Babyhood - Softcover

Reiser, Paul

3.76

2,313 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0380728729 ISBN 13: 9780380728725

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks, 1998

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The classic New York Times bestseller from actor/comedian Paul Reiser, a book that the San Francisco Chronicle calls “an out-loud laugh on every page,” is now available in trade paperback for the very first time. For fans of Reiser’s long-running sitcom Mad About You, with Helen Hunt and Hank Azaria, for readers of comic memoirs like Tina Fey’s Bossypants, and “for the couple considering parenthood as well as for parents who are decades past their days of diaper changing...this book hits home and hits the funnybone" (Chicago Tribune).

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Review:

Listening to Paul Reiser "read" the unabridged audiocassette version of Babyhood is a lot like attending a private performance of a one-man stand-up comedy show--without the hecklers. In his quintessential New York accent, the Mad About You star speaks directly to his audience in a conversational, fast-paced, and spirited voice. Of course, the subject matter is babies--those that are still a twinkle in their parents' eyes, those growing in their mother's bellies, and those that have emerged from the womb, ready to test their parents' new-found skills with every change of the diaper.

Reiser shares insights into a host of subjects that one doesn't necessarily consider when approaching parenthood. For instance, while attending a barbecue party, he finds himself discussing body parts and body functions not usually tossed around with strangers. "I certainly understand in theory that if you're going through an event as universal and wondrous as childbirth, and especially if you're having difficulties, there is benefit in sharing. But the reality is I ... I don't feel like discussing my genitalia with anybody." Reiser's enthusiasm for his subject is apparent, which makes for a humorous foray into the magical world of Babyhood. (Running time: 200 minutes, four cassettes) -- Colleen Preston

From the Back Cover:

I'm going to be totally honest. This is not the kind of book that can help you. It's not a "how-to," "when-to," a "what-to-expect" book. It's not even endorsed by anyone remotely connected to the medical profession. (Although a cousin of mine who sells carpeting to doctors' offices not only found it "insightful" and "informative," but felt that, "if properly vacuumed, it should last a lifetime.")

"A fine endorsement," you say. "But if I have only one book to buy, shouldn't I go for the helpful one?"

Let's compare:
Those "know-it-all" books tell you how to have a happy, healthy pregnancy.
My book mentions a squirrel.
Those books tell you how to care for a newborn child.
My book describes how tired I am.
Those books give you essential information you can use in a life-threatening emergency.
My book has some very amusing anecdotes about poop.

So really, it's up to you. If you want to be prepared and well-informed, I understand. But if you enjoy seeing the words "pterodactyl" and "uterus" in the same book, you've come to the right place.

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