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A review by sydneyalexis119
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud, John Townsend
3.0
I couldn’t finish this book even though I got 75% of the way through it. The concept is great: set boundaries in your life.
But the authors repeatedly used scripture completely out of context to make their points and it was very frustrating.
Here are a couple examples I noted:
“To put [a four-month-old] on the parents’ schedule instead of her own for holding and feeding is to ‘condemn the innocent,’ as Jesus said (Matt. 12:7).” (Pg. 187)
“But another explanation for the cessation of crying is infant depression, a condition in which the child gives up hope and withdraws. ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick.’ (Prov. 13:12).” (Pg. 187)
“The responsible mother, however, will strive to get her own closeness needs met by other adults in her life. She will encourage the ‘hatching’ of her baby, knowing she is preparing him or her to be equipped to ‘leave and cleave.’” (Pg. 188).
These all felt like huge reaches to back up their psychology with scripture. It was as if the authors Google searched “Bible verses about hope” and then picked the one that fit best or something.
This and other annoyances (like anecdotes that were super long winded and not relatable at all) made this book unreadable for me.
But the authors repeatedly used scripture completely out of context to make their points and it was very frustrating.
Here are a couple examples I noted:
“To put [a four-month-old] on the parents’ schedule instead of her own for holding and feeding is to ‘condemn the innocent,’ as Jesus said (Matt. 12:7).” (Pg. 187)
“But another explanation for the cessation of crying is infant depression, a condition in which the child gives up hope and withdraws. ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick.’ (Prov. 13:12).” (Pg. 187)
“The responsible mother, however, will strive to get her own closeness needs met by other adults in her life. She will encourage the ‘hatching’ of her baby, knowing she is preparing him or her to be equipped to ‘leave and cleave.’” (Pg. 188).
These all felt like huge reaches to back up their psychology with scripture. It was as if the authors Google searched “Bible verses about hope” and then picked the one that fit best or something.
This and other annoyances (like anecdotes that were super long winded and not relatable at all) made this book unreadable for me.