The approaches discussed in the book have really helped my family a lot. I feel like I have a set of guidelines to follow so when my daughter starts to act out I don't get frustrated - I know what to do! I guess that just goes with my personality though - I'm more frustrated when I don't know what's happening next. This helps me avoid that - it's like I have a mental checklist in my head of things to do when she acts up. Now that my husband and I both use the techniques discussed - our whole household is much happier!
Another reviewer commented that ignoring a child is a poor parenting technique. I disagree. I found it to be very effective when used properly. Common sense tells you not to ignore a child who's crying because she's hurt. However, when a child is screaming purely to get attention (as mine does) and there's nothing wrong with her, ignoring is the only way to curb that behavior. We had a real problem with my 3 y/o daughter screaming in the car, in the store, or at home, just because she didn't get want she wanted. After we'd ignored the behavior enough times, she simply stopped doing it. Instead, we tell her to explain how she feels. So now she just says "I'm mad about something." And we talk about it. SOOO much better!
My point is this - I realize this book will not give you all the answers, and nor will it work for every single child, but I found it quite helpful in parenting MY strong-willed child.