On Becoming a Person

Intriguing family tales set in eight different countries and spanning five generations illuminate the nature of parent-child relationships and its effect on the evolution of personality. They include the author's personal experiences and observations of friends and acquaintances interacting with their offspring. Highlights from literature enhance the unique perspective Ruth Janko introduces into her work. She explores enigmatic personality traits including states of extreme anxiety, dysfunction, reckless self-defeating pursuits, as well as, crushing destructive behavior. Such cases are contrasted with positive developments, demonstrated in the ability to cope, resilience, in various aspects of personal strength, or as the author likes to put it: the potential to become a PERSON. Like a tenacious sleuth, she does not miss a clue, and her uncanny insights cast light on baffling quandaries. An untraditional approach sets the work apart from other parenting books. Rather, it aims to raise parents' awareness by opening up new vistas of understanding with fascinating stories. Ruth Janko is an escapee from Nazi persecution and lived on three continents during her formative years. She is a retired librarian, life-long student of great literature with degrees from Hunter College, Columbia University, and Saint John's University, a mother and grandmother. At an advanced age and afflicted with severe vision impairment, she has managed to transform her enduring interest in family interactions into stimulating narratives that seek to help parents to better understand their children.