versus nurture'e"and crafts from it a gripping narrative. Through his stories, told with such masterful delicacy and lucidity, we learn how different we all are, and how achingly similar. I could not put this book down.e, eoeMasterfully written and brilliantly researchede Far from the Tree stands apart from the countless memoirs and manuals about special needs parenting published in the last couple of decades.e, Solomon's first chapter, entitled 'Son,' is as masterly a piece of writing as I've come across all year. It combines his own story with a taut and elegant précis of this book's arguments. It is required reading...This is a book that shoots arrow after arrow into your heart., "Andrew Solomon has written a brave and ambitious work, bringing together science, culture and a powerful empathy. Solomon tells us that we have more in common with each other-even with those who seem anything but normal-than we would ever have imagined." -, It's a book everyone should read and there's no one who wouldn't be a more imaginative and understanding parent-or human being-for having done so., In Far from the Tree , Andrew Solomon reminds us that nothing is more powerful in a child's development than the love of a parent. This remarkable new book introduces us to mothers and fathers across America--many in circumstances the rest of us can hardly imagine--who are making their children feel special, no matter what challenges come their way., eoeIte(tm)s a book everyone should read and theree(tm)s no one who wouldne(tm)t be a more imaginative and understanding parente"or human beinge"for having done so.e, eoeMonumentaleSolomon has an extraordinary gift for finding his way into the relatively hermetic communities that form around conditionseand gaining the confidence of the natives.e, Solomon is a storyteller of great intimacy and ease…He approaches each family's story thoughtfully, respectfully…Bringing together their voices, Solomon creates something of enduring warmth and beauty: a quilt, a choir., Far from the Tree is a landmark, revolutionary book. It frames an area of inquiry--difference between parents and children--that many of us have experienced in our own lives without ever considering it as a phenomenon. Andrew Solomon plumbs his topic thoroughly, humanely, and in a compulsively readable style that makes the book as entertaining as it is illuminating., Far-reaching, original, fascinating-Andrew Solomon's investigation of many of the most intense challenges that parenthood can bring compels us all to reexamine how we understand human difference. Perhaps the greatest gift of this monumental book, full of facts and full of feelings, is that it constantly makes one think, and think again., "Solomon, a highly original student of human behavior, has written an intellectual history that lays the foundation for a 21st century Psychological Bill of Rights. In addition to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness on the basis of race and religion, this Bill extends inalienable rights of psychological acceptance to people on the basis of their identity. He provides us with an unrivalled educational experience about identity groups in our society, an experience that is filled with insight, empathy and intelligence. We also discover the redefining, self-restructuring nature that caring for a child produces in parents, no matter how unusual or disabled the child is. Reading Far from the Tree is a mind-opening experience." -Eric Kandel, author of The Age of Insight and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Solomon's first chapter, entitled 'Son,' is as masterly a piece of writing as I've come across all year. It combines his own story with a taut and elegant prcis of this book's arguments. It is required reading...This is a book that shoots arrow after arrow into your heart., An informative and moving book that raises profound issues regarding the nature of love, the value of human life, and the future of humanity., eoeIn Far from the Tree , Andrew Solomon reminds us that nothing is more powerful in a childe(tm)s development than the love of a parent. This remarkable new book introduces us to mothers and fathers across Americae"many in circumstances the rest of us can hardly imaginee"who are making their children feel special, no matter what challenges come their way.e, Andrew Solomon has written a brave and ambitious work, bringing together science, culture and a powerful empathy. Solomon tells us that we have more in common with each other-even with those who seem anything but normal-than we would ever have imagined. -, [These] stories are entirely unpredictable and offer us the full range of human experience--not only the horror but also the astonishing beauty--and in the end a Shakespearean sense that we are such stuff as dreams are made of., eoeAndrew Solomon has written a brave and ambitious work, bringing together science, culture and a powerful empathy. Solomon tells us that we have more in common with each othere"even with those who seem anything but normale"than we would ever have imagined.e e", Solomon's first chapter, entitled 'Son,' is as masterly a piece of writing as I've come across all year. It combines his own story with a taut and elegant prcis of this book's arguments. It is required reading…This is a book that shoots arrow after arrow into your heart., " Far from the Tree is a landmark, revolutionary book. It frames an area of inquiry-difference between parents and children-that many of us have experienced in our own lives without ever considering it as a phenomenon. Andrew Solomon plumbs his topic thoroughly, humanely, and in a compulsively readable style that makes the book as entertaining as it is illuminating." -Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Visit from the Goon Squad, "An informative and moving book that raises profound issues regarding the nature of love, the value of human life, and the future of humanity." -, "An informative and moving book that raises profound issues regarding the nature of love, the value of human life, and the future of humanity." - Kirkus , starred review, Far from the Tree is a landmark, revolutionary book. It frames an area of inquiry-difference between parents and children-that many of us have experienced in our own lives without ever considering it as a phenomenon. Andrew Solomon plumbs his topic thoroughly, humanely, and in a compulsively readable style that makes the book as entertaining as it is illuminating., A book of extraordinary ambition…Part journalist, part psychology researcher, part sympathetic listener, Solomon's true talent is a geographic one: he maps the strange terrain of the human struggle that is parenting., Solomon, a highly original student of human behavior, has written an intellectual history that lays the foundation for a 21st century Psychological Bill of Rights. In addition