Actually, I have read most, if not all, of John Bradshaw's books, and would highly recommend all of them for anyone struggling with the remnants of a dysfunctional childhood. These books were highly recommended by my counselor during my recovery for co-dependency.

In this particular book, he discusses growing up in a dysfunctional family system, whether it be an alcoholic parent, a drug addicted parent, growing up in a highly controlled environment, being abused as a child, etc., and talks about the difference between "healthy" shame versus "toxic" shame and how the latter is more prevalent in dysfunctional households. It gives exercises and direction on how to recognize your toxic shame, thus giving you the opportunity to shed it.

It is said that knowledge is power, and all of John Bradshaw's books, actually, give you that knowledge. Now, as a parent myself, I feel that I would have never done as good of a job of parenting as I have without the knowledge that John Bradshaw's books have given me. I'm not saying I'm perfect ... I'm still slightly dysfunctional. However, from John Bradshaw, I've learned to recognize my dysfunctional behavior and try not to bind my own children with toxic shame. Because those of us who grew up in dysfunctional family systems do not have a "functional" role model, we need this information ... not only for our own personal well-being and validation, but also to recognize our own unhealthy ways of parenting and living in general.

Again ... very, very highly recommended!