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Babyhood
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).
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
February 25, 2022
4.5 stars
Another hilarious book from Paul Reiser. He is a funny funny man. His quick and inventive humour makes this a very entertaining read.
Have recently discovered that Paul Reiser has penned a third book titled Familyhood, thrilled to bits about that, I look forward to reading it.
Another hilarious book from Paul Reiser. He is a funny funny man. His quick and inventive humour makes this a very entertaining read.
Have recently discovered that Paul Reiser has penned a third book titled Familyhood, thrilled to bits about that, I look forward to reading it.
April 7, 2024
Couplehood had me in stitches, so when I saw Babyhood at our local friends of the library sale, I couldn't resist.
Paul Reiser is still a riot. From baby naming to sharing unbelievably personal bodily functions, "babyhood" is the most demanding stage in a couple's life. And, as Reiser points out, it lasts forever. This realization would've terrified me back into my 16-year-old hell-no-I-don't-want-kids mindset if I hadn't been laughing at every page. Instead, I'm swapping favorite baby names with my pregnant friend, looking forward to the day when I can pick out names for my own children. OK, OK, so the names are already picked -- none of this democratic stuff that Reiser describes in the chapter "And Thy Name Shall Be... Something." Although all parents should heed his advice about "unique" names (i.e. don't name a kid Ghennyfer when Jennifer will suffice). It might save them years of ridicule. Think of the children.
Paul Reiser is still a riot. From baby naming to sharing unbelievably personal bodily functions, "babyhood" is the most demanding stage in a couple's life. And, as Reiser points out, it lasts forever. This realization would've terrified me back into my 16-year-old hell-no-I-don't-want-kids mindset if I hadn't been laughing at every page. Instead, I'm swapping favorite baby names with my pregnant friend, looking forward to the day when I can pick out names for my own children. OK, OK, so the names are already picked -- none of this democratic stuff that Reiser describes in the chapter "And Thy Name Shall Be... Something." Although all parents should heed his advice about "unique" names (i.e. don't name a kid Ghennyfer when Jennifer will suffice). It might save them years of ridicule. Think of the children.
April 20, 2014
Funny, touching, surprisingly wise, and full of love. A few times it got a bit off track with tangents/asides-that-didn't-seem-too-pertinent-or-all-that-funny, but overall it is a love letter to his family and to the ups and downs (all worthwhile!) of having a baby.
January 8, 2009
Truly funny!
I laughed from the first page. This book shares the author’s opinion and experiences from the moment him and her wife thinking about having baby ‘till the baby arrived. So many interesting thoughts he let us know with amusing way. One of the chapters titled “And thy name shall be…something”. Here he explained how difficult and tricky to give a baby a name. I quote: “The power is extraordinary. The simple combination of letters and sounds you select can result in a life of carefree coolness or decades of expensive therapy. “Hi, I’m Jake” versus “Hi, I’m….Tapioca.” Not to denigrate the virtues of being unique. It’s just that there’s a fine line between Good Unique and Just Plain Wrong. Good Unique is when you call your child’s name and he’s the only one who comes running. Just Plain Wrong is when they’re running because they’re being chased.”
Great book…I’m looking his book “Couplehood”. My friend said Babyhood is funnier then Couplehood but…I’ll take the risk
I laughed from the first page. This book shares the author’s opinion and experiences from the moment him and her wife thinking about having baby ‘till the baby arrived. So many interesting thoughts he let us know with amusing way. One of the chapters titled “And thy name shall be…something”. Here he explained how difficult and tricky to give a baby a name. I quote: “The power is extraordinary. The simple combination of letters and sounds you select can result in a life of carefree coolness or decades of expensive therapy. “Hi, I’m Jake” versus “Hi, I’m….Tapioca.” Not to denigrate the virtues of being unique. It’s just that there’s a fine line between Good Unique and Just Plain Wrong. Good Unique is when you call your child’s name and he’s the only one who comes running. Just Plain Wrong is when they’re running because they’re being chased.”
