Biller integrates research about exercise, nutrition, and health within an applied developmental psychological framework. Readers are presented with ways of making fitness an enjoyable and positive force in their daily lives. Although a major focus is on how to get in shape, Biller's primary mission is to encourage a healthy lifestyle that enriches self-awareness and personal growth. The goal is not just to facilitate physical fitness, but to enhance overall life satisfaction. The book's uniqueness, accordingly, lies in its ability to help individuals develop a creative, playful approach to fitness in all spheres of their lives. While some readers are just beginning to think about fitness because of a desire to lose weight and improve their appearance, others are more interested in refining their athletic skills or achieving a greater balance in their daily activities. Dedicated exercisers often are striving for new routines and ways to prevent "burnout." Many parents, moreover, are searching for activities to help their children, as well as themselves, become more fit. Older individuals are especially likely to be concerned about staying healthy and avoiding physical dependence as they age. Biller speaks to all these concerns--and all these groups--by providing an approach to getting in shape that enriches self-understanding and mental vitality.

Biller, well known for his extensive research into the impacts of involved fathering or the absence thereof, provides a comprehensive, straightforward analysis of just how important paternal involvement really is. He describes the great advantages accruing to a child when the father, as well as the mother, actively participates in the parenting process. Fathers who sustain high interest and a true presence in a child's nurturing significantly influence body image, self-esteem, moral standards, intellectual achievement, and social competency. The benefits, Biller shows, extend beyond the father-child relationship and include heightened spousal satisfaction and a sense of overall family well-being. The reciprocal influences of father, mother, and child development, are considered within a lifespan biopsychosocial perspective.

This is an important and compelling treatment of a topic of immense concern not only to individual families but to society as a whole. Biller, by relating specific issues to fathers' roles and influences, offers the first integrated analysis of just how important a father's caring presence and active involvement is to his child's--and spouse's--psychosocial well-being. This balanced study of paternal factors addresses not only such issues as nurturance, discipline, and the cultivation of self-esteem, intelligence, and creativity but also family problems so evident in current society. There is a thorough analysis concerning complex connections among gender roles, parenting, and personality development. The work is highly substantive, realistic, and encouraging in its potential for guidance and offers insightful, useful conclusions on paternal behavior and influences.

Biller integrates research about exercise, nutrition, and health within an applied developmental psychological framework. Readers are presented with ways of making fitness an enjoyable and positive force in their daily lives. Although a major focus is on how to get in shape, Biller's primary mission is to encourage a healthy lifestyle that enriches self-awareness and personal growth. The goal is not just to facilitate physical fitness, but to enhance overall life satisfaction. The book's uniqueness, accordingly, lies in its ability to help individuals develop a creative, playful approach to fitness in all spheres of their lives. While some readers are just beginning to think about fitness because of a desire to lose weight and improve their appearance, others are more interested in refining their athletic skills or achieving a greater balance in their daily activities. Dedicated exercisers often are striving for new routines and ways to prevent "burnout." Many parents, moreover, are searching for activities to help their children, as well as themselves, become more fit. Older individuals are especially likely to be concerned about staying healthy and avoiding physical dependence as they age. Biller speaks to all these concerns--and all these groups--by providing an approach to getting in shape that enriches self-understanding and mental vitality.

Biller, well known for his extensive research into the impacts of involved fathering or the absence thereof, provides a comprehensive, straightforward analysis of just how important paternal involvement really is. He describes the great advantages accruing to a child when the father, as well as the mother, actively participates in the parenting process. Fathers who sustain high interest and a true presence in a child's nurturing significantly influence body image, self-esteem, moral standards, intellectual achievement, and social competency. The benefits, Biller shows, extend beyond the father-child relationship and include heightened spousal satisfaction and a sense of overall family well-being. The reciprocal influences of father, mother, and child development, are considered within a lifespan biopsychosocial perspective.

This is an important and compelling treatment of a topic of immense concern not only to individual families but to society as a whole. Biller, by relating specific issues to fathers' roles and influences, offers the first integrated analysis of just how important a father's caring presence and active involvement is to his child's--and spouse's--psychosocial well-being. This balanced study of paternal factors addresses not only such issues as nurturance, discipline, and the cultivation of self-esteem, intelligence, and creativity but also family problems so evident in current society. There is a thorough analysis concerning complex connections among gender roles, parenting, and personality development. The work is highly substantive, realistic, and encouraging in its potential for guidance and offers insightful, useful conclusions on paternal behavior and influences.