Books

The Big Disconnect

New York Times (Dwight Garner)
“I will never forget the experience of reading Ms. Steiner-Adair’s book. This is because it physically hurt to turn the pages. It was as if her palm were reaching up from the text to slap me across the face, the way Don Corleone slapped the singer Johnny Fontane in the first “Godfather” movie, telling him to be a man.

“Here’s why: Before she speaks about how to pry our kids away from their phones, tablets and laptops, Ms. Steiner-Adair looks parents quite sternly in the eye…Children, she declares, ‘are tired of being the ‘call waiting’ in their parents’ lives.’

“Her summary of what to say to your kids — it’s on Page 191 — is so good, so State of the Union-like, that I took a photo of it with my iPhone. ”

Wall St. Journal Best Nonfiction Book of 2013
“This riveting piece of journalism disguised as a self-help tome chronicles how new technology has disrupted family life…gently encourages all of us who lack the discipline to unplug.”

New York Journal of Books (Brent Potter)
“Filled with gripping, true life narratives, this book is a wake up call that we all must heed if family structure is to survive the digital age. This well researched, yet easy to read book is told in a critical but hopeful tone…She masterfully negotiates the complex terrain of family dynamics in the digital age.”

Christian Science Monitor (Elizabeth A. Brown)
“Think your child is somehow protected? In clear, gentle prose, Steiner-Adair firmly shoots down every excuse parents give for claiming to be irrelevant to their child’s screen life…Do your kids a favor and read this book.”

Boston Globe (Jennifer McKim)
“The eight-chapter book begins with the setup: Our lives have been indelibly changed by technology and parents are struggling to keep up…Parents are pulling away from family life, lost in their own smartphones and screens, leaving many children feeling neglected and lonely.

“The bulk of the book details the risks and effects of technology on different aged children. Babies, she explains, need their parents’ love, not the newest tech toys…By middle school, we can already lose control…By high school, potential for risks can explode, providing even the best behaved children easy ability to get into trouble…

“The final chapter reinforces the main message that good parenting starts without technology, in a place where parents listen, set limits, and communicate. She provides a helpful list of rules to abide by..”

Full Of Ourselves

Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia and Hunger Pains
“This well-reasoned, carefully researched, and creative approach to teaching girls lifelong wellness could change the world for the Ophelias of America. Its authors offer educators that most useful of gifts―practical, immediate help.”

Carol Gilligan, Professor, New York University and author of In A Different Voice and The Birth of Pleasure
“This curriculum captures the spirit of the new research on girls and translates it into clear, well paced, sensible, and fun activities that honor girls’ intelligence. Everyone invested in girls’ health and development will want to read it. I cannot recommend it more highly to schools.”

Preventing Eating Disorders

Ruth Striegel-Moore, Ph.D., Past President, Academy of Eating Disorders
“The strong connection between theory and research, the broad ranging and innovative examples of preventive intervention programs, and the specific recommendations for research and implementation, combine to make this a valuable resource for professionals and students.”

CAB ABTRACTS, 2003
“Building bridges academic and community-based knowledge and activism, this book describes prevention at the societal, institutional, familial, and individual levels, and focuses on increasing resilience and protective factors as well as reducing the vulnerability to appetite disorders.”