Great book…I’m looking his book “Couplehood”. My friend said Babyhood is funnier then Couplehood but…I’ll take the risk
March 2, 2016
Babyhood is the follow up book to Couplehood by Mad About You actor/comedian Paul Reiser.
It's a mixture of autobiography, humourous observations, 1990s comedy & practical advice.
Whilst it's certainly not a boring way to pass time I'm not sure I would actually say it's worthwhile to read if you have something else to read. It wouldn't be my choice as a funny parenting book nor a general humour book; some of the observational humour is now dated and no longer relevant.
Overall, it seems like a jump-on-the-1990s-comedy-best-selling-bandwagon than a book which stands out on it's own as interesting & entertaining in its own right.
It's a mixture of autobiography, humourous observations, 1990s comedy & practical advice.
Whilst it's certainly not a boring way to pass time I'm not sure I would actually say it's worthwhile to read if you have something else to read. It wouldn't be my choice as a funny parenting book nor a general humour book; some of the observational humour is now dated and no longer relevant.
Overall, it seems like a jump-on-the-1990s-comedy-best-selling-bandwagon than a book which stands out on it's own as interesting & entertaining in its own right.
May 30, 2007
I listened to this book on tape on my way to Chicago because my wife got it from the library for the trip. I don't usually like books on tape but this wasn't unlistenable. It's mildly amusing in some parts and once in a while quite funny. Paul Reiser is an acquired taste as far as comics go and his shtick gets tired after a while. He thinks he's a lot funnier than he actually is. However, the jokes that do work here would probably not work on the page since they rely on his voice inflections and such. So my guess is that I would have hated this book had I read it.
February 11, 2013
This is my third time through the book...I read this before I had my first child, and now have 3 children, I am finding Paul's wisdom, not only funny, but very practical. I have begun to give this book out to first time parents, and the gift has gone over very well. If you are currently with young children, or want to remember those days of parenting young children, pick up this book, and just allow yourself to laugh.
September 1, 2018
it's stupid funny to be a dad // fast, familiar, funny // references to sex and gruesome birth // 3.2: 3.0, 4.0, 4.0, 3.2, 3.7 // this is an easy read that, i think, accomplishes exactly what it seeks to accomplish, so i'm not sure exactly how to rate it.
SUMMARY // 3 ADJECTIVES // WARNINGS FOR KIDS // RATING: SETTING RATING, PLOT RATING, CHARACTER RATING, WRITING RATING, IDEAS RATING // OTHER WORDS
SUMMARY // 3 ADJECTIVES // WARNINGS FOR KIDS // RATING: SETTING RATING, PLOT RATING, CHARACTER RATING, WRITING RATING, IDEAS RATING // OTHER WORDS
February 12, 2009
I laughed, I cried, I nodded my head and mumbled "oh, that's so true" many times through this book. Reiser's funny observations about having a baby made it that much funnier when our kids were infants. Just renewing the obvious that with a quick wit and a eye for wonder, there is humorous material all around us. Great book.
April 20, 2014
Funny and engaging - a quick read; good for couples who are thinking about starting a family. I've enjoyed watching Paul Reiser on Mad About You and I like his sense of humor.
February 5, 2010
For some reason, I adored Paul Reiser's comedy in high school, so I thought I would revisit this book now that I have a baby. It just didn't seem funny anymore. Maybe his experiences were just more dramatic than mine!
Read
July 12, 2010I know. It's just that I really want to keep reading about parenthood but all the how-to books are driving me crazy. I need a little comic relief!
Update: just... not funny. Or well written. Not worth it!
Update: just... not funny. Or well written. Not worth it!
September 29, 2013
Las andaduras y experiencia contada acerca de su paternidad por el actor, famoso sobretodo por la serie : Mad about you, de manera desenfadada y divertida.
Para pasar un buen rato leyendo.
Para pasar un buen rato leyendo.
