If you are looking for a book to read to your toddler before bed, this isn't it. But if you're a parent who feels like the modern world is closing in on your kids and you want the intellectual and practical tools to fight back, Mary Rivkin's book is a gold standard.

It’s a bit academic, sure, but it’s the good kind of academic—the kind that gives you a 'why' to lean on when people look at you weird for letting your kid climb a tree. It’s less about '100 things to do with a stick' and more about how to ensure your community actually has spaces where sticks are allowed.