"It comes at you quickly; it requires alertness and skill; the outcome is unpredictable; the weak can sometimes overcome the strong; it involves elimination and has both winners and losers." (Rule 10)

The above quote is an excerpt from the book, 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School (Real World Antidotes to Feel-Good Education), by Charles J. Sykes.  On Monday, September 17, 2007, Mr. Sykes will be appearing at the Harry W. Schwartz Bookstore in Brookfield to promote and speak about his book.  The event begins at 7:00 p.m.

I don't listen to his radio show, and I am not familiar with his other work.  However, after reading a short newspaper review of this latest book by Mr. Sykes, I was compelled to buy it because the quoted "rules" were bitingly funny and at the same time had a serious edge.  Coming from the perspective that real-world perspectives and basic common sense are being lost in a world of touchy-feely parenting, Mr. Sykes has expanded what were originally 14 Rules into 50 Rules, some that I agree with and some that I don't.

Each rule is given its own chapter.  Although you may not want to use it as your main parenting tome, the topics covered, the counsel given, and the anecdotes described do make you think. 

Here are a few of the other rules:

Rule 7:  If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.  He won't have tenure, so he'll tend to be a bit edgier.  When you screw up, he's not going to ask how you FEEL about it.

Rule 18: Life is not divided into semesters. And you don't get summers off. 

Rule 33: Be nice to nerds.  You may end up working for them.  We all could.

Rule 48: Tell yourself the story of your life.  Have a point.