February 20, 2008
My Favorite Quotes:
“I want to have kids,” she says.
“Hey, who said different?”
“But not right away.”
“No, I know. We’ll have kids, but when we’re ready.”
“Right …”
Beat.
“But I don’t want to wait too long …”
“No, we won’t,” I assured her. “We’ll wait, like, you know … just the right amount of time.”
I’m well aware that not everybody gives the if-and-when of having kids this much time and deliberation.
A lot of people have kids who, frankly, didn’t mean to.
Many people choose to have no kids at all and live quite happily.
But most people have kids simply because you’re “supposed to.” The rule book says once you get married, start churning ‘em out. It’s just “the next step,” part of that nonstop momentum that keeps us all sprinting through life. (p. 8).
It becomes a matter of which self-centered impulse you want to service; the need to be free and unencumbered now, or the need to secure yourself a caretaker to whom you can be a huge encumbrance later.
“Let’s see … we’re going to need someone to put our things in order, someone to take all our junk when we die, and someone to take care of us and worry about us before we die … I don’t know anybody who’s going to do that … I know – let’s make someone. Let’s manufacture a whole new person, and then that’ll be their job.” (p. 10).
New parents always sound like hucksters in a pyramid scheme. Anyone who has kids and then gets you to go and have kids gets a check from Huckster Headquarters. They’re like newly converted religious fanatics, these people. They’re not only hooked, but they won’t rest till they bring you into the fold, too. (p. 11).
When you’re trying to get pregnant, you both take a veritable crash course in biology and anatomy. Names of procedures and body parts that were once faraway places on that big map in your doctor’s office become second nature.
But for men, this transformation is even more remarkable, because before this, they knew next to nothing. It’s remarkable –sad, but still remarkable – how little they know of the actual mechanics operating within women’s bodies. The whole business is referred to simply as “Down There.” (p. 21).
So where do these cravings come from? I concluded it’s the baby, ordering in. Prenatal takeout. Even without ever being in a restaurant, fetuses develop remarkably discerning palates, and they are no shy about demanding what they want. If they get a hankering, they just pick up that umbilical cord and call. (p. 38).
In addition to cribs and cradles, you also have to consider playpens, which at first impression struck me as no more than brightly colored, miniature jails. Is this really how we want to treat a brand-new person? Poor thing spends nine months cooped up in the womb, and first thing we do is toss him in a cage like a zoo animal. At least zoo animals get shrubbery and little ponds and schoolchildren tossing them peanuts. (p. 45).
Once you go ahead and buy every piece of merchandise with the word “baby” in the name, you still have another problem: How do you get all this stuff home? The answer, of course: Get rid of your car and find yourself a big ugly four-wheel-drive/trucky/sport utility/”just-throw-everything-in-the-back” vehicle. Suddenly you understand those behemoth station wagons your parents had. But because we are, as a group, so much more clever, we now surround ourselves instead in hulking tanks – uglier by far than anything we sat in the back of when we were five. But this time they have much cooler names, Outback, Range Rover, Land Cruiser, Four Runner, Trooper, Pathfinder … Where do we think we’re going? We’re picking up diapers and dropping off a video. We’re not bagging a cheetah and lugging it across Kenya (p. 49).
Observing my relatives with the baby, I realized they fall into a few different categories of adult-to-infant communications:
There’s the Greeter:
“Who’s that? That’s your mommy. Who’s that? That’s your daddy …”
Who works hand in hand with the Tour Guide:
“This is the living room, can you say living room? And this is the foyer! You don’t want to spill anything in the foyer …”
Who’s not quite as annoying as The Embarrasser:
“Did you make a stinky? I think you made a stinky. I’m going to tell everyone you made a stinky, even though we’re not a hundred percent sure …”
Or the Entertainer:
They just lean over the baby and make amusing noises. “Ha-cha-cha-cha … Ha-cha-cha-cha … Boo-ti-boo-ta … chook-chook-chook-chook …”
These of course, are all derivatives of the quintessential and official baby-speak noise – “Coochie-coochie coo.” I’m not sure how that became the industry standard, but it is. I imagine that at some point there must have been a meeting. “Coochie coochie coo” beat out perennial favorite “goo-goo-gah-gah” and the straightforward but too-literal “Greetings, Small Bald Round One.” (p. 86).
