Gary Greenberg (2)

A delightful intro to dad-ing. Plenty of jokes and a good bit of practical suggestions, some which felt dated (due to technology) - since it was written in 2004. One suggestion in particular I read after-the-fact, but when traveling with a little one, put a chair between you and the pack-and-play with a towel over it. That way when he wakes up, he won't see you and cry continuously. That advice would have saved us a night a sleep and been worth the price of the book. Too bad I read it a few days after traveling. Hah! Such is life.… (meer)

This is quite a fun book in concept. I mean, "Pop-Up Book of Sex"? The title alone is funny in multiple ways. It sounds for all the world like a joke editors and authors would come up with at a convention during a bit of heavy drinking. Unfortunately, once they sobered up, they kind of lost their nerve. When you're producing a book where the main selling-point is titillating novelty, losing nerve undercuts the very purpose of the book.

There are some clever bits here--the doggy-style action is absurdly hilarious, but that kind of inspiration is rare. Not a single penis is to be seen, which is the height of irony in a "pop-up" book. Most scenes consist of bare breasts and lingerie, with the most scandalous pages hinting at bi-sexuality and (gasp!) interracial sex. Don't worry, though--it only hints at them. This is not an X-rated book by any means. It is R-rated at best, and most of the time it's kind of a wimpy R at that. This book is an amusing collector's item and conversation piece (talk about breaking the ice at parties!) but is hardly ground-breaking as erotica or pop-up.… (meer)

Be Prepared by Gary Greenberg is an all-in-one guide for new dads for whom reading books is not necessarily a regular activity. Contained within, and easily accessible, is all the valuable info a busy dad could need at any point during your newborn's first year—from those sleep-deprived first weeks to the here-before-you-know-it monthly milestones. And to make things a little bit more fun to read, the chapters are sprinkled with silly drawings, bullet lists and plenty of anecdotal humor.

I'm T-minus just a few weeks to becoming a dad myself and I plan on keeping this book handy throughout the upcoming year.… (meer)