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'Let's say that your child is studying about volcanoes or cloud formations. Then you say, "I have forgotten everything about that. After you finish studying, would you teach it to me? I am kind of busy right now with (fill in the blank), but I'll have time in half an hour (the time the child needs to learn it). Do you want to teach me then?" In half an hour, you come back, ask to be instructed, listen with interest, show how much you are learning, and praise your child as a student and as a teacher. With this, you just taught your child to love to study and you have tested him or her on the material.'

This is a typical example of the brilliant, delightful and effective advice this book offers to parents. If you change your parenting to that recommended by Ramón, you are not only guaranteed to help your child to grow into a more intelligent, happier and better functioning adult, but you will move your own life in that direction too.

From the same section as the above quote comes a prescription for life: ' The key then to rearing happy, well-adjusted children is to ask of yourself what you ask of your child. Do you like being hit, given orders in a nasty voice, your achievements ignored, your faults loudly proclaimed, your every like and dislike disregarded; to be given burdens to do with no reward, and made to feel guilty for who you are and what you do? And there is no escape. Sounds pretty awful doesn't it? Consider instead what it is to have a super hero listen to your thoughts, guide you to achieve what you desire, reward your efforts, encourage you to improvement when you fail, help you understand what you have done when you get punished, and loves you for no other reason than you are you.' This is actually the key to all interpersonal actions: empathy.

In the same caring, thoughtful way, the author addresses key issues: fostering the development of a child's intelligence, channeling the zooming around of a hyperactive person into productive channels, helping to overcome attention deficits. The section on autism is particularly useful to people working with this condition.

I really like the way Ramón emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual instead of offering 'one size fits all' generalized prescriptions. And everything is achieved through fun, not grim force.

This is a 'must read' book for everyone who has anything to do with children: parents, teachers, mental health professionals.