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Levine produces case studies of seven children and adults who have been labeled lazy and identifies internal sources that are undermining their production. Many of their output issues revolve around difficulties with writing, as is the case with Russell, who is hindered by his low motor skills, or Clint, whose long-term memory lapses prevent him from expressing himself well. Other weaknesses, such as poor oral language ability, mental energy dysfunction, poor idea generation, and organizational problems, plague the individuals in these case studies. Levine talks briefly about external factors that contribute to low output, such as socioeconomic background, family life, and negative role models. In the profile for Scott Murray, Levine even has the humility to admit that he was unable to reach this young man. External influences--namely, Scott’s privileged upbringing--were too pervasive in causing his output failure.

The last few chapters are devoted to suggestions for what parents and teachers can do to foster productive output in their children and students and how to detect a problem that is internal rather than environmental. Tips on how to cultivate writing skills, set up an organized home office, and assist with homework are aimed at parents while teachers are encouraged to consider individuality among their students’ learning styles. Finally, the appendices offer two worksheets to help students plan stories and reports. Two additional worksheets help pinpoint whether output problems are the cause of poor schoolwork. This is a valuable book that will give parents some guidance in solving their children’s productivity issues and preparing their children successfully for adulthood. --Cristina Vaamonde

2. Levine identifies a number of causes of low performance. Some of these are internal like organizational problems, poor ability to verbally express, or poor writing skills. However, these types of things don't seem to be 'causes' as much as they do 'results' or 'symptoms'. He does go on to briefly discuss external factors like socioeconomic background, family life, and negative role models. Now these seem to be more root-causes - however, he doesn't spend much time on these, which I found to be disappointing.

3. The thing that I do like about Levine is that he develops suggestions for what parents can do to encourage productive output in children. Additionally, he provides objective means for identifying if the problem is internal or environmental. I happen to believe the vast majority of people fall into the latter category - at least as the initial influence. However, it seems laziness becomes a choice as well. So, there's a bit of controversy here - which makes the book interesting and relevant.

4. Lastly, Levine doesn't leave the reader in an ethereal and contemplative world, but brings problem solving down to a real-life level by providing worksheets, which assist children in planning stories and reports - to get their minds working.

5. It seems it's so necessary to start fostering creativity, activity, and expression at a young age. Additionally, abundant parental praise related to accomplishments is also very needed. In short, this is a good book, however it would have been helpful if Levine had focused more in the area of relationships.

Dr. Levine maintains that a whole spectrum of neuro-development dysfunctions may prevent children from reaching their potential. Examples of such dysfunctions are difficulty expressing oneself orally or in writing, an inability to organize one's time, workspace or materials, or a problem as basic as "graphomotor breakdown." This means that a student's writing is sabotaged by movement problems that prevent his or her fingers from capturing ideas and putting them down on paper.

In his specialty as a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, Levine has spent thirty years working with children who have had difficulty living up to the expectations of their parents, their schools and themselves. Levine has strategies for helping these children, starting with specific tests to diagnose which area of memory, language, attention, or motor function is causing the problem. He also suggests ways that that children can compensate for their deficits and make better use of their strengths.

"The Myth of Laziness" is an informative look at some of the obstacles that many kids face during their school years. Readers should be warned, however, that the book contains hard-to-follow psychological and educational jargon. Fortunately, many case studies help clarify Levine's ideas for the reader who is not familiar with the language of developmental psychology. Principals, teachers, and parents should read this book and consider how they can incorporate some of its ideas in both public and private school programs. Perhaps, if kids with "output failures" receive skilled help at an early age, they may succeed in school and in life instead of falling through the cracks.