I just started reading it, and have been skipping through and reading a few pages here and there until I get a chance to read the whole thing.

I liked this: "The middle-class parents talked things through with their children, reasoning with them. They didn't just issue commands. They expected their children to talk back to them, to negotiate, to question adults in positions of authority" and "The heavily scheduled middle-class child is exposed to a constantly shifting set of experiences. She learns teamwork and how to cope in highly structured settings. She is taught how to interact comfortably with adults, and to speak up when she needs to."

I read that part while I was at my son's four hour long rehearsal. My son and the rest of his children's musical theatre group will be performing at a downtown New Years Eve celebration. I was wondering if it was all worth it, listening to the teacher yelling at the kids and telling them that she had made every one of them cry at some point and she could do it again if they didn't look professional. The third time they ran through the show, my son's voice cracked as he sang a solo part and without thinking, he smiled and looked at me. She yelled that it was not funny. They are not supposed to break character. She yelled a lot at the 5 year old who got tired and cranky after only two hours of non-stop rehearsing with no breaks.

But I realize that he and most of the other kids have learned to deal with the yelling and are able to calmly express their needs and are able to negotiate with her while looking her straight in the eye. They have learned to "talk back" without being disrespectful and I think this is a valuable skill.