Janna Malamud Smith – “Why Mothers Worry About Their Children”

A Potent Spell: Mother Love and the Power of Fear

Is the concept of “mother blame” a method to control women? Is motherhood a really a fearsome job?  Will a mother’s mistake or inattention damage a child?  Is this different from the fear that fathers have about the safety of their children?

“A Potent Spell:  Mother Love and the Power of Fear” is a recent book written by Janna Malamud Smith, a clinical psychotherapist and daughter of writer Bernard Malamud.

Smith argues that the motherhood fear of losing a child is central to motherhood, and mostly overlooked as a historical force that has induced mothers throughout time to shape their own lives to better shelter their young,  the expense of their own future.

I spoke with Dr. Janna Malamud Smith from her home in Massachusetts, and asked her to begin by discussing the different level of feat that fathers and mothers have toward their children.

The book Janna Malamud Smith recommends is “Biography of Samuel Pepys” by Clair Tomilin.
Originally Broadcast: February 18, 2003

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Thomas Hine – “Compulsive Shoppers”

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I Want That! How We All Became Shoppers: A Cultural History

“I Want That! How We All Became Shoppers: A Cultural History” is the title of a new book by Thomas Hine. In this book he discusses why we want objects and how they change us. He looks at early forms of trading, and proceeds through the history of materialism.

Thomas Hine recommends “Refinement of America,” by Richard Bushman.

Originally Broadcast: December 17, 2002

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Patricia McConnell– “Act Like a Dog, Your Dog Will Obey”

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The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs

“The Other End of the Leash—Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs”, is a recent book by Patricia McConnell, a certified applied animal behaviorist affiliated with the University of Wisconsin. In her book, she discusses how to think from a dog’s perspective, how to get your dog to come when called by acting less like a primate and more like a dog, and how dogs and humans share personality types.

Patricia McConnell recommends “The Ape and Shusi Master,” by Franz DeWaal.

Originally Broadcast: September 17, 2002

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Dr. Dana Chidekel, “You or Your Kid?”

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Parents in Charge, Setting Healthy, Loving Boundaries for You and Your Child

Children are too often seen and treated as small adults, too often dressed as adults, and too often have their lives planned out for them to be as busy as adults. Treating children as people older than they are overlooks the child’s cognitive abilities, and can lead to unsatisfying and sometimes traumatic relationships. “Parents in Charge, Setting Healthy, Loving Boundaries for You and Your Child” is a book by Dr. Dana Chidekel, a child psychologist near Los Angeles. She asserts that the developing brain of toddlers does not give them the capacity to respond to being placed on equal ground with their parents, and encourages parents to assume their rightful role of authority.

Dr. Dana Chidekel recommends “Seabiscuit,” by Laura Hillenbrand.

Originally Broadcast: March 12, 2002

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“Dr. Jane M. Healy – Children Versus Television”

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Endangered Minds & Failure to Connect

It used to be that children would play with objects, be told or read stories, or perhaps listen to the radio during a significant portion of their early years. With the advent of television, videos and computers, that tactile and oral world is often left behind. Children who are frequently exposed to television, videos and computer games in the first seven years of life have been found to develop pathways in the brain that later are significantly deficient in reading, studying and socialization skills. Dr. Jane M Healy is an educational psychologist with expertise in developmental psychology, and specialist in the brain development of young children. Her recent books, “Endangered Minds,” and “Failure to Connect,” discuss how television, videos and computers affect the minds of children.

Dr. Jane M. Healy recommends “The Goddess in Older Women,” by Jean Bolden.

Originally Broadcast: May 9, 2001

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“Nicolas Bothman – Get Along Well”

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How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less

Making people like you is a skill that anybody can learn. By reading body language and synchronizing behavior, it is possible to make meaningful connections with almost anybody in almost any circumstance. We appreciate and like people similar to ourselves, people we understand and people who are open. “How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less” is the title of a book by Nicholas Bothman, a neurolinguistic practitioner who lives in Toronto, Canada.

Nicolas Bothman recommends “Love in the Town of Cholera,” & “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” both by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Originally Broadcast: January 2, 2001

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Gallagher, Winifred: In Good Times and in Bad

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Working on God

Why are we the way we are? How should life be lived? When should we start living it that way and why? “Working on God” is a new book by Winifred Gallagher, a science writer who lives in New York City. When her early learning about Christianity was shaken by her college education, she asked, what if religion could be something else? After writing books on how heredity and experience create the individual, and how our surroundings shape our thoughts and emotions, she has chosen to work on God.

Winnifred Gallagher recommends “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time,” by Marcus Borg.

Originally Broadcast: March 30, 1999

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Gurian, Michael: Let Boys Be Boys Part Two

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The Wonder of Boys & A Fine Young Man

Boys do not have an easy time growing up and maturing in our complex world these days. The same standard of behavior is frequently expected of boys and girls, often without recognizing the special and different needs of boys. Testosterone is a prime mover in the shaping of boys behavior resulting in their special and different needs. This is a two-part program from the archives of Radio Curious with Michael Gurian, the author of a 1997 book entitled, The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors and Educators Can Do To Shape Boys Into Exceptional Men. I spoke with Michael Gurian in January of 1998 from his home in Spokane, Washington.

Michael Gurian recommends Sex on the Brain, by Deborah Blum & Beyond the Birds and the Bees, Beverly Engle.

Originally Broadcast: January 23, 1998 & January 30, 1998

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Gurian, Michael: Let Boys Be Boys

Click here to begin listening

The Wonder of Boys & A Fine Young Man

Boys do not have an easy time growing up and maturing in our complex world these days. The same standard of behavior is frequently expected of boys and girls, often without recognizing the special and different needs of boys. Testosterone is a prime mover in the shaping of boys’ behavior resulting in their special and different needs. This is a two-part program from the archives of Radio Curious with Michael Gurian, the author of a 1997 book entitled, “The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors and Educators Can Do To Shape Boys Into Exceptional Men.” I spoke with Michael Gurian in January of 1998 from his home in Spokane, Washington.

Michael Gurian recommends “Sex on the Brain,” by Deborah Blum & “Beyond the Birds and the Bees,” Beverly Engle.

Originally Broadcast: January 23, 1998 & January 30, 1998

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Nuland, Sherwin: What Is It About Our Species That Allows Us to Learn So Much About Ourselves.

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The Wisdom of the Body

From developmental perspectives, both in individuals and in mankind as a whole, the brain, language, and civilization have separated our species from the rest of the animal kingdom. In May of 1997, I discussed these issues with Sherwin Nuland, a professor of Medical History at Yale University Medical School and author of many books, including Wisdom of the Body.

Sherwin Nuland recommends “The Meaning of Yiddish,” by Benjamin Harshav.

Originally Broadcast: May 21, 1997

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