Extremely bossy, patronizing wording and attitude by the author makes you want to stop reading the book.... No pronounced passion, no soft word offered here. I am not a parent, per: say, but a grandparent and a mother of an adult son with big family of his own... I just love to read and learn more about raising and giving a good safe and loving environment for children here, in the States in comparison to Europe. And I know, such good normal homes do exist. And when there are some troubling issues, there will be solid experienced sources to go to. But this book (to my view ) is not the answer. Also, it doesn't offer any photos, illustrations to make it less harsh.

I have just started reading this massive work about history and interconnections of major Languages in history of men. The tom is truly very well and thoughtfully written by a group of people who not only are highly knowledgeable and intelligent in their desire to be resourceful, but truly passionate ! It's a rare find in any field of interest or science...And I am "crazy" about languages on the whole and major European major few, in particular. And the history of development of it around the globe. In some cases I disagree with authors, but their points of view are still interesting to me to debate on. This is the first work that I am truly enjoying so far. And it's well-illustrated, also.

"The Artful Parent" is all about teaching art, first-to parents and then- to their children. That's all. Just one destination and one goal. While true art is everywhere: in Nature scenery, in people who make beautiful and needed things with their hands or being along with others creating something special together or just talking. All of that is ART ! And not only colors, at all.

We're given here only the Greek and Italian (Latin) history and their overwhelming sense of importance in the big wide world. Despite existing, active and thriving worlds of other earlier (or at least developing at same time) the great ancient cultures in Egypt, Africa and Mesopotamia regions !

Funny little book, that aspired to be interesting and open up some of languages' history and development, but didn't succeed. This time.

Written well, but difficult to understand to non-professional reader.

I had finished the book now and not to my expectations. What you read all through the 75 % of the material, at the end turns out to be a total lie, a farce. ... The rendition started well, but ended tactlessly, unreasonable and in bad taste.

The story/tale is categorized so very properly for this work by John Sweet. It reads pretty well and is written cleanly, without grammatical or punctual errors (practically) and interestingly. The only minus is that when I come to the most relevant and intriguing parts of the book, the story stops abruptly and goes in the other direction - history of similar situation or places had been...and thus interrupts the tale/story's narrative. Good though, are some of the historical notations: such as Inheritance played out for women in families of 18th Century. That the facts when women mostly "got skipped" in the receiving their lawful inheritance from their lawful (departed) husbands. Instead their money and etc went to their sons. But what's shocking, that today that practice repeats itself, at times. Still !!! I am still reading this book and hope to find a logical satisfying ending.

I am grateful to this author for writing this book interestingly, factually and engagingly. With photos on every page practically. And on good quality glassy white thick paper. I am still reading it and enjoying the process. Thank you, Mr. Chung Lee Tan !

A very good novel. Easy to read, enjoyable and hard to put down.