I was not an adopted child, and I am not a parent, but if you chose to read this book I urge you to do so with open eyes. The book was traumatic for me: for it laid out a clear plan for how to emotionally abuse your child by manipulation, including bribes, inconsistency, and physical force and restraint. My own parents by lack of knowledge undertook a shadow of this program, terrifying us into silence, secrets and escape; I cannot imagine the horrors of a child whose new parents intentionally intensify this method. Some will not agree with me, I am sure, but all I ask is that you put yourself in the shoes of the child as well as that of the parent when you consider this book.

If you are looking for information about how to sway your child or others, perhaps you would like to read Cialdini's "Influence" and consider how to ethically work with the child's natural influences. If you have specific concerns about your adopted child's past, you might consider Ferrara's "Childhood Sexual Abuse." ( )