Lesson One: The ABCs of Life: The Skills We All Need But Were Never Taught

This book is for anybody who wants to teach important skills to children, whether you're a grandparent, teacher or parent. I bought Lesson One: The ABC's of Life for my daughter who is raising three children but I decided to read it first. I found the book so pertinent, not just for my daughter and my grandchildren, but for me as well. The book helped me reflect on my life and to see the importance of such themes as unconditional love and passing on skills through sharing life experiences. By the way... my daughter found the book invaluable as well!

LESSON ONE:THE ABCs OF LIFE is a wonderfully readable, sensitive approach to teaching children of ALL ages how to live in a world so in need of compassion, understanding, cooperation, and mutual respect and love. Until reading this wise book I was unaware that LESSON ONE is a widely used educational adjunct created and fostered by the writer Jon Oliver. With the assistance of Michael Ryan Maestro Oliver reveals his learned life lessons on how to instill in children the ability to not only co-habit universally, but how to find happiness within themselves. Sound simplistic? Well, then you need to read this book. Some ideas we all pay lip service to are reiterated in a concise teaching technique that applies to adults equally strongly as to children. The sections are powerfully titled: The Pledge for Success, dealing with Golden Rule elements, respect for diversity, self-motivation to be the best you can be; Self Control with mega-important periods of Self-Control Time out; Self Confidence building; Responsibility for one's own actions and consequences; Cooperation. Each of these helpful categories is presented with stories from the author's experiences as well as examples that are global. The result is a stimulating book intellectually, a resource for self improvement, and a joyous addition to the lesson plans of teachers, parents, all children and all adults. The possibilities of a world changed by the incorporation of these vital lessons is a dream of joy, not only to the authors, but to all those who take the time to read and practice the teachings in this valuable book.

I work in the pre-press stage of the publishing industry, and scores of books that deal with this topic cross my desk every year. Each one seems to have its own "hook" or "device" or other method for standing out from the crowd. "Lesson One" stood out for me because, instead of hooks and devices, Jon Oliver uses compelling examples--often drawn from personal history and experience--that clearly illustrate the points he's making. They're often so basic and simple that I found myself wanting to hit myself in the head with the palm of my hand and say, "Duh! I should have known that!"That's what makes this book such a delightful read: It's all stuff we should already know, but is for some reason unretrievable in our consciousness. The inspiring--and often touching--personal narratives that flavor the book throughout make you forget you're learning (or, more accurately, relearning) something quite powerful. It reads not like a textbook but like a biography, with characters you'll recognize from your own life and people you'd love to meet some day.I've got a lot of my birthday shopping done already for this year: "Lesson One: The ABCs of Life" will make for an indispensable tool for a number of my friends and family.

When my older two children were quite young, I was often at a loss for how to help them learn important new life skills. Then, on a vacation, I had a great good fortune to see my children learning tennis from a marvelous instructor. Since then, I've modeled almost everything I've done with children on the methods of that instructor. That experience was a turning point in my life.I felt a similar epiphany when I read Lesson One: The ABCs of Life. Mr. Oliver and Mr. Ryan have beautifully captured many of the essential elements that allow a child to grow into an effective, caring adult. The book not only explains the concepts, it reinforces the concepts in a kind of teacher's guide with examples, exercises and materials that anyone can use. I can't miss being a terrific grandfather with this material at my fingertips!From the book, adults work with children to introduce key concepts, the meaning of the concepts, examples of applying the concepts and skills in employing the concepts as well. The adults learn everything they need to know, from what tone of voice and inflections to use . . . to what stories to tell about their own mistakes. The concepts are ones that anyone will approve of, and the ideas are presented in a loving, nonjudgmental way.The book begins by explaining how to work with children . . . explaining many of the skills I learned from observing the tennis instructor. The material quickly shifts to the Lesson One Pledge for Success (a pledge that children make to themselves to help themselves be successful):1. I will listen to what others have to say.2. I will treat others the way I would like to be treated.3. I will respect the diversity of all people.4. I will remember that I have people who care about me in my family, school and community.5. I will try my best. Each skill is a building block for the next skill in the pledge. For example, if you cannot listen to others, how can you possibly learn how to treat others like you would like to be treated?Along the way, the child learns about personal qualities (and ways to develop these qualities): self-control ("self-control time"); self-confidence; personal responsibility ("imagining the consequences"); thinking and problem-solving; and cooperation with others. The concepts and their application reminded me of things I have learned in very helpful seminars I have taken. How wonderful it is if children can learn these lessons before they become adults!The book will seem somewhat repetitious to some, but that is deliberate. The authors want to be sure the reader understands the material and how to apply it. I was especially impressed that an adult can use this book even if she or he has not had experience in these areas. There are even stories prepared here that you can share with children . . . if you do not have any more relevant stories to share from your own experience. Rather than just encourage you to buy and read this book, I would like to strongly urge y

As a parent of 2 children (9 and 15 years old), I can honestly say this is the book they should give to you when you are pregnant so you can be properly prepared to parent when the newborn is birthed! To my wife and me, parenting is very much about "educating" our children by "guiding" them and teaching them skills that will last them throughout their lives, not just when they are kids. Jon Oliver's book is a written form of what we have been practicing by 'trial and error' for the past 15 years. Now, when people ask us what book they should read to learn the kind of stuff we practice with our kids, I can point to Jon's book.Moreover, as a leadership trainer and conflict management consultant for 20 years, I can now add this book to the "Suggested Reading List" of workshops I teach in corporate and educational America. Its simple wisdom and practical skills are much needed and readily transferrable to the workplace. Plus, replete with Jon's anecdotes and stories, the book is a "fun-read".