Growing Pains: Making Sense of Childhood – A Psychiatrist’s Story

'A remarkable, powerful, tender and insightful book that will change lives. I cannot doubt that hundreds – I would hope thousands – of families can be helped by Mike Shooter's profound, careful and utterly convincing insights. He combines all the clinical and scientific expertise of a physician with the understanding, patience and openness of the best therapists. But he has something else too – his own very special gifts of wisdom, warmth, humour and kindness, which shine through on every page. Nothing here is reduced to a cookie-cutter syndrome. Dr Shooter understands Tolstoy's famous observation "All happy families are alike; all unhappy families are unhappy in their own way." If you had a troubled, dark childhood you will wish someone in your family had had access to Growing Pains and if you have children who don't seem to be able to be happy, I urge you to read it now.'