http://www.freakonomics.com/pdf/StudentFREAKONOMICS.pdf
This is way shorter then the book and makes most of the same statistical observations.
The most important to me being;
"Levitt et al. conclude that the variables most correlated with academic success (in children) tend to be variables which are related more to what a parent is, than what that parent does for the child."
And it was more then academic success. It is all of who your children turn out to be. I loved this because if you extrapolate it it says, the best thing you can ever do for your children, is to become a better person. For example it didn't matter if your read to your children, but it did matter if you had books in your house. It doesn't matter if you do the right things for them, it matters if you care about them. It doesn't matter if I get great techniques from parenting classes, it matters that I care about going. That is to say that even on my own, being a conscientious parent, I will figure out things that work and help, and that caring about parenting is somehow contagious to your children.
The age old saying, the apple doesn't fall far, does seem to be very true, but inadequate. It doesn't remind you that you, Mr. Tree, are still growing. And that your apples will see you doing a good job growing and grow themselves.
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