How to Feel Manly in a Minivan... || there is hope, new dad...
Written: Dec 08 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great attitude and fun delivery. It will be the new dad's secret weapon instruction manual.
Cons: A bit crude at times but power of the message smooths over the rough edges.
The Bottom Line: Irreverent yet loving and profound, I really love this book. Any new or soon-to-be dad will receive great value from having this one tucked into a baby shower basket/gift.
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| sleeper54's Full Review: Craig Boreth - How to Feel Manly in a Minivan: The... |
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Craig Boreth was probably like every other childless husband out there. Fat, sassy, totally satisfied with the status quo: being the MIP (Most Important Person) in his loving wife's world. OK, maybe he was not fat. Still, you get the picture.
But you know what they say: 'a baby changes everything.' Oh boy ...err, oh girl ...err . . .I know ...oh baby does it change..!!
From the title, How to Feel Manly in a Minivan: The Desperate Dad's Survival Guide, I expected a general parenting guide for dads with kids of all ages.
Instead, I found an almost autobiographical journey through a new dad's 'year of the baby'. Reading brought many moments of nodding in recognition, smiles, and 'laugh-out-louds' while enjoying the situations, stories, and sound advice shared by Boreth.
Papa Hemingway must have felt later in life, when reading a fishing tale: 'Yeah, I did that once.' Just as Hemingway would have detected a fake fish story, I sense that Craig really lived the year he shares here.
Like a possible NASA mission to Mars, the book covers much more than a single year. Viewed from the starting point, this 'baby mission' probably seems as dark and unknown as a real Mars mission. Figuring a few months of "meaningful sex" (you know, 'procreative' sex... the kind where one participant wants to become pregnant), nine months of pregnancy, labor/delivery, and that first year . . .well, let's admit it truly does seem like a very long journey.
Some of Boreth's best advice is offered early: "...you don't need to know everything (about pregnancy, babies, and parenting) all at once; you only need to know something when you need to know it." While that might frustrate some readers, it certainly fits my general philosophy of life. I am sure many other men new to this whole 'father, pregnancy, baby' thing will also eagerly adopt it.
For those who do feel compelled to know more, to read more, Boreth occasionally offers suggestions for additional reading and provides a Recommended Reading List as an appendix. It is noteworthy that he warns readers about only one specific book:
"The single bestselling book of all time is 'What to Expect When You're Expecting'. ...Under no circumstances should you allow (your wife) to read it. While this book is very informative, it also includes every possible nightmare scenario about what can come to pass during a pregnancy. It will turn your wife into a complete basket case."
Early chapters cover many of the pitfalls and 'traps' a new dad might encounter. Understanding that waiting until you know you are ready to be a dad is not the way to go, how to react when that dipstick turns positive, how to eliminate alcohol and caffeine (you and mom-to-be), how to help with deal with morning sickness ("Head On Down to the Big Queasy.") Also covered are 'winning' the name game, turning the baby shower to dad's benefit, and many other pre-birth activities.
Later chapters cover the actual birth process ("How To Remain Conscious During Delivery"), dealing with too many diapers, not enough sleep, and all the other excesses and deficiencies of the new household.
The last chapters of the book address important topics like "How to Make Sure the Baby Says 'Daddy' First", traveling/flying with baby, and reconnecting sexually with your wife, among other topics. This last section seem a bit crude, titled "How to See Your Wife as a MILF". But I suppose today's dad-to-be is already familiar with that acronym.
The Bottom Line
Craig Boreth probably has his shins kicked by his wife under the table occasionally. He will often spout audacious ideas that might not be politically-correct in mixed company.
That irreverent attitude with an underlying, unspoken love of wife and child delivers a message that rings true in content, application, and depth.
I really love How to Feel Manly in a Minivan: The Desperate Dad's Survival Guide. I am sure the new or soon-to-be dad would welcome having this one tucked into a baby shower basket/gift.
A certified 'Lean-n-mean' review.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sleeper54
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Member: ...tom...
Location: "Is this Heaven?"......"No. It's Iowa."
Reviews written: 491
Trusted by: 547 members
About Me:
Off to Dallas for real-world 'work' training.
Will be back ASAP..!!
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