Wednesday 3 April 2019

Big BOoTy List #11 - The Collapse of Parenting



Big BOoTy List #11 - The Collapse of Parenting - Dr Sax

Image result for the collapse of parenting sax book
Funnily enough I found this book for my wife as I knew she would love the provocative title and it wasn't until after I read #9, Boys Adrift I found out it was written by the same person.

Basically, man up, parents. Especially you in the USA. No, the whole world isn't like your kids; your kids are future and current problems caused by parental lack of responsibility, changing social values, lack of ambition, fame-fucking and over-medication.

Problem is with these type of books, the only ones likely to read them are good parents, not the majority of parents who want to avoid the leadership needed in being a parent first, friend second.

Big BOoTy List #10 - Night Watch

Big BOoTy List #10 - Night Watch - Terry Pratchett

Image result for night watch book terry pratchettAgain. This guy is amazing. If you know Discworld, you know that Guards! Guards! is often recommended as a great book to introduce you to the world and dynamics of Ankh-Morpork, the biggest city on Discworld, the flat world which rides on the back of four elephants which are standing on the top of the great space turtle A'Tuin as it swims through the universe.

Of course you knew that.

In Guards! Guards! you are introduced to the honourable, yet drunken and cynical Sgt. Samuel Vimes, a City Watch officer who tries his best to do his job, despite the evil that men do. I won't get into it only to say, like many others, it's a must-read.

In Night Watch, it is many, many years, books and promotions later, Sgt Vimes is now the City Watch Commander and a leading, if unwilling member of high society. Longing for the old days, he takes off in foot pursuit of a man who has killed one of his officers and being Terry Pratchett, magic transports him back in time to what was to become a turning point in the history of the city, full of maniacal leaders, gestapo-like police who 'disappeared people' and most importantly, a young Sam Vimes who has just entered the ranks of the City Watch. Old Sam Vimes now becomes the mentor to his younger self, which makes the brain start to twist.

Now time travel stories always have their share of plot 'what ifs' and Night Watch is outstanding in this way. Sir Terry does a great job in not making the young Sam/old Sam the main plot, instead concentrating on the main villainy of the times.

Fun. Great. Heart. Beautiful book.

Big BOoTy List #9 Boys Adrift

Big BOoTy List #9 Boys Adrift by Dr. Leonard Sax


Image result for boys adrift sax

I'm falling behind on my updates! Curses, life... anyways, this is a book about how come 'boys just can't be boys anymore'. It talks about the lack of being outside, binging on the alternate reality of video game worlds, how being the 'provider' to girls/women isn't really a thing anymore, leading to a sort of nancy-boy who doesn't need to go out and make money for the family and the willingness of parents to put their kids on medications instead of adjusting their parenting...

Just a casual, not overly scientific discussion of the changes in parenting and North American social culture is changing the stereotypical 'boy'.

I enjoyed it.