The bad: As noted by other reviewers, Wojcicki's tales of her children and her students often come across as bragging.

Questions like these might seem insignificant, but for the author, they represented an important break with the suffocating sexism of her own childhood. But, to me it was less of a parenting guide, and more of a celebration of her successes as a parent and teacher. She also points out that many parents raise their children with the idea that their successes are a direct reflection of the parents themselves, and she argues this is completely unrealistic. She developed their decision-making abilities by asking them questions like, “Is it a banana or an orange that you want? The word carries such negative connotations (turn a trick, play a trick) that it casts a pall over what is an approach to positive parenting.She advocates for the importance of teaching children about trust, respect, independence, collaboration and kindness, and explains how she did so with her own children and her students.

There's a deficit of trust in the modern world, but it's important that parents have faith in their children. And although she does stray into topics that don’t center solely on children (she proudly declares that she is not tempted by bad foods, and that people should try harder at their marriages in general) I still found this book useful and worthwhile. Her children; Anne (co-founder and CEO of 23andMe), Janet, a Fulbright-winning anthropologist, and Susan, YouTube’s CEO, are a testament to her wisdom as a parent. Renowned journalist, entrepreneur, educator, and mother of two Esther Wojcicki draws on her decades of professional and personal experience in her attempt to create a roadmap for raising children to be successful, independent, and compassionate.I wasn't expecting the chapter on divorce but I agree whole heartedly with it as a child of divorced parents. How to Raise Successful People by Esther Wojcicki is a parenting guide packed with practical tips and insights on how to cultivate independent and self-directed individuals. It's great when you're in Palo Alto, in Silicon Valley and your schools have the resources and such. When she needed them to eat their fruits and veggies, rather than simply telling them to do so she would give them a choice between the two and let them pick, thus helping to teach them that they had the power to make their own choices, while still being a responsible parent. Admittedly, I am divorced, but truly don't believe that my decision to pursue love and happiness is modeling for my child "how to live an angry life," as Wojcicki describes it.