Customer Reviews

The Bloke's Guide to Pregnancy

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Necessity really IS the mother of invention. Considering the appalling lack of male-directed books on the subject, this book is an absolute must for the average man who just wants to be involved in this most life-changing of events. It is exactly what it says on the tin: a "blokes" guide, so if you don't see yourself or your partner as a "bloke" then don't buy it. If on the other hand you have an open-mind, sense of humour and any degree of honesty in your relationship then this book will be rewarding and entertaining for both men and women. It is honest, funny, informative, clearly written and at times incredibly moving. The author has widely researched the subject and has broken down all the "technical" aspects of pregnancy and birth into handy, easy-to-understand sections. It was never out of reach throughout my wife's pregnancy and re-reading it after the actual birth, I could appreciate anew its accuracy and insight. I currently live in a country and a culture where men play very little part in their partners pregnancy and where many hospitals do not even permit husbands and boyfriends to attend the birth of their children. Considering this, I can forgive the author for the occasional crudeness when describing his partners physical changes or the gorier aspects of labour. His genuine love for his wife and delight in becoming a father is always evident throughout. Mr Smith has achieved something remarkable and he deserves only praise for such an emotionally honest, groundbreaking and entertaining read. Thanks to the author and best wishes to him and his family.

I bought this book for my husband because A) we're pregnant, and B) he spent his high school years in England so he enjoys English humor. He was skeptical about the quality of information and humor when I showed him the write-up before buying, but he let me get it for him anyway. I'd say he enjoyed it, because he's already read it twice, and I snuck a few peeks over his shoulder and it seemed like a guys' kinda book. The part I read happened to be the author telling the readers not to cheat while your wife is pregnant! I thought not cheating while you have a wife is a given, but my husband explained that cheating is a bit more common in the UK?? Anyway, I appreciated that the author was very against this behavior, and it made me feel good that he was making good recommendations to my hubby. Oh and besides that my hubby seemed to learn a lot through this book, the Mayo Clinic book, and the Mom's on call guide to basic baby care book, because he knows more than I do now about pregnancy and babies!

Great info funny stories and great tips on expectation and various suggestions ..... Highly recommended for all dads to be....

I bought this book for my husband, and really likes it. He said it is a funny book on pregnancy, though most of the information in it is mediocre, as he already knew most of it from common knowledge or stuff I had already told him. Though I would recommend it for guys who have little knowledge of pregnancy.

Most pregnancy books are tailored to the expecting mother; in fact, pregnancy (in general) focuses around "the mama." The Bloke's guide investigates how pregnancy will be for both men and women. At times it seems to be written from the "man's man" perspective, but Jon Smith always deconstructs that role with classic british humor. My wife noted that this book talks about the significant social changes that happen, which apparently do not appear in the books targeted towards women. Enjoy!

I bought this book for my husband, thinking that he might find it amusing as well as informative. He did read it, cover-to-cover, but was not especially pleased. He knew that it was a rather British-skewed book, but that didn't bother him (we lived in the UK for several years). He found the information in the book too elementary. Having been around siblings who have children and watching the whole process from the sidelines, he already has a pretty basic knowledge of pregnancy and how it works. The book he was really looking for was one that would go beyond the basics of, "She's going to get cranky - don't worry it's only hormones". He did say, however, that if you have a man who knows absolutely nothing about pregnancy or how it works, that this is a good book.