A few years ago, Neal Pollack was probably the least likely father you’ve ever met: a pop-culture-obsessed writer and self-styled party guy k...
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Oct 21, 2007
Christine
rated it: 
lame. lame. lame.
this guy spent more time explaining the brands of organic food he bought for his kid than explaining how he remained "cool" while being a father. I suspect he was never cool.
this guy spent more time explaining the brands of organic food he bought for his kid than explaining how he remained "cool" while being a father. I suspect he was never cool.
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May 22, 2008
Kate
rated it: 
Despite the ridiculous cover (I LOATHE facial piercings), this book is a pretty fantastic read for anyone approaching parenthood who could even remotely consider themselves a hipster.
Neal and his wife, Regina, are a writer and an artist who find themselves pregnant and living in that hipster mecca of the world (no, not Brooklyn, I'm talking about COOL hipsters here...) Austin. Neal documents the whole process from meeting his wife through a personal ad in Chicago (Wayward Southern B More...
Neal and his wife, Regina, are a writer and an artist who find themselves pregnant and living in that hipster mecca of the world (no, not Brooklyn, I'm talking about COOL hipsters here...) Austin. Neal documents the whole process from meeting his wife through a personal ad in Chicago (Wayward Southern B More...
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Jun 03, 2008
Lani
rated it: 
Alright, I only paid $5 for this book, and that was about how much I should have spent on it.
The book was mildly entertaining, but suffered from exactly what it was advertised to be... true stories of a hipster dad and his hipster wife raising a kid. It is full of cute stories of their growing son, and the trials and tribulations of being a parent in a neighborhood 'in transistion' with the problems that go along with parenting, not having real jobs, and not managing money well.
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The book was mildly entertaining, but suffered from exactly what it was advertised to be... true stories of a hipster dad and his hipster wife raising a kid. It is full of cute stories of their growing son, and the trials and tribulations of being a parent in a neighborhood 'in transistion' with the problems that go along with parenting, not having real jobs, and not managing money well.
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Sep 17, 2007
Abram
rated it:
Bollocks...As a father and a writer I can understand someone wanting to talk about the hardships and less glamorous stuff dealing with being a new dad, but Neal comes off as smug and, at times, cowardly. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that he's exaggerating for effect at times, but his bullsh*t is just boring. He’s way too cool of a dad for me.
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Sep 13, 2007
Elyssa
rated it:
A humorous memoir of a new father. The author is a somewhat successful aspiring writer who is married to an artist who is "allergic to making money" (his quote). Together they navigate their most terrifying challenge--parenting.
This is a good road map for fathers and mothers who want to challenge the old parenting stereotypes, primarily by sharing the task of parenting rather than following prescribed gender roles.
The author describes his son's development and More...
This is a good road map for fathers and mothers who want to challenge the old parenting stereotypes, primarily by sharing the task of parenting rather than following prescribed gender roles.
The author describes his son's development and More...
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Jun 05, 2008
RandomAnthony
rated it:
I don't know, I didn't think this book was that good. Pollack isn't a bad writer, but he's smarmy and privileged (oh my God! I don't get to go out every night when I have a kid!) and feels comfortable making broad, silly assumptions based on the one article his wife finds on google that cooresponds with his perspective. How convenient. I appreciate him trying to delve hard into the complexity of parenthood, and every now and then he does a good job of acknowledging his own mistakes and succe
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Sep 01, 2009
Justin
rated it: 
Neal Pollack clearly has a high opinion of himself. He's a "cool" guy who won't stop being cool just because he has a kid, damn it. He comes off as a self-involved ass and his parenting skills aren't that great. He relies far too much on TV shows, and thinks that shopping for high-end organic food and occasionally waking up before 10 am makes him a good dad.
Still, despite these grating qualities, I enjoyed his book and found myself liking him against my better judgment. I g More...
Still, despite these grating qualities, I enjoyed his book and found myself liking him against my better judgment. I g More...
Nov 09, 2009
Matt
rated it:
with fatherhood fast approaching, it seemed prudent to learn as much as i could through reasearch and reading. alternadad seemed like a fun way to accomplish this. neal pollack portrays his struggle to try to raise a child while still retaining a few shreds of dignity along the way. i can entirely relate to his quest, but somehow i got derailed from my sympathetic views of him as his story about himself unravelled.
he shows himself to be a bit hardheaded and with a decent ego to More...
he shows himself to be a bit hardheaded and with a decent ego to More...
