Chestnuts: A True Story About Being Bullied by Gilbert Ohanian

Bullying is a huge problem and growing worldwide and it is good to see someone tackle the problem in a practical, useful book.

Chestnuts is based on the author’s own experiences during childhood and later that of his son also being bullied.

Whether the abuse be verbal, physical or emotional, the book provides teachers and parents with clues on what to look for and solutions to dealing with the problem. 

It also deals with why bullies behave the way they do.

Being partly biographical helps the reader understand what the victim goes through and how the treatment first starts then escalates.

It is practical and outlines step by step ways of coping with the problem. It should be read by parents, teachers, those in authority and even children themselves.

Apart from his own experiences the author has researched his topic well and includes many references.

I found though that it was a bit disjointed the way it jumps from biography to solutions to the problem and not always in a connected way. Similarly, the advice for various target groups eg parents and teachers etc is not always grouped together logically.

Because I feel this book needs extensive editing to make it more readable and practical, I would normally only give it two stars. However, the subject matter and the advice is so important and relevant to today’s society I have given it 3 stars.

I was given free copy by the author for an unbiased review