It Takes A Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us (1996) - Plot & Excerpts
I’ve always felt conflicted about Hillary. There are times I see her as a woman with a family who has faced struggles in her life that are not all that different from myself. Then there are moments when I think she is a stone cold harridan who manipulates the system in order to gain as much power as possible. As I read this book, however, I was solidly on her side. Who wouldn’t be (well, besides Ann Coulture)? Putting children first, promoting early education programs and daycare assistance, help for single mothers... They all seem like great ideas to me. The problem? As of June 2011, it seems like 300+ pages of outdated wishful thinking. Reading post-9/11 was difficult because with every bill she mentioned, with every legislation that was referenced, all I could think about was how different the world is today. I’d be extremely interested to know what Mrs. Clinton’s thoughts are today in a post-September 11th world in which our country is still struggling to recover in many ways, teachers are being laid off in record numbers, and the budget deficit is so high I have to stop to count the zeroes when I look at the number. Furthermore, with Hillary having experienced the inner workings of politics as a senator, a potential presidential candidate and now as Secretary of State, I’m also curious as to if and how this book would be different. I absolutely, 100% agree with Hillary on certain things: First, that raising our children is first and foremost the responsibility of parents. Second, that the community is a major player in the development of our children and it’s our responsibility to contribute in some positive way. And third, parenting is hard. It is by far the greatest challenge of our lives. All. the. time. I constantly second guess myself and look for outside opinions, I read parenting blogs and magazine articles to get different perspectives on things. 90% of my thought processes are spent worrying about my child and if I’m doing the right thing by her. Such is the life of a parent. Especially in modern society. Bottom line - I should’ve read this book ten years ago. And I wish Hillary would work on a new edition (in her spare time) with more specific ideas that are applicable in today’s very different world.
Although this book was published 14 years ago, and the generation of children (of which I was a part of circa 1996) Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks of, is now in early adulthood, the book's thesis that not only must society make accomodations for its children, but the parents of said children also, is still very relevant in 2010. I grew up in a small town not unlike the ideal "village" portrayed by Mrs. Clinton. I was raised by a single divorcee mom was very conservative in her parenting methods. I was close to many members of my family, church, and larger community. I can honestly say it benefitted me. Only when I moved to a more urban area did I realize how rare such an upbringing is these days. Unfortunately, the social issues which were discussed as plagueing parenting have only worsened since the publication of the book, such as the lack of family time spent together and the increasing dependency on technology as a substitute for parental supervision. This coincides with the moving of Generations X and, increasingly, Y into parenting. While I strongly agree with Mrs. Clinton's positions, I must make the concession that the book has failed in its ambitious purpose.
What do You think about It Takes A Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us (1996)?
I came across Hillary Clinton’s book 2 years ago at a book sale and was intrigued by the title of the book. Thinking it was a sort of autobiography, I learned that the title was derived from an old African saying, “it takes a village to raise a child”. The old adage simply means that a child is not only raised by his parents alone but is also “raised” by other important actors in the community such as friends, school, and village elders—figures that contribute to the total well-being of a child. Sharing her personal experiences as a mother and as a public figure, Hillary explains how modern society has become far removed from the childhood she once enjoyed, why our society has become bereft of morality and good values and why she pushing families to go back to the basics of traditional family values and community involvement.
—Song Medina-Babijes
This book is specific to the mid-1990s with a focus on video games and TV influence on children as well as statistics from the 70's, 80's, and early 90's. Overall the book addresses problems that are occurring now with child-rearing, development, and resources. I enjoyed reading Mrs. Clinton's early views on political events and issues, but there is a difference between her voice in this book and the book she has most recently released ("Hard Choices"). I would recommend it to anyone interested in studying Mrs. Clinton's political development and/or an interest in policies/politics focused on children's interests.
—J. Danielle Wingler
I actually didn't make it to the end of this one, which is unusual for me. Parts of this I really enjoyed- they were the parts where she referenced her and her husbands childhoods, their ancestors, how they raised their own child. All the anecdotal stuff basically. I also liked when she referenced actual research to back up her arguments (even though it's pointless now given that's it's all from 1995) but what I couldn't stand was the constant "things have been great since my husband brought in this law" or "my husband understands the importance of security for a child" etc. it felt like one very long electoral campaign for bill Clinton and a bit sycophantic at times, hence why I gave up before the end. I think I'll do better with her autobiography so I may give that a go instead.
—Chloe