Apr 08, 2008
John
rated it:
Blah, was it just a look in the mirror and not liking what I saw? Pollack's done some decent work, but this was a waste. For someone with kids it was tedious; for someone without them it would have to be effective birth control. Sure all of us can sit back and laugh at the yuppies, low rents, and suburbanites but to make a book on it?
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Dec 23, 2007
Tobey
rated it:
Neal Pollack can be hilarious, but also seems like a dick. His insights on parenthood are nothing new. He's very honest--he relates the story of his first date with his now-wife, during which he's hungover, excuses himself to barf, then ends up making out with her. So, there you go--at least he's warts and all.
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Jul 06, 2009
so i really liked neal pollack's james frey callout which gave me such timeless phrases to employ as
"I WANT A TUB OF ACID AS DEEP AS THE MOON"
anyway this callout is absolutely hysterical. so i was like oh, hey, neal pollack! i'll read your book.
i got about ninety pages in before i could not stomach the nature of it all and set it down in favor of reading a book with will self and ralph steadman. because fuck a dude complaining about having to gro More...
"I WANT A TUB OF ACID AS DEEP AS THE MOON"
anyway this callout is absolutely hysterical. so i was like oh, hey, neal pollack! i'll read your book.
i got about ninety pages in before i could not stomach the nature of it all and set it down in favor of reading a book with will self and ralph steadman. because fuck a dude complaining about having to gro More...
Jun 24, 2008
Matt
rated it:
Dreadful to the point of unpleasantness. Made me irritated with the author at the time, and that was long before I had a kid of my own. Really, I cannot find enough negative things to say about this book, so I'm not even going to try.
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Jun 10, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
Being of an age wherein I possess the twin desires to be a carefree adult rolling in money and a vigorous pincher of baby cheeks, I thought this book would be something I could identify with. This man has decided he will have children while retaining his "cool" personhood. Naturally this is not as simple as he thinks. Which was, at first, upsetting. Then I remembered that I'm not that cool to begin with and I calmed down and enjoyed reading this neurotic man's journey into Responsible
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Aug 04, 2011
Keith
rated it:
I wasn't reaaly impressed. I though going in I might get some parenting tips or revelations that I don't have to be Wally Cleaver to be a good dad. None of that here. This guy isn't alternative or cool. He and his wife are selfish, yuppie assholes. They love their kid. I'm not taking away from that fact, but when you spend a bunch of money on a pot and a vaporizer for that pot and then bitch about not having money to pay for your kid's hospital bill, you get no sympathy from me. Especially if yo
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Apr 29, 2009
Samara
rated it:
A refreshingly honest presentation of a Dude's approach to marriage and parenting. The writing's a bit choppy, but I appreciate the existence and distribution of the cultural ideas.
A worthwhile read for any male aged 16+ who fears that becoming a dad will entail a "personality makeover."
Some readers will hate this book because of Pollack's abrasive personality, which comes through strongly in this book. Also, he doesn't hide anything or pretend to be perfect More...
A worthwhile read for any male aged 16+ who fears that becoming a dad will entail a "personality makeover."
Some readers will hate this book because of Pollack's abrasive personality, which comes through strongly in this book. Also, he doesn't hide anything or pretend to be perfect More...
Jun 29, 2009
Andy
rated it:
A fast read, my wife and I took turns reading it while the other was doing something with our 5-month-old. We enjoyed it for some of the eerie parallels to our own lives (Regina's playing Morrowind and my wife's own obsession with The Elder Scrolls series, the birth plan which was almost word-for-word identical to ours, my own concern about music and children), and it's laugh-out-loud funny to boot. A good examination of how members of Gen-X and later who end up delaying childbirth cope with the
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May 25, 2011
Jaron
rated it:
I had to have my arm twisted a little bit to read this one -- memoir-type books aren't usually on my radar -- but in the end I'm glad I did. I even begrudgingly laughed out loud a few times. I did find myself wondering at times, what is this guy's kid going to think of this book when he grows up? What about the kid's friends? I am fine with a certain level of self-revelation but this went above and beyond what I would be comfortable with, and I have to wonder what his family, parents' and in-law
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Aug 30, 2007
Becky
rated it:
A teacup of cute anecdotes along with a large serving of "Neal Pollack needs to get over himself already."
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Apr 27, 2008
Erik
rated it:
I was warned and didn't listen. What an a-hole.
