In this insightful book, Ms. Crittenden makes the point that something that should be treated with more respect than perhaps even the pope's office is considered nothing. She illustrates how strong the influence of good mothers is on society as a whole as well as on individuals through stories and statistics. Then she goes on to demonstrate how both mothers and women in general are short changed by society because the care of a home is considered to be a woman's natural talent and a gift to her family. It is not seen as real work, therefore has no monetary value, though the value it adds to the rest of the family is measurable. She then goes on to suggest several solutions the United States could adopt to remedy this problem, using models from around the world where women and mothers are given greater importance.

If I were to rate this book for sheer enjoyment, it would not rate very highly, but that is not the kind of book it is. It makes its point without going too far to either the feminist or traditional side, and that point is a very important one that I have felt should be strongly stated long ago. It is very educational and informative, and is presented extremely logically. On that basis, I would rate it three and a half.