Jennifer Senior

All Joy and No Fun: the Paradox of Modern Parenthood Jennifer Senior

Brief Description: "Thousands of books have examined the effects of parents on their children. In asking what the effects are of children on their parents, journalist Jennifer Senior analyzes the many ways in which children reshape their parents' lives, whether it's their marriages, their jobs, their habits, their hobbies, their friendships, or their internal senses of self. She argues that changes in the last half century have radically altered the roles of today's mothers and fathers, making their mandates at once more complex and far less clear... By focusing on parentHOOD, rather than parentING, the book is original and essential reading for mothers and fathers of today--and tomorrow"--From publisher description. Marc Notes: Unabridged.; Compact discs.; Digitally mastered.; Tracks every 3 minutes for easy bookmarking--Container.; Read by the author.; Thousands of books have examined the effects of parents on their children. In asking what the effects are of children on their parents, journalist Jennifer Senior analyzes the many ways in which children reshape their parents' lives, whether it's their marriages, their jobs, their habits, their hobbies, their friendships, or their internal senses of self. She argues that changes in the last half century have radically altered the roles of today's mothers and fathers, making their mandates at once more complex and far less clear... By focusing on parentHOOD, rather than parentING, the book is original and essential reading for mothers and fathers of today--and tomorrow--From publisher description. Publisher Marketing: Thousands of books have examined the effects of parents on their children. Award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior now asks: What are the effects of children on their parents? In "All Joy and No Fun," award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior isolates and analyzes the many ways in which children reshape their parents lives, whether it s their marriages, their jobs, their habits, their hobbies, their friendships, or their internal senses of self. She argues that changes in the last half century have radically altered the roles of today s mothers and fathers, making their mandates at once more complex and far less clear. Recruiting from a wide variety of sources in history, sociology, economics, psychology, philosophy, and anthropology she dissects both the timeless strains of parenting and the ones that are brand new, and then brings her research to life in the homes of ordinary parents around the country. The result is an unforgettable series of family portraits, starting with parents of young children and progressing to parents of teens. Through lively and accessible storytelling, Senior follows these mothers and fathers as they wrestle with some of parenthood s deepest vexations and luxuriate in some of its finest rewards. Meticulously researched yet imbued with emotional intelligence, "All Joy and No Fun" makes us reconsider some of our culture s most basic beliefs about parenthood, all while illuminating the profound ways children deepen and add purpose to our lives. By focusing on parenthood, rather than parenting, the book is original and essential reading for mothers and fathers of today and tomorrow. Review Citations:

Audio File 04/01/2014 pg. 65 (EAN 9781482991369, Compact Disc)

Library Journal Prepub Alert 09/01/2013 pg. 86 (EAN 9780062072221, Hardcover)

Publishers Weekly 11/04/2013 (EAN 9780062072221, Hardcover)

Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2014 (EAN 9780062072221, Hardcover)

Entertainment Weekly 01/31/2014 pg. 106 (EAN 9780062072221, Hardcover)

New York Times Book Review 02/02/2014 pg. 1 (EAN 9780062072221, Hardcover)

People Weekly 02/10/2014 pg. 63 (EAN 9780062072221, Hardcover)

New York Times Book Review 02/09/2014 pg. 26 (EAN 9780062072221, Hardcover)

Library Journal 03/15/2014 pg. 134 (EAN 9780062072221, Hardcover)

New Yorker (The) 03/17/2014 pg. 73 (EAN 9780062072221, Hardcover)

BookPage 02/01/2014 (EAN 9780062072221, Hardcover)

New York Times Book Review 02/08/2015 pg. 28 (EAN 9780062072221, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Senior, Jennifer Jennifer Senior is a contributing editor at New York magazine. She lives in New York with her family.