How to Raise Successful People - by Esther Wojcicki (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The Godmother of Silicon Valley, legendary teacher, and mother of a Super Family shares her tried-and-tested parenting methods for raising happy, healthy, successful children using Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness: TRICK.

Esther Wojcicki--"Woj" to her many friends and admirers--is famous for three things: teaching a high school class that has changed the lives of thousands of kids, inspiring Silicon Valley legends like Steve Jobs, and raising three daughters who have each become famously successful. What do these three accomplishments have in common? They're the result of TRICK, Woj's secret to raising successful people: Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness.

Simple lessons, but the results are radical. Wojcicki's methods for building resilience in kids are the opposite of helicopter parenting. As we face an epidemic of parental anxiety, Woj is here to say: relax. Talk to infants as if they are adults. Allow teenagers to pick projects that relate to the real world and their own passions, and let them figure out how to complete them. Above all, let your child lead. How to Raise Successful People offers essential lessons for child development, raising, educating, and managing people to their highest potential. Change your parenting, change the world.

In this essential guide to child rearing, you'll discover proven strategies to reclaim your confidence as a parent:

• Move Beyond Helicopter Parenting: Learn why Woj's methods are the opposite of anxious, over-involved parenting and how to relax and let your child lead.
• Master the TRICK Method: Implement the five core values--Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness--that are the secret to raising self-driven, capable people.
• Foster Radical Independence: Allow your children to choose projects they're passionate about and figure out how to complete them, building real-world skills and confidence.
• Raise Successful People: Apply the same tried-and-tested principles Esther Wojcicki used to raise three daughters who became famously successful CEOs and a UCSF professor.

Review Quotes

"In a time of increased anxiety and helicopter parenting, Wojcicki's advice on helping your child lead seems to speak for itself. A must-read for parents of children of all ages."--Library Journal, STARRED review "Wojcicki believes that if there's a secret to raising self-motivated, empowered kids, it's embodied in the following values: trust, respect, independence, collaboration, and kindness. Striking a conversational but thoughtful tone, she urges parents to reflect on their own childhoods in order to realize that "sometimes a child has a different dream, a different path to follow" than their parents."--Publishers Weekly "Written with honesty, heart, and a great deal of experience, How toRaise Successful People is a must-read for all parents." -- Melissa Norstedt, STARRED review, Booklist "[Wojcicki] compiles her knowledge into an accessible guidebook for parents, teachers, and others involved in nurturing a child's or adolescent's development...[with] simple, down-to-earth techniques to help shape children into responsible, independent, kind individuals with the capabilities to become successful at whatever endeavor they may try."-- Kirkus Reviews "Parenting in our digital age is a brave new frontier, fraught for both parents and children. But as Esther Wojcicki--beloved teacher, parent, and writer whose work I've long admired--shows, modern parenting can be a joy instead of a constant struggle. Esther Wojcicki is leading a revolution not only in how we prepare our children to succeed, but how we nurture the health and well-being of parents across the world. How to Raise Successful People shows us how to be our best so our children can be their best." --Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global and Huffington Post, bestselling author of On Becoming Fearless and The Sleep Revolution "Every industry is clamoring for more innovators, more creative leaders who can solve problems with intelligence and a strong sense of social responsibility. Esther Wojcicki knows exactly how to instill these values in our children. We need her insights now more than ever." --Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, bestselling author of Behind the Cloud "As a teacher, Esther Wojcicki was brave enough to challenge conventional teaching, understanding that students need to be active participants in their own learning. As a parent, she innately understood how to foster responsibility, self-reliance, and fearless creativity in her daughters. Esther's mix of practical wisdom and inspiration will be a prized resource for anyone raising the next generation to live with purpose and unlimited potential." --Laurene Powell Jobs, founder of Emerson Collective, wife of Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple "There is nothing more important than raising and educating our kids and doing it well. Esther Wojcicki is a revolutionary educator and mother who understands what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur, a leader in technology, or any kind of professional in the new economy. Her many students and three talented daughters are living proof that her method works. This book will change the conversation about how to parent in the digital age." --Peter Diamandis, New York Times bestselling co-author of Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think and BOLD: How to Go Big, Create Wealth, and Impact the World "How do we help our children--and our students--thrive in today's complex world? Esther Wojcicki addresses this question in one of the best parenting and teaching books I have ever read. You will savor her many luminous stories and sage advice long after finishing the book. Every parent and teacher should read this wonderful book." --Tony Wagner, bestselling author of Most Likely to Succeed and Creating Innovators

About the Author

ESTHER WOJCICKI is a leading educator, journalist and mother. She founded the Media Arts programs at Palo Alto High School and helped launch the Google Teachers Academy. She raised three accomplished daughters: the CEO of YouTube, the founder and CEO of 23andMe, and a top medical researcher.