The Value of Understanding: The Tale of Margaret Mead (The New ValueTales Series, Volume 9)

In this installment of the ValueTales series, Spencer Johnson teaches us the value of understanding through the life of Margaret Mead (1901-1978). The book tells of young Margaret, who grew up in a Pennsylvania family that placed a high value on learning. She learned from her mother to observe other people carefully and take notes about what she saw them do. When she went to college, Margaret became interested in anthropology because she wanted to learn about people who lived all over the world. Margaret became an anthropologist and went to live among, and learn from the people of Samoa. Many have learned about Samoans and other peoples from the careful notes Margaret took--and wrote about. Like other books in the ValueTales series, this book uses a real-life person to exemplify an important value. It is suitable for reading by children in the later elementary school grades. A "Historical Facts" section at the book's end summarizes Mead's life in a single-page bio form suitable for adults. Closing quote: "Now you may not want to go off to some primitive island to try to understand people. You might just enjoy learning how to see things from another person's point of view right here at home. Perhaps when you understand someone else's point of view, both you and that other person will feel happier. Just like our understanding friend, Margaret Mead." (pp. 61-62)