In the spring of 1982, we began our collaboration while on sabbatical in Jerusa lem. Working together at Hadassah Medical Center, we discovered that we had overlapping and complementary interests. The wonderful surroundings com bined with a warm friendship nourished the development of this book. E. G. S: s interest in neuropsychology, cognitive function, and diagnostic clas sification and A. A R: s interest in the development of normal sexual behavior, incest and its consequences for psychopathology, and psychoanalytic thought provided a broad perspective on the field of somatoform disorders. For E. G. S., Lawrence A. Lockman, a faculty member in pediatric neurology at the Univer sity of Minnesota who has a great interest in these cases, was particularly helpful. Many of the ideas on case management came from his admonitions to the house staff on rounds regarding proper management of patients and families. When we began to write the book in the fall of 1984, two students of E. G. S: s became involved. Norman Cohen, then a post doc, was very interested in pain and biofeedback, having worked extensively in the Pain Clinic at the University of Minnesota Hospitals. He was seeing many of the children in the clinic who required biofeedback and was especially interested in those with headache. He agreed to write the chapter on headache."

Do you find yourself asking "Whose life is it anyway?" Parenting today has come to resemble a relentless to-do list. Even parents with the best intentions strive to micro-manage every detail of their kids' lives and live in constant fear that their child will under-perform in any area--academic, social, athletic. Lists and schedules, meetings and appointments invade our every moment and the need to be the best dominates--and undermines--our own sense of self as well as our children's. In this groundbreaking new book, renowed child psychiatrist Alvin Rosenfeld, M.D., and longtime family-issues journalist Nicole Wise combine personal and professional experience to take action against what they see as our overeager pursuit of perfection. The clear, comforting steps they prescribe to attack this rampant phenomenon will promote healthier and happier children and revitalize the parenting experience.