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Review from the Our-Kids mailing list:
Hello all,
Randy asked me if I would read and give a review of this book, and thanks to him I got a copy. It came last week and I have to say that it is well worth the money it costs.
I have learned much from everyone on the Our-Kids Adults list as I work at making Allie's future as good as possible. I've done lots of reading and investigating and I thought I had a good idea of everything that I would have to do. The book A Good Life though is the first book that actually got me to think beyond the traditional ideas of what our kids "can do".
The book is very clearly written and is easy to read. It has lots and lots of real life examples with the solutions that were found. Each chapter has worksheets at the end that you can use as guide for future planning. The first question on the first worksheet is, "It's one year after your death. What would be the best possible day in the life of your relative?" It gets you thinking. I know that we all think of the future of our kids but when the question is put this simply there's no escaping that we have to think far ahead.
The book gives you all the practical information that you need to get started thinking and planning. I've already asked Allie some of the questions and it has been interesting to find out what she thinks her adult life will be like :) With some of her answers and after reading the book I'm actually reconsidering moving from here. And I don't believe I just wrote that :) BUT if I really want Allie to have her own life I have to remind myself that essentially this is where she has grown up. She already has developed on her own a network of people in the neighborhood and in her provider's neighborhood that I really should not take from her, so I'm readjusting myself to the fact I will be here for quite awhile yet and that I will have to wait to move further north and inland. This is her home and this is where she wants to stay.
I plan on going to our local library and getting them to get this book so that parents who can't afford to buy and still have access to it. I have already shown the book to several people I know who work with young adults and so far 5 out of 6 have said they are going to get the book. I urge everyone to get this book if they can. It's really the best that I have read so far and I believe it's going to turn out to be one of the definitive books that parents will be referred to.
Now on the lighter side I went over the worksheets on assets and liabilities and must say I had myself a good laugh, I've got no assets and my liabilities are scary :)