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Mexico: EDAMEX. 2000. 125p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 970-661-111-8. pap. $15. CHILDBEARING
CHILDBEARING
Aguirre Lopez, Monica. El porque de los gemelos: Conocimientos generales y surgencias praticas para desarrollar su individualidad.
(The Reason for Twins: General Knowledge and Practical Hints to Develop Individuality)
Mexico: EDAMEX. 2000. 125p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 970-661-111-8. pap. $15. CHILDBEARING
Although the number of twins being born is on the rise, parenting twins remains a unique experience. One special problem parents face is that people (including the parents themselves) tend to consider the children as a unit and overlook their individual personalities and abilities. Aguirre Lopez, an educator who is a twin, shows parents how to respect and nurture twins. She begins with a brief account of twins in history and mythology, followed by an explanation of the types of twins, a few statistics, and a discussion of characteristics and personality traits. An appendix offers suggestions for how to raise twins, all at a very basic level. For example, do not buy one toy or article of clothing for twins to share but get one for each of them; do not compare the children to each other; and treat them as equals. Although suggesting the CD-ROM for MEDLINE when it's available for free on the web is not very helpful, the annotated bibliography and list of web sites and associations concerned with twins prove quite useful. This book is geared to new parents of twins who want to find clear-cut instructional assistance in an easy-to-read format. For a more in-depth theory on twin behavior, Eduardo Baler's Gemelos, Narcisismo y dobles (Twins, Narcissism and Doubles, Paidos, 2000) cites actual psychoanalytic cases. Aguirre Lopez's book is recommended for public libraries and bookstores.
Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L., CA
Copyright Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier, Inc. Spring 2001