When you’re the parents of a new child, all the craving and desire you’ve ever felt for sex is transferred over to sleep. It’s like somebody sneaked into your brain, found the wires going to the sex button and the sleep button, and just switched them.
I didn’t realize how extensive the change was till I found myself one day staring at a lingerie ad with a photo of a beautiful, seductive, young woman sprawled practically naked across a satin-sheeted bed, and all I could think was, “Man, that bed looks comfortable.” (p. 106).
But as miraculous and moving as this is, I can’t get past the fact that food is coming out of my wife’s breasts. What was once essentially an entertainment center has now become a juice bar. This takes some getting used to. It’s like if bread were suddenly coming out of a person’s neck. Wouldn’t that be unsettling? Let’s say you’re a woman. If you were nibbling your husband’s ear and came away with a piece of toast, wouldn’t you be a tad skittish? That’s all I’m saying. (p. 133).
And again the accepted convention is: Lie. For all the sharing and being open and vulnerable, the truth is that all new parents are Big Fat Liars.
We lie about things that don’t even mean anything. Like Sleeping Through the Night. You wouldn’t think your newborn baby’s ability to sleep or not sleep consecutive hours would be potential grounds for ridicule. But you’d be wrong.
“Our daughter came home from the hospital, and from that night forward, she slept perfectly. Went down at eight-thirty, woke up the next morning at nine.”
Lies, lies, and more lies. Because if you told the truth, it might make you look bad. If your baby doesn’t sleep through the night, it’s a cultural stigma. It’s like The Scarlet Letter –where the “A” stands for “We’re still Awake, thank you very much.” So even if you both have bags under your eyes the size of steamer trunks –lie. (p. 180-181).
“I want to have kids,” she says.
“Hey, who said different?”
“But not right away.”
“No, I know. We’ll have kids, but when we’re ready.”
“Right …”
Beat.
“But I don’t want to wait too long …”
“No, we won’t,” I assured her. “We’ll wait, like, you know … just the right amount of time.”
I’m well aware that not everybody gives the if-and-when of having kids this much time and deliberation.
A lot of people have kids who, frankly, didn’t mean to.
Many people choose to have no kids at all and live quite happily.
But most people have kids simply because you’re “supposed to.” The rule book says once you get married, start churning ‘em out. It’s just “the next step,” part of that nonstop momentum that keeps us all sprinting through life. (p. 8).
It becomes a matter of which self-centered impulse you want to service; the need to be free and unencumbered now, or the need to secure yourself a caretaker to whom you can be a huge encumbrance later.
“Let’s see … we’re going to need someone to put our things in order, someone to take all our junk when we die, and someone to take care of us and worry about us before we die … I don’t know anybody who’s going to do that … I know – let’s make someone. Let’s manufacture a whole new person, and then that’ll be their job.” (p. 10).
New parents always sound like hucksters in a pyramid scheme. Anyone who has kids and then gets you to go and have kids gets a check from Huckster Headquarters. They’re like newly converted religious fanatics, these people. They’re not only hooked, but they won’t rest till they bring you into the fold, too. (p. 11).
When you’re trying to get pregnant, you both take a veritable crash course in biology and anatomy. Names of procedures and body parts that were once faraway places on that big map in your doctor’s office become second nature.
But for men, this transformation is even more remarkable, because before this, they knew next to nothing. It’s remarkable –sad, but still remarkable – how little they know of the actual mechanics operating within women’s bodies. The whole business is referred to simply as “Down There.” (p. 21).
