The Guy's Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth and the First Year of Fatherhood [Paperback]

Michael Crider (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2005

In high school, Michael Crider was the jokester, the drummer in a band, the Howie Mandel impersonator. Fast-forward ten years and the funny man has married and become the family man. The Guy’s Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the First Year of Fatherhood—Crider’s candid, down-to-earth account of his transformation—proves that even without much sleep, he has kept his sense of humor completely intact.From the moment he hears the unexpected news that the pregnancy test is positive to the end of his son’s first year of life, Michael Crider is awed, anxious, and all-too-human. In between these milestones, he endures the aches and pains of his wife’s pregnancy (which had a clear impact on his own bodily comfort), swallows his pride when bunny wallpaper replaces his beloved Budweiser mirror, has a short and only partially-appreciated stint as her labor coach on the Big Day, and experiences every one of his son’s “firsts” as though they were his own. Honest, informative, hilarious, and heartwarming, The Guy’s Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the First Year of Fatherhood is a must-read for all new parents.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A hilarious, shoot-from-the-hip take on what to expect pre- and post-partum." -- Life6/17/05

"Funny, true and often times racy, Crider's book is refreshing...first-time dads will learn plenty." -- Colorado ParentJune, 2005

"Funny, true, and often times racy, Crider's book is refreshing...first-time dads will learn plenty." -- Boston Parents Paper 6/1/05

"Funny... this book is just what the doctor ordered." -- Newsday 10/10/05

"Lighthearted and humorous.... A great shower present for a dad-to-be." -- Boston Globe 9/18/05

"This book will grab you and not let you go-a must read. The perfect gift for Father's Day." -- Nashville City Paper 6/1/05

"This guide proves that without much sleep, the author kept his sense of humor." -- The Detroit News 9/20/2005

"Wry, insightful and hilarious...Crider relates the highs and lows of what is ultimately a mind-blowing transformation into fatherhood." -- Nashville Parent July, 2005

"[An] amusing, sometimes unpredictable take on new parenthood." -- CNN.com6/24/05

About the Author

Michael Crider is the author of The Guy’s Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the First Year of Fatherhood, and The Guy’s Guide to Dating, Getting Hitched, and Surviving the First Year of Marriage. He lives in Tennessee with his wife and son.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; First Da Capo Press Edition edition (May 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738210277
• ISBN-13: 978-0738210278
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #213,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor, uninspiring and a waste of money, March 8, 2007

By 

A. Demirdjian - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Guy's Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth and the First Year of Fatherhood (Paperback)

This book is exactly what the author claims it to be: the story of a man who never wanted to be a father and to whom this seems to have happened accidentally. Until then, we're ok. Soon we realize that the author has no or very little education on pregnancy, child education or any sort of academic background granting him the right to claim providing fathers-to-be with a "surviving guide".

In reality, the macho and insensitive approach to the book makes one feel that pregnancy is a burden and that, whatever you do as a father-to-be, just do the bare minimum to survive and hope for the best.

I guess in this day and age, everyone believes they have a right to express themselves and publish a book. In our capitalist mind, it's OK, but all this book is doing is taking space on a shelf in some bookstore.

I strongly disadvise reading this if you want to learn anything about how to help your partner, wife or girlfriend to get through pregnancy. And mostly, I strongly disadvise reading this book if you want tips on how to deal with your new role and responsibilities as a father.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars As the title says, he is merely trying to survive, June 26, 2009

By 

A. Pingel - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Guy's Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth and the First Year of Fatherhood (Paperback)

While I understand that this book will appeal to some types, please read this title carefully. The author is merely trying to survive pregnancy.

I bought this book for my husband as a father's day gift as a new dad to be. He was disgusted with the tone of the author immediately and the "humor" throughout the book. It was clear that the author came from a very different lifestyle than ours and I was sorry for not reading the reviews more carefully before my purchase.

I understand where the author is coming from. I've known men like him and he's exactly the kind of man that we would never take parenting advice from. In fact the author himself says that the only thing that he has to offer is the advice to take no parenting advice from anyone. I am sorry that I made the purchase and certainly will never recommend this book to anyone else. I will try to find someone to give it to who might enjoy it more, but most likely it will be thrown away.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, But You Have to Be Smart to Enjoy It!, September 16, 2009

By 

Warren P. Bullock (Cedar Falls, IA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Guy's Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the First Year of Fatherhood (Kindle Edition)

Before I wrote my own review, I was reading through the other reviews and noticed that they were EXTREMELY polarized. For the most part people either loved it or hated it. I can explain this. This book is very obviously, from the time you pick it up, not intended to be a serious guide on how to deal with pregnancy. If you're looking for a pregnancy text book, this is not for you. If you're looking for a great read with some good sarcastic smart a$$ humor that also has some very real insight into pregnancy from a guy's perspective, then this is a great book. We didn't buy this before our first pregnancy, but we picked it up as we were expecting our second. Having been through it all once before, this book pretty much nails things on the head in a very light hearted and readable manner (which is very important for me, as I have ADD when it comes to reading). If you're an expectant mother you might want to share some information from the text book you're probably reading with your husband too; but, I promise he will get much more that he can relate to and will be much more interested in this book. I highly recommend it, but you have to have a good sense of humor and not be too "anal" to appreciate it.

We actually liked it so much that we bought three additional copies and gave them as gifts to other couples who were expecting.