The Child Is the Teacher: A Life of Maria Montessori

The wait for an engaging biography of Maria Montessori's life is over! This book is a serious page-turner, and you should expect a cliff hanger at the end of nearly every chapter. Aspiration! Lust! Tragedy! Yearning! Power! This is storytelling at its finest.There are not nearly as many details as Rita Kramer's biography in here, but somehow the author is able to condense and order the most important events and relay them with both sensitivity and the firey passion Dr. Montessori was known for.Cristina de Stefano, thank you so much for writing this celebration of Maria's life. I know you are not a Montessorian by trade, but it means so much to those of us who are devoted to spreading her words of wisdom in modern times. It is constantly misunderstood, but I can tell that you truly "get" what a Montessori education is truly about. Your book is an absolute treasure.Gregory Conti - your translation is divine. I am grateful!

A wonderful depiction of a complex genius and powerful lessons on the challenges of founding and sustaining a movement. The latter was important in our work with Integrative Development as we too seek to re-imagine education for adults along more natural lines.

Reveals a human aspect to the doctor.

An quick and easy read, condensing her work, pedagogy, and philosophy. Montessori’s message is clear— peace for mankind can be created by children.