So where do these cravings come from? I concluded it’s the baby, ordering in. Prenatal takeout. Even without ever being in a restaurant, fetuses develop remarkably discerning palates, and they are no shy about demanding what they want. If they get a hankering, they just pick up that umbilical cord and call. (p. 38).
In addition to cribs and cradles, you also have to consider playpens, which at first impression struck me as no more than brightly colored, miniature jails. Is this really how we want to treat a brand-new person? Poor thing spends nine months cooped up in the womb, and first thing we do is toss him in a cage like a zoo animal. At least zoo animals get shrubbery and little ponds and schoolchildren tossing them peanuts. (p. 45).
Once you go ahead and buy every piece of merchandise with the word “baby” in the name, you still have another problem: How do you get all this stuff home? The answer, of course: Get rid of your car and find yourself a big ugly four-wheel-drive/trucky/sport utility/”just-throw-everything-in-the-back” vehicle. Suddenly you understand those behemoth station wagons your parents had. But because we are, as a group, so much more clever, we now surround ourselves instead in hulking tanks – uglier by far than anything we sat in the back of when we were five. But this time they have much cooler names, Outback, Range Rover, Land Cruiser, Four Runner, Trooper, Pathfinder … Where do we think we’re going? We’re picking up diapers and dropping off a video. We’re not bagging a cheetah and lugging it across Kenya (p. 49).
Observing my relatives with the baby, I realized they fall into a few different categories of adult-to-infant communications:
There’s the Greeter:
“Who’s that? That’s your mommy. Who’s that? That’s your daddy …”
Who works hand in hand with the Tour Guide:
“This is the living room, can you say living room? And this is the foyer! You don’t want to spill anything in the foyer …”
Who’s not quite as annoying as The Embarrasser:
“Did you make a stinky? I think you made a stinky. I’m going to tell everyone you made a stinky, even though we’re not a hundred percent sure …”
Or the Entertainer:
They just lean over the baby and make amusing noises. “Ha-cha-cha-cha … Ha-cha-cha-cha … Boo-ti-boo-ta … chook-chook-chook-chook …”
These of course, are all derivatives of the quintessential and official baby-speak noise – “Coochie-coochie coo.” I’m not sure how that became the industry standard, but it is. I imagine that at some point there must have been a meeting. “Coochie coochie coo” beat out perennial favorite “goo-goo-gah-gah” and the straightforward but too-literal “Greetings, Small Bald Round One.” (p. 86).
When you’re the parents of a new child, all the craving and desire you’ve ever felt for sex is transferred over to sleep. It’s like somebody sneaked into your brain, found the wires going to the sex button and the sleep button, and just switched them.
I didn’t realize how extensive the change was till I found myself one day staring at a lingerie ad with a photo of a beautiful, seductive, young woman sprawled practically naked across a satin-sheeted bed, and all I could think was, “Man, that bed looks comfortable.” (p. 106).
But as miraculous and moving as this is, I can’t get past the fact that food is coming out of my wife’s breasts. What was once essentially an entertainment center has now become a juice bar. This takes some getting used to. It’s like if bread were suddenly coming out of a person’s neck. Wouldn’t that be unsettling? Let’s say you’re a woman. If you were nibbling your husband’s ear and came away with a piece of toast, wouldn’t you be a tad skittish? That’s all I’m saying. (p. 133).
And again the accepted convention is: Lie. For all the sharing and being open and vulnerable, the truth is that all new parents are Big Fat Liars.
We lie about things that don’t even mean anything. Like Sleeping Through the Night. You wouldn’t think your newborn baby’s ability to sleep or not sleep consecutive hours would be potential grounds for ridicule. But you’d be wrong.
“Our daughter came home from the hospital, and from that night forward, she slept perfectly. Went down at eight-thirty, woke up the next morning at nine.”
Lies, lies, and more lies. Because if you told the truth, it might make you look bad. If your baby doesn’t sleep through the night, it’s a cultural stigma. It’s like The Scarlet Letter –where the “A” stands for “We’re still Awake, thank you very much.” So even if you both have bags under your eyes the size of steamer trunks –lie. (p. 180-181).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2021
a humorous look at the changes a couple experience with their first child. I enjoyed his smart aleck comments and common sense advice. Even though we are long past that stage, it was fun to remember those days.