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Jan 08, 2008
Derek
rated it:
"Alternadad" started out strong, with Neal Pollack describing his anxiety over transforming from pseudo-gritty artiste to guy who writes to feed his family. Gross oversimplification? Yes. However, the book is at its most interesting when dealing with the anxieties of Neal and his wife prior to the birth of their son. After Elijah is born, if unfortunately devolves into yet another compliation of semi-funny stories about someone else's kid. No matter how interesting that person may be,
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Mar 17, 2011
Dave
rated it:
Despite being neither a hipster nor a dad, I rather thought this book might appeal to me, where both are at least potential paths. Probably dad more than hipster, but who knows :-) There are some great points in the book, covering the worries about losing independence, the headaches and joys of being a father and husband, and how being a parent changes you. But at the end of the day, the book didn't sustain either as humorous or as insightful a tone throughout, and just felt slow at times.
Oct 19, 2010
Andy
rated it:
hilarious and true to life, this book is good preparation for the rockin'dads-to-be who fear the inevitable question of fatherhood: will their child rock or suck? (they rock, btw, they always rock even as they pull the dogs tails for the hundredth time, climb and race along the furniture for the 30th time, and throw their food on the floor when they're done eating) Good for left-leaning dads-to-be and dads in general.
Apr 03, 2008
Karl
rated it: 
Neal Pollack seems like a pretty fun dad. I mean, how many dads take their 18 month old son to the Austin City Limits festival? How many dads do a daily rock n' roll class with their kid?
This book is about Neal Pollack falling in love, getting married, and raising his son, Elijah. It's especially poignant to me since my wife and I are expecting our first child in September.
The book touches on all the important points of raising a kid -- How to plan the birth, how that More...
This book is about Neal Pollack falling in love, getting married, and raising his son, Elijah. It's especially poignant to me since my wife and I are expecting our first child in September.
The book touches on all the important points of raising a kid -- How to plan the birth, how that More...
Sep 24, 2008
Suzy
rated it:
i really enjoyed reading this book, because it is mostly about raising kids and austin texas, both things which are dear to my heart. that said, i really cannot get past the gen X swagger that tramples on any interesting or relatable experience in the book. some people never seem to grow up, and in this instance, it is unfortunately the parents of a 2 year old boy. in my experience, having kids mostly means giving up the luxury of being selfish, something which pollack has neither done nor seem
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Jul 26, 2008
michael
rated it:
this gets an extra star because it begins in a neighbourhood i lived in for several years, my own son is supposed to arrive in four days, and it's almost certainly a more enjoyable read than what to expect when you're expecting. although alternadad is often heartwarming and inspiring (the pollacks parent on their own terms, neither of them ever getting a "straight job"), it's also baffling and infuriating (neal pollack comes off as a yuppie in hipster's clothing, there were times duri
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Jan 19, 2008
Michael
rated it:
Uh oh. A 30-something, leftwing hipster becomes a dad -- uncomfortably familiar.
Well, ok, I'm really a 40-something and not all that hip, but nonetheless this book had many cringe inducing vignettes. Like wrestling with parenthood against the backdrop of a gentrifying, multi-cultural, innercity neighborhood; making the transition from the swinging DINK lifestyle to join ranks with the daycare obsessed, etc.
A fun book for new urban(e) parents and almost worth the price o More...
Well, ok, I'm really a 40-something and not all that hip, but nonetheless this book had many cringe inducing vignettes. Like wrestling with parenthood against the backdrop of a gentrifying, multi-cultural, innercity neighborhood; making the transition from the swinging DINK lifestyle to join ranks with the daycare obsessed, etc.
A fun book for new urban(e) parents and almost worth the price o More...
Jan 03, 2009
Shylo
rated it:
I really did like this book, as I'm about to have a son of my own. And while Pollack's self-indulgent reliance on weed proved exasperating, I did appreciate reading about his and his wife's tactics for adjusting to parenthood.
Dec 16, 2009
Marceline
rated it:
Neal Pollack's portrayal of his and his family's struggles to attain middle-class respectability sans the financial means and without yielding to cookie-cutter conformity is at best mildly ironic. It suffices for you to read quoted excerpts, you needn't buy the book to get the picture. Far more fascinating, though, is his wife's crunchy obssessions with natural childbirth, environmental toxins and organic foods, yet they're raising their child in filth. They don't clean the house, and they ha
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Oct 05, 2009
Katy
rated it:
Alteradad chronicles how Neal Pollack had to grow up in order to take care of his child. He and I had a similar problem - too much sarcasm in inappropriate situations or places (like in the entire state of Texas). I feel I have conquered this problem for the most part, but Neal apparently hasn't. It doesn't make for great reading.
