Book Recommendation: Hunt, Gather, Parent

Ben Ford

Professor 

What's a book that means a lot to you?

I am always glad to see anthropology in mainstream literature, but more important, this is the most useful parenting book I’ve read. This book applies an anthropological approach to parenting, stepping outside of the standard parenting books to look at proven behaviors from across the globe. Drawing on firsthand experience with Maya, Inuit, and Hadzabe families, Doucleff assembles advice on how to raise cooperative, emotionally intelligent, and self-confident children. Through lovingly written narratives, Doucleff introduces each culture and how it approaches parenting. She also provides action items keyed to different ages and takes readers through the process of applying lessons learned from Mexico, the Arctic, and Tanzania.

Benjamin Ford is a historic and maritime archaeologist who conducts research in the Great Lakes and in Pennsylvania. He is a founding member of the Pennsylvania Archaeology Shipwreck Survey Team and is a member of the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Board.

Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us about the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans

Michaeleen Doucleff

Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, 2021