July 21, 2025
Another road trip listen that had us hanging on every word and laughing along the way! Highly recommend for anyone considering the next phase in life as a couple
October 22, 2018
Now I am two thirds through the Paul Reiser Couplehood, Babyhood, and familyhood books.
Starting backwards I have now read Familyhood and Babyhood.
If you do not have a baby or intent on having a baby, forget it. This book is not something you should ever need.
One of the greatest attributes of his writing, is that you hear his voice. You see him delivering these clever thoughts, and intonation in your minds eye.
There are genuinely funny moments throughout the book, again for people with or expecting child.
It is a collection of miniature essays which weave together a chronological chapter-based thread from beginning to end. With the book ends being chapters that are truly reflective.
This is why this book does not score higher as there is an entire segment of the population that this book will literally mean nothing to.
BUT FOR THOSE WITH KIDS:
Read this, for fun, and to remember the start of it all :)
Starting backwards I have now read Familyhood and Babyhood.
If you do not have a baby or intent on having a baby, forget it. This book is not something you should ever need.
One of the greatest attributes of his writing, is that you hear his voice. You see him delivering these clever thoughts, and intonation in your minds eye.
There are genuinely funny moments throughout the book, again for people with or expecting child.
It is a collection of miniature essays which weave together a chronological chapter-based thread from beginning to end. With the book ends being chapters that are truly reflective.
This is why this book does not score higher as there is an entire segment of the population that this book will literally mean nothing to.
BUT FOR THOSE WITH KIDS:
Read this, for fun, and to remember the start of it all :)
November 29, 2016
In style, Reiser is not far different from Dave Barry, if a little less juvenile and at the same time, oddly enough, not quite as good. In terms of style, if one were to posit that George Burns, maybe, with his dry wit, was a 1 on the scale of juvenility, and Howard Stern is a 10, Dave Barry might come in somewhere between 6.5 and 7, and Reiser would come in at between 5.5 and 6. I found this book to resonate with me somewhat more strongly than "Couplehood" did; even though it's been 25 years since my son was a baby, I still recognize a lot of what he describes. And if, like in "Couplehood", he still tends to over-generalize his experience to everyone else, when there are times that it doesn't resonate, there are fewer of them here than there were in that book. His take on many of the experiences of parenting a newborn are hilariously spot-on.
June 15, 2016
This book is truly hilarious and I don't even have any babies in my house anymore. There is an entire chapter dedicated to things that could happen to your baby quite by accident:
"You could toss your baby up in the air just as the stork is flying by, which snags your baby and delivers him to another family."
"You could feed him a bottle that's too hot"
"You could feed him a bottle that's too cold"
"You could feed him a bottle that's just right but actually belongs to three angry bears"
I laughed out loud throughout this book. It isn't long and I recommend it to anyone who has had kids (or just been around kids for that matter!).
"You could toss your baby up in the air just as the stork is flying by, which snags your baby and delivers him to another family."
"You could feed him a bottle that's too hot"
"You could feed him a bottle that's too cold"
"You could feed him a bottle that's just right but actually belongs to three angry bears"
I laughed out loud throughout this book. It isn't long and I recommend it to anyone who has had kids (or just been around kids for that matter!).
August 2, 2008
Paul Reiser is a funny funny man. In this follow up book to "Couplehood", he examines all of the aspects of becoming a parent, from the initial thoughts regarding it, to the "making it happen" aspects and on and on. Whether you have children or are considering having children or would rather never have children, this is a great book. Talent is what it is and at the end of the day, funny is funny, regardless of politics. Reiser is that kind of observational humorist. And my son and daughter-in-law who are expecting twins will be receiving this book in the mail as soon as I finish it....
