A couple of timely accolades
by Carl Honoré · February 5, 2010
For all those Canadians checking in having seen the CBC documentary, the Globe and Mail recently wrote this about Under Pressure:
“A look at the mismanagement of the contemporary child: overprotected, overindulged, over-stimulated. An indispensable, anecdotal, comnmonsensical guide to why our kids are depressed, lazy and fat, and what we can do about it.”
Last week, the Financial Times urged its readers to pick up a copy of In Praise of Slow. It said the book “is to the Slow movement what Das Kapital is to communism.” And they meant it as a compliment. At least I think they did….Decide for yourself by reading more here.
|
|
Hi Carl:
I watched the CBC program last week..it was excellent. It was also a tad scary, especially the last featured “child” who was now a 27 year old who was still unemployed but not concerned in the least and certainly not going to deprive herself of daily designer coffee.
While I agree that parents tend to be overinvolved with their kids these days, many parents (and society in general) also have unrealistic expectations of children. The overinvolvement seems to also have overloaded the kids with adult experiences and demands that are not healthy and have essentially robbed the kids of their childhoods.
I would suggest that kids don’t know how to be kids when they’re supposed to be (between ages 1 and 18), and then at 27 you get something like that young lady mentioned above who is very unprepared for adulthood.
It all makes for a big mess.
Comment by Shirley
— February 9, 2010 @ 6:46 am
Hi Shirley,
Yes, it is a bit scary. And you can’t just blame parents. As you say, the whole culture is piling on the pressure.
It does create this odd paradox where kids are denied many of the elements of a childhood in the early years and then end up behaving a bit like, well, kids when they’re older. Making up for lost time, in a way.
Comment by Carl Honoré 95.177.121.34 not found — February 9, 2010 @ 10:15 am
Hi Carl!
Just read “Under Pressure” which our church has recommended for reading.
I am not a parent but a special ed teacher. I teach kids with dyslexia, AD-HD here in busy Hong Kong. Most of my students are packed with activities the whole day, that even my youngest student (Grade 3) gets only 6 hours of sleep.
You have encapsulated almost everything that’s needed to be done to ease the young, and give them back their childhood again.
This will be a good affirmation to my younger sister who heeded my advice in homeschooling her daughter.
I will be giving this book as gifts to friends. And will be recommending to others to read.
Great job!
Comment by Nonette Tsang
— February 9, 2010 @ 11:54 pm
Hi Nonette, Thank you for writing! So pleased that Under Pressure struck a chord. And that you and your church are spreading the word. Goodness me, Hong Kong needs to hear the message more than most, doesn’t it. Those poor kids.
You must feel the pressure so much given the work you do. Great job to you too!!
Comment by Carl Honoré
— February 10, 2010 @ 3:28 am
Greetings from Lethbridge, Alberta. Just a quick note to let you know that I love your writing. Your book subjects are wonderful and you have a way of keeping it interesting page after page. Well done! I can’t wait to read your next book…
~Jill Lambden
Comment by Jill Lambden
— February 10, 2010 @ 9:22 pm
Dear Carl,
I hope you will enjoy this tribute to “In Praise of Slow”:
http://www.lettersfromlondon19.blogspot.com
- I have lost count of how many copies of your book I have given away, and the amount of gratitude I’ve received - which should have come to you.
May I now pass on this gratitude, together with my best wishes.
Mary Spain
Comment by Mary Spain
— February 19, 2010 @ 3:50 am
Love your story of the French caterer, Mary. I can imagine how those long, languid lunches still linger in the memory. Though probably not a very happy memory for those funding the project…
Comment by Carl Honoré 95.177.121.34 not found — February 19, 2010 @ 8:02 am
Carl, escrevo em portugues por saber que ja viveu aqui no Brasil. Sou radialista, escritor e pai e estou adorando seu livro “Sob pressão” ( ja até o indiquei na rádio que trabalho aqui em Brasilia). Parabéns pela iniciativa de tocar em um assunto tão fundamental, no entanto pouco abordado.
Grande abraço pra você!
Flavio Siqueira
http://www.flaviosiqueira.com
Comment by Flavio Siqueira
— February 23, 2010 @ 3:15 pm
Fico muito feliz que vc esteja gostando do livro! E obrigado pela divulgação! Muito agradecido.
Estou com muita saudade do Brasil…
Um grande abraço desde Londres!
Carl
Comment by Carl Honoré 95.177.121.34 not found — February 26, 2010 @ 5:03 am
Olá carl, que bom lhe reencontrar….espero que esteja bem. Sou a carla, ou melhor a ‘branquinha’ de Pacoti, lembra….abraços e sucesso….
Comment by Carla Uchôa
— March 1, 2010 @ 11:23 am
Olá Carla! Meu Deus - tanto tempo, moça! Claro que me lembro de você. Vou te escrever mais por email….
Comment by Carl Honoré 95.177.121.34 not found — March 2, 2010 @ 5:40 am
hey Carl Honore - and all those other “slowbies” out there…i’m in an oratorcal contest at my college tonight (Juniata College) and i talk a lot about “the slow movement.” if you’d like to watch it live tonight, here’s the link:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bailey-oratorical-10
there will also be another link later so you can watch each individual speech.
thanks! and keep slow!
Comment by Marci Chamberlain
— March 2, 2010 @ 9:47 am
Dear Carl
I wanted to thank you for your performance in todays-show with Silfur Egils. I have been useing your work in my work. I am a elementary school teacher and for two years I have used your books with good success in the classroom with both small and big groups. Especially with groups of only boys and some boys who play much in computers, GTA and CS and etc.
If you travel to the north of Iceland I would really like to meet you but I live in a town called Húsavík.
However, thanks again for your performance and I encourage you to studie Iceland and write more books. Your books and your message is very important to modern living.
your fan
Hjálmar Bogi, Iceland….
Comment by Hjálmar Bogi
— March 28, 2010 @ 10:42 am
Wonderful to hear from you, Hjálmar. I’d forgotten about the TV show airing today, which means I forgot to ask someone to tape it, which probably means I’ll never see it. Oh well. I know what I said anyway…
Delighted to hear that you’ve been using my books with your teaching work.
I love Iceland, and plan to return soon. Will try to put Húsavík on the itinerary for next time…
Many thanks, and hope to meet you one day!
Comment by Carl Honoré 95.177.121.34 not found — March 29, 2010 @ 1:50 am
SUPER BOOK… so enjoyed it and need to read it again
See the below article that relates to your book
keep up the SUPER work
http://health.foxnews.mobi/quickPage.html?page=23956&content=36033397&pageNum=-1
Comment by J. Hite
— April 5, 2010 @ 9:00 am
Glad you liked the book, John. Thanks for the link. Another reason to give McDonald’s et al a body swerve….
Comment by Carl Honoré
— April 8, 2010 @ 11:07 am