This was an interesting book that I found informative. It was a little sparse on actual research, but I did find some useful information from it.

Nurturing Soft Skills: A Practical Guide for Developing Leadership and Financial Literacy Skills in Children, had me interested just from the title. As a teacher, I know how vital it is for children to develop these skills so they can successfully navigate adulthood. Every adult in the United States needs to have at least a basic understanding of taxes, banking, investing, credit scores, etc. in order to function in society, yet how many of us where taught these things in school? Likewise, “leadership skills” - confidence, having empathy, knowing how to organize and prioritize, task delegation, effective communication, stress management, etc. are all things we need to manage on a daily basis, but how much of our education is devoted to their development? Not nearly enough in my opinion. Therefore, I’m always looking for simple and effective ways of instilling these abilities/skills in my students. Did this book help me on this quest? Eh, sort of.

I am a bit baffled by the execution of research that went into this book. A lot of secondary information is given, and sources include the Bible, BBC Radio, Carol Carter (who is apparently an author and public speaker), and a bunch of other authors I’ve never heard of. The text is randomly sprinkled with their quotes. The author also conducted focus group interviews. Not much demographic information is disclosed on the participants, so the scope of diversity can’t be ascertained, and they’re asked to recall and discuss times from their childhood (who can accurately remember what happened decades ago?) Even restaurant surveys require you to complete them within a week of your visit to help achieve validity. The conclusions are also heavily based on the authors own opinions and experiences. There’s a lot of bias present, a lot of assumptions are made, and opinions are sometimes offered up as facts.

In spite of these drawbacks, I kept reading. The language itself is clear and easy to understand. Sometimes text that is meant to be informative includes a bunch of jargon that can alienate those unfamiliar with it. This book avoids that particular misstep, though perhaps the content is too simple. Case in point, more than halfway into this book I came to a summary on how to have a happier child. The tips given include: be nurturing, go for walks, assign chores, encourage independence, be affectionate, etc. and avoid yelling, bribing, pitting your kids against each other, etc. These tips are…….common sense? I’ve read almost eighty pages and that’s all the insight I get? Asking children about their day, and then really listening to them is helpful? Treating them like I value their opinion helps them gain confidence? This is rather basic. Knowing these things in theory is easy. It’s applying them when we’re not at our best, and the kids aren’t at their best that can be so difficult. That’s what I was looking for in a practical guide. What techniques should I apply in challenging situations to keep the developmental environment optimal? And where is the financial literacy advice I was promised in the title? Ah, there it is….finally at chapter seven good advice begins to trickle in.

This book does contain some good information, but I felt like I had to dig for it. Even at the end I am uncertain as to what exactly this book is meant to be. It’s advertised as a practical guide, but at times reads like an academic paper, and at other times reads like a personal opinion piece. I found the change of tone disconcerting, and this led me to skim more than read. I applaud the author for the time and effort that was put into this book, but I feel it needs some revision. I think if the research had been more sound and the direction had been better defined, the book itself would’ve been more cohesive and compelling.

I admit that I approached this book with a hint of hesitance not knowing how soft skills and financial literacy would be cohesively woven together in a parenting how to. Any hesitance vanished within the first chapter. I highlighted vigorously throughout the book. Author Peace E. Ani opened my eyes to many key points and my "basket" of takeaways is overflowing. My husband was quite annoyed by the number of ideas I vocally affirmed as I read but ended up snatching the kindle from my hands to read sections as well. So often "life skills" books wait until teenage years to introduce skills but "Nurturing Soft Skills" guides the reader in ways to introduce and skill build foundational capabilities in childhood so that by the time a teenager has increased independence, opportunities for employment, and money to manage they have a strong foundation. I found the most meaningful section of the book, to be the section focused on parental attributes. Again, the author enters the life skills space with the recognition that foundation-building is essential to full incorporation and adoption of skills. Parents have the most important role and voice in a child’s development. I HIGHLY recommend this book to parents and those in a professional position of teaching children or parenting skills.

While I'm immensely grateful to both NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an advanced reader's e-copy in exchange for an honest review, I cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands to dog-ear, highlight, and read over and over!