This is a great book, and one which models what it teaches in terms of thoughtfulness, empathy and wisdom. Tom Harrison uses as the starting point for this work the moment his daughter received her first mobile phone. In fact it is clear from both the structure and the excellent -and well-digested - content of this book that Tom Harrison has a wealth of background and experience to draw on. He is Director of Education at the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham and an expert in the field of character education. Though, as any parent knows to their cost, our children test our theories to the limit. In this book Tom Harrison treads a helpful and very honest line between the theory of virtue ethics and its lived out practice with real young people in their real and cyber-worlds. Though this distinction of online/offline selves is one he is quick to question. Although there are specific contexts for the cyber-wisdom which allows children to thrive rather than merely to survive online, the more general need for character-driven responses is made clear. Each chapter and section of the book is headlined and then summarized to make the reading experience straightforward, progressive and rewarding. The sections on the role of parents in developing the relationships and foundations for exploring cyber-wisdom with their children should be a “cut-out-and –keep” for all parents, long before their children have access to a phone. It is that rare thing, a non-judgmental but robust argument for parents to take the time and to make the effort to be parents. This book has parents as its imagined audience but I think it is an invaluable tool for all teachers and should be on the recommended reading list for anyone providing internet platforms. It’s not just children who need to be character-driven and cyber-wise.

This book is easy to read and gives practical suggestions of how parents can help and support their children navigate the World Wide Web. I would recommend all parents and teachers to read this book. It gives a positive account of the cyber world and the character skills needed to enable young people to be safe and sensible online. A great read.