to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness on the basis of race and religion, this Bill extends inalienable rights of psychological acceptance to people on the basis of their identity. He provides us with an unrivalled educational experience about identity groups in our society, an experience that is filled with insight, empathy and intelligence. We also discover the redefining, self-restructuring nature that caring for a child produces in parents, no matter how unusual or disabled the child is. Reading Far from the Tree is a mind-opening experience., eoeA raucous, joyful tribute that exalts all parents who love their alien offspring with molten force.e, A book of extraordinary ambition...Part journalist, part psychology researcher, part sympathetic listener, Solomon's true talent is a geographic one: he maps the strange terrain of the human struggle that is parenting., eoeFar-reaching, original, fascinatinge"Andrew Solomon's investigation of many of the most intense challenges that parenthood can bring compels us all to reexamine how we understand human difference. Perhaps the greatest gift of this monumental book, full of facts and full of feelings, is that it constantly makes one think, and think again.e, Masterfully written and brilliantly researched... Far from the Tree stands apart from the countless memoirs and manuals about special needs parenting published in the last couple of decades., Far from the Tree is fundamentally about the bonds and burdens of family, and it's a huge valentine to those who embrace the challenge of raising children who are in some way not what they had hoped for., [ Far from the Tree ] is a masterpiece of non-fiction, the culmination of a decade's worth of research and writing, and it should be required reading for psychologists, teachers, and above all, parents...A bold and unambiguous call to redefine how we view difference...A stunning work of scholarship and compassion., eoe Far from the Tree is a landmark, revolutionary book. It frames an area of inquirye"difference between parents and childrene"that many of us have experienced in our own lives without ever considering it as a phenomenon. Andrew Solomon plumbs his topic thoroughly, humanely, and in a compulsively readable style that makes the book as entertaining as it is illuminating.e, Far-reaching, original, fascinating--Andrew Solomon's investigation of many of the most intense challenges that parenthood can bring compels us all to reexamine how we understand human difference. Perhaps the greatest gift of this monumental book, full of facts and full of feelings, is that it constantly makes one think, and think again., Years of interviews with families and their unique children culminate in this compassionate compendium…The truth Solomon writes about here is as poignant as it is implacable, and he leaves us with a reinvented notion of identity and individual value., It's a book everyone should read and there's no one who wouldn't be a more imaginative and understanding parent--or human being--for having done so., A Raucous, Joyful Tribute That Exalts All Parents Who Love Their Alien Offspring with Molten Force., eoeSolomon is a superb writere[ Far from the Tree ] is the authore(tm)s eoeSong of Myself,e a book containing multitudes. It is a gorgeous, necessary, ambitious book.e, "This is one of the most extraordinary books I have read in recent times-brave, compassionate and astonishingly humane. Solomon approaches one of the oldest questions-how much are we defined by nature versus nurture?-and crafts from it a gripping narrative. Through his stories, told with such masterful delicacy and lucidity, we learn how different we all are, and how achingly similar. I could not put this book down." -Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies, Solomon is a storyteller of great intimacy and ease...He approaches each family's story thoughtfully, respectfully...Bringing together their voices, Solomon creates something of enduring warmth and beauty: a quilt, a choir., Monumental...Solomon has an extraordinary gift for finding his way into the relatively hermetic communities that form around conditions...and gaining the confidence of the natives., eoeSolomon has found remarkable fonts of love and kindness in the mothers and fathers of children afflicted with severe problems, and he captures their lives in one touching anecdote after another.e, "Andrew Solomon has written a brave and ambitious work, bringing together science, culture and a powerful empathy. Solomon tells us that we have more in common with each other-even with those who seem anything but normal-than we would ever have imagined." -Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink and The Tipping Point, This is one of the most extraordinary books I have read in recent times--brave, compassionate and astonishingly humane. Solomon approaches one of the oldest questions--how much are we defined by nature versus nurture?--and crafts from it a gripping narrative. Through his stories, told with such masterful delicacy and lucidity, we learn how different we all are, and how achingly similar. I could not put this book down., This is one of the most extraordinary books I have read in recent times-brave, compassionate and astonishingly humane. Solomon approaches one of the oldest questions-how much are we defined by nature versus nurture?-and crafts from it a gripping narrative. Through his stories, told with such masterful delicacy and lucidity, we learn how different we all are, and how achingly similar. I could not put this book down., [ Far from the Tree ] is a masterpiece of non-fiction, the culmination of a decade's worth of research and writing, and it should be required reading for psychologists, teachers, and above all, parents…A bold and unambiguous call to redefine how we view difference…A stunning work of scholarship and compassion., [These] stories are entirely unpredictable and offer us the full range of human experience-not only the horror but also the astonishing beauty-and in the end a Shakespearean sense that we are such stuff as dreams are made of., In Far from the Tree , Andrew Solomon reminds us that nothing is more powerful in a child's development than the love of a parent. This remarkable new book introduces us to mothers and fathers across America-many in circumstances the rest of us can hardly imagine-who are making their children feel special, no matter what challenges come their way., "Far-reaching, original, fascinating-Andrew Solomon's investigation of many of the most intense challenges that parenthood can bring compels us all to reexamine how we understand human difference. Perhaps the greatest gift of this monumental book, full of facts and full of feelings, is that it constantly makes one think, and think again." -Philip Gourevitch, author of We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families
