Customer Reviews

Do I Look Like a Daddy to You?: A Survival Guide for First-Time Fathers

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this book for my husband when we found out that we were expecting our first child. After reading through about half of the book, he asked me to throw it away. The writer is a huge downer; he complained about EVERYTHING in the hospital and at the last minute he decided that he would not be in the room when his baby was born! My husband did not feel that this was the type of perspective that he wanted to learn from his first time into fatherhood.

I bought this book for my husband (who doesn't like to read)and he loves it! I also thought it was great for me to get the "daddy's perspective" so I have been reading it too. It is a very candid look at the things men go through from when they find out they are going to be fathers for the first time, the pregnancy, the birth process and actually caring for a child. It is honest, funny and touching. I would recommend it highly for anyone who is going through the process for the first time!

For those fathers who've been subjected to the various "new parents" books where Daddy is reduced to a spectral figure at best or a bumbling hindrance at worst, Skinner's book is a welcome antidote. Neither moralizing nor new-age/touchy-feely, "Daddy" conveys the awesome responsibility (and fun) of being a dad while remembering that most parents are flawed, humble creatures just getting by. The story of how Skinner found out he was going to be a father is outstanding -- and probably no worse than how most dads found out -- as are the recurring figures who complicate the job of being parent. Enough of books that wax romantically about how great it is to be a parent. It is, but it's also gritty, hard work, and Skinner's book conveys very well how the gritty and the great go hand in hand.

This book should probably be subtitled "Arrested Adolesence Contemplates Impending Fatherhood". The book is really a memoir of two years of Skinner's life (9 months prior to and one year after the birth of his daughter) that also contains useful parenting tips. If you're like me then you'll gloss over parts in which he assumes that the reader is as flippant and irreverant as he is. Useful information that he presents includes:

What to pack for your stay at the hospital
Recipes for your solid-food eating infant
Medicines to have on hand for Junior
Daycare selection criteria

Yes, yes, yes, other books contain this as well, but wouldn't it be irresponsible for Skinner to leave this out?

Here are the drawbacks that come to mind:

Trite humor
No recommendations for other books

I was happy to read that Skinner at least raises the possibility of a husband not being present with his wife during the delivery. The presence of the husband during delivery is not a rule, but a choice to be made by the couple. Contrary to what a previous reviewer wrote, Skinner's absence was not the result of a last-minute decision. Skinner and his wife decided it well in advance of the birth. Skinner's description does give much food for thought (some of it not very complimentary), but it's clear that he and his wife made the correct decision for themselves.

To sum up, I found this book to be a good read. It's not without its flaws, and most certainly is not the only book a father-to-be should read, but the information is sound and the writing solid.

I bought several (o.k. three) books for my husband supposedly geared towards guys written by guys. My husband loved this book and even passed it on to another expectant father-something that is highly unusual if you know my husband. He said that it seemed real and seemed to speak to him more than the other books. So, through him, I highly recommend this book!

I wasn't planning on writing a review for this book, but when I saw the last two bad reviews, I had to chime in! Those reviewers must have completely missed the author's wonderful sense of humor, which was what made this book a pleasure to read. The book is honest about some of the rough spots, but it never struck me as negative--I thought the author's obvious love of fatherhood was clear throughout. The tone struck me as charming...in fact, I have to confess that I developed an innocent crush on the author based on this book!

Negative about every aspect of pregnancy and birth. For instance, he calls the hospital room "the worst hotel you've ever stayed at." For me the hospital was the best hotel I've ever stayed at. Who cares if the bed was uncomfortable, they were helping to take care of my wife and new child. Tongue in cheek chapter titles like "So you've ruined your life" and "I have no friends." I realize now after having my child the reason this book was making me feel so daunted every time I read it during pregnancy- it makes everything seem like a crisis rather than a joy. I'm probably more cynical than most people but this book treats childbirth like an act of sarcasm. I know this is his "sense of humor" and it might sound humorless of me but I find it too bad when something so meaningful as becoming a father should be dripping in irony.

This book did a great job of speaking to the father-to-be. Many pregancy/baby books out there are geared toward the mother-to-be, and the fathers are often left out. Being that the book is written by a man, it truly talks to the male mind. It speaks well of the fears and anxieties, but does not fail to mention the wonders and miracles of fatherhood. A definite read for any father-to-be or new dad!

The book is well written and funny. Mr Skinner illustrates the joys and struggles of fatherhood in an interesting book. I particulary enjoyed his description of "King Baby" in how adults themselves can be "babies" and need to pass the baton on to the infant when he/she comes along.

I'm sorry, but what this guy is selling is just one blinding flash of the obvious after another. As a first-time expectant father, I thought I'd get some useful information from this book, especially since my wife's cousin (also new parents) recommended it to me. Quinton Skinner comes across as a very immature, self-centered man whose answer to everything is to stick his head in the sand like an ostrich. As was the case with another reviewer, I only made it halfway through the book before his whining drivel got the best of me. Avoid this book at all costs if you want to learn anything about being a real dad who participates in- and helps with his wife's pregnancy and labor and in raising a happy and healthy child.