Best Parenting Books — 74 Honest Reviews
Every book below was read and judged on one question: will it change what you do on Monday morning? Each review tells you who should read it, who should skip it and the three ideas worth keeping.
The Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt · Parenting
Urgent and debated; whatever the final science, the norms are reasonable.
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Good Inside
Dr. Becky Kennedy · Parenting
Warm, specific and practical; a strong parenting book for the early years.
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The Daily Dad
Ryan Holiday · Parenting
Simple and steadying; a good daily companion for parents.
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And Baby Makes Three
John M. Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman · Parenting
Specific and useful.
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Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child
John Gottman with Joan DeClaire · Parenting
Clear and evidence-based.
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The Teenage Brain
Frances E. Jensen with Amy Ellis Nutt · Parenting
Informative and cautionary.
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Parenting with Love and Logic
Foster Cline and Jim Fay · Parenting
Practical and widely used.
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How to Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk
Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish · Parenting
Practical and respectful.
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Siblings Without Rivalry
Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish · Parenting
Specific and effective.
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The Danish Way of Parenting
Jessica Joelle Alexander and Iben Dissing Sandahl · Parenting
Short, pleasant, useful.
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Hold On to Your Kids
Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté · Parenting
Persuasive and worth considering.
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Quiet Power
Susan Cain with Gregory Mone and Erica Moroz · Parenting
Reassuring for quiet kids.
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How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish · Parenting
A timeless skills book; every parent should own it.
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The Whole-Brain Child
Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson · Parenting
Clear and practical; a strong early-childhood guide.
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Hunt, Gather, Parent
Michaeleen Doucleff · Parenting
Fascinating and useful; a fresh look at an old job.
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Raising Good Humans
Hunter Clarke-Fields · Parenting
Gentle and practical; a good book for reactive parents.
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Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids
Bryan Caplan · Parenting
A data-based case for easing up.
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Einstein Never Used Flashcards
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff · Parenting
Play beats flashcards.
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The Importance of Being Little
Erika Christakis · Parenting
What preschoolers actually need.
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There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather
Linda Åkeson McGurk · Parenting
Friluftsliv for families.
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The Happiest Kids in the World
Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison · Parenting
The Dutch alternative.
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Parenting Teens with Love and Logic
Foster Cline and Jim Fay · Parenting
Scripts for standoffs.
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Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood
Jim Fay and Charles Fay · Parenting
The method, for toddlers.
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Positive Discipline for Teenagers
Jane Nelsen and Lynn Lott · Parenting
Respectful and systematic.
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Liberated Parents, Liberated Children
Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish · Parenting
The story behind the method.
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No-Drama Discipline
Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson · Parenting
Practical and humane; discipline as teaching.
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Simplicity Parenting
Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross · Parenting
Calming and practical; less is more for kids.
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The Gardener and the Carpenter
Alison Gopnik · Parenting
Wise and liberating; parenting reframed.
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How to Raise an Adult
Julie Lythcott-Haims · Parenting
Clear and important; a case for letting go.
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The Self-Driven Child
William Stixrud and Ned Johnson · Parenting
Evidence-based and practical; autonomy done right.
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Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids
Laura Markham · Parenting
Warm and realistic; a parent's regulation first.
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The Explosive Child
Ross W. Greene · Parenting
Transformative for the families who need it.
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