Becoming an Adult: Advice on Taking Control and Living a Happy, Meaningful Life

by Henry Cloud

Becoming an Adult focuses on the growth, connecting, separating, and choices that every human being must go through. Dr. Henry Cloud highlights key issues that individuals face as they are tasked with navigating adulting. Some of the topics discussed

dependency, authority, and boundaries.reevaluating beliefs, decision making, and discipline.sexuality, fear of disapproval, and guilt.Dr. Cloud teaches us how to become a healthy, productive, and faithful adult in society. With clear, insightful, and easy-to-follow guidelines, Dr. Cloud is a relatable and trustworthy voice. After reading Becoming an Adult, readers

learn how to bond with others and strengthen their existing relationships.be able to separate from others and identify a better sense of self.grow emotionally and spiritually.identify how to make their own path that aligns with their interests and beliefs.

Genres: Self Help, Psychology

208 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2024

About the author

Dr. Cloud has written or co-written twenty-five books, including the two million-seller Boundaries. His most recent books are Boundaries for Leaders and Necessary Endings. He has earned three Gold Medallion awards, and was awarded the distinguished Retailers Choice award for God Will Make A Way.

As president of Cloud-Townsend Resources, Dr. Cloud has produced and conducted hundreds of public seminars around the country. He speaks on relationships—marriage, parenting, dating, personal growth, and spirituality. His seminars are often broadcast live to over two thousand venues at a time.

Reviews

[Tara Serene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just for the newly appointed adult. A little bit for all of us.

[Mischka Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm beginning to develop a very heavy bias in favor of Dr. Henry Cloud...

Having read the reviews of this book prior to reading it myself, I was a bit apprehensive, as others had penned some discouraging opinions. Some felt the book was a near carbon copy of Boundaries, making it largely redundant, others remarked that it was fairly unexciting, and still others had less- than-favorable opinions, many of which were some variation of those formerly mentioned.

In my opinion, Becoming An Adult is a must-read for all adolescents and young adults. Dr. Cloud, unsurprisingly, laid not only the purpose, but the process of becoming an adult, inexplicably bare for his audience. It's the closest thing, outside of the Word of God, to a life manual that I think we have. Dr. Cloud wields the power of narrative and demonstrative storytelling to break down an otherwise very nuanced and complex topic, into one that the reader can relate to and largely digest. He also seemingly effortlessly ties in the scripture in a way makes sense and flows very seamlessly into his message.

Many of us, instead of being ushered into adulthood with parents that fully equipped us for a somewhat smooth transition into life, were 'thrust into the deep end' (so to speak), and expected to figure it out on our own. If you read this book, slowly, carefully, and with an open heart and mind, it will help teach you how to progress through the necessary stages of life, and then successfully cross the threshold into adulthood, whether you've become of age more recently, or even a seasoned veteran of life.

I highly recommend this read for, well... literally everyone! Happy adulting!

[Christian Schultheiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Guilt keeps the focus off the consequences. An adult conscience lives life according to real consequences, not guilt.” Now this was a surprise library pick up for me and reading thru it, it has far more biblical focus and backing in all its core ideologies on “becoming an adult.” That being said it does have some truly well thought out and provoking insights into what it takes to both exist as an adult in the world once you become one, but how you can identify and actually take that step yourself in becoming your own adult, a decent quick little read. 3.5/5

[Brian Craft · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was incredibly bored by this book. It felt very much like Cloud took his ideas from boundaries, which I overall enjoyed, into this theme but the end result was not a very captivating or applicable book. The chapters and ideas were too short and the application too sparse. Overall, I was really disappointed in the lack of meat behind it. Which is a shame because this is really a topic Christian authors need to address in our current culture.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not the fastest reader so I read this over the course of a couple weeks (on and off because of work and what not in life) and I found this book to be a very good read. I loved the religious side to the book as it aligns with my beliefs. The start of the book was amazing, I did find however halfway through the book it kind of got a bit dull for me for a bit.. but I found the author finishes strong in the end.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Separateness
There are two wills in every relationship.
We’d rather blame than own what we are responsible for.
We need to know who we are apart from others.

We submit to God, not to people. Other adults are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Teach the way of God in accordance with truth, not to sway to people for them to like you.

We need to be in a humble position with God, rather than a prideful one with people .