December 29, 2016
Pretty much what Reiser says is true about bringing a child into your life & he says it with humor. How else to handle it cuz after you've become a parent, there's not a whole lot you can do about it if you find it's not "your cup of tea." So, you might as well laugh about it cuz, otherwise, you'll cry.
That's why I recommend reading my book--"The Parent Trap: 51 Things to Consider Before Becoming a Parent"--before making the biggest and most important decision you will ever make. And a decision that is irreversible. Once you become a parent, you are a parent until the day you die!
That's why I recommend reading my book--"The Parent Trap: 51 Things to Consider Before Becoming a Parent"--before making the biggest and most important decision you will ever make. And a decision that is irreversible. Once you become a parent, you are a parent until the day you die!
January 16, 2017
I'm a big fan of Paul Reiser. "Mad About You" was one of my favorite shows. And if you like the humor of that show, you'll enjoy the humor of this book. Also, as a recent first-time mom, there was a lot I could relate to and a lot in this book I could laugh about. It's entertaining and comical. There are a few gender stereotypes that may offend (it is over a decade old), but I would suggest not taking the book too seriously, since it clearly isn't meant to be taken seriously. It's cute and funny and heartwarming and a really fast read, so if that's what you're looking for, give it a try.
February 22, 2018
This book was my preparation for having our first child. It definitely was not a complete preparation, nor was it meant to be, but Reiser approached parenthood in a humorous and genuine way. I especially liked his advice that in searching for a name you want a name that is unique enough that when you call it on the playground there are not a dozen children that come running. But you don't want a name so unique that your kid is the one constantly running away from bullies on the playground. Since having children I have learned how valuable it is to have a sense of humor about parenting.
September 5, 2018
It was all right. I think he had some good points on what it is like for a man in a relationship in raising a child. I think as two men raising our child, I feel we have more of a 50-50 split on raising the kid. I think he left it more to his wife, which is what is expected in their relationship, but I also think that times have changed and I've noticed fathers now being much more involved then they might have been in the past. He did do a good job of detailing activities, getting up in the middle of the night to check on the baby, and who's turn it was. These things I remember well!
September 28, 2011
(Non-Fiction - Comedy, Parenting) My husband and I have been watching re-runs of Mad About You and we are surprised by how much we enjoy the show as late-twenty-something parents. When it was on a air, we simply remember our parents liking the show. If you like Paul Reiser and Mad About You, you will like this book. I laughed out loud and found myself agreeing with much of his commentary on babyhood.
August 10, 2016
This gave me lots of laughs. I didn't seek it out, just randomly found it in the non-fiction section at the library when I was looking for Babywise (never found it even though the electronic card catalog said it was on the shelf). This book made me a bit nostalgic for Mad About You, as Paul Reiser has the same sense of humour in the book as he infused into that show. It's just a good, funny memoir about becoming a parent. Enjoyed it.
May 30, 2016
Maybe I'm too young to understand Reiser's humor? I was really excited to read this book. I'm obsessed with anything baby at the moment but this was a disappointment. I did not find his jokes funny and quite frankly I was bored after a few chapters. Such a shame! I was looking forward to reading about parenthood from a mans perspective. I'm usually the type to finish a book if I've started it but this one is a snooze fest!
July 2, 2009
I read this about 10 years ago because someone had left it laying around at work and I can't stand to see a book go to waste by not being read. It was interesting information from a parents perspective, however I probably did not get all I should have out of the book being that I was about 17 when I read it.
November 4, 2018
Paul Reiser’s Babyhood was a quick and fun read on his experiences raising a newborn. Most of the jokes and sarcasm throughout would have played much better in the standup comedian space, but I did find myself smiling while reading nearly every page. While nothing truly insightful was presented, Reiser’s writing was genuine and he made the material relatable.
July 30, 2008
This was a re-read. I remember it being much funnier the first time, although I did enjoy it this time around, too. Seems like I should have liked it more, though, since this time I'm reading it as a newish mom.
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