Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession [Paperback]

Erma Bombeck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1987

177 pp.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

What kind of mother would...

...hang up on E.T.?

...tip the tooth fairy?

...wash a measuring cup with soap after it held only water?

...reply when asked what it was like to give birth to Erma Bombeck, "It was a rooten job, but someone had to do it."

Read Erma Bombeck's hilarious new book to find out...

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Dell (April 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440159016
• ISBN-13: 978-0440159018
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Beloved for her wry yet warm look at family life, Erma Bombeck was America's favorite humorist at the time of her death in 1996. Ten of her 13 books, including Forever, Erma, appeared on the New York Times best-seller list. She claimed her first fiction writing was the weather forecast in the Dayton Herald. Her favorite food was pasta, and her hobby was dust.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MOTHERHOOD & ERMA BOMBECK - This says it ALL!!, August 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession (Paperback)

Erma Bombeck is as far as I'm concerned the best writer of this century!! I love ALL her books, but I especially love, MOTHERHOOD: The Second Oldest Profession", the best!

It is in my opinion HER VERY BEST WORK!! And should be considered a classic!!

This book will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you think, and above all else it will make you take a second look at your life...and rejoice in it!

Erma Bombeck's book, "Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession", is a MUST for all parents, guardians, and care-takers of children to read!!! It is not only heart-warming - it is about life itself.

Erma Bombeck had a very unique and talented knack of getting right to the heart of any matter - and making people see it in a whole new perspecitive...and to see it through the eyes of laughter and love...

Erma Bombeck - IS - the best writer of this century, and all her books [and especially this one] simply ARE the best stories and articles you will ever read! And all her work should be considered as classics...

VERY Sincerely - Kathyrn L.M. Reynolds

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for Mothers Day and everyday, February 25, 2003

By 

F. Orion Pozo "Orion Pozo" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession (Hardcover)

Erma Bombeck was the best humorist of the domestic American scene. This book, focused on her best subject - mothers, is a gem. Both humorous and wise at the same time, it will give you valuable insights one minute and have you rolling with laughter the next. If you are a mother, planning to become one, or want to gain some insight into your own mother, this is the book for you.

While reading this book, I heard two people quote from it. One was a radio food guru and the other was one of those heart-warming emails that someone I know decided to forward to everybody in their online address book. Read this book and you may find yourself quoting from it someday.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, hilarious and insightful ~~ a must read!, May 15, 2006

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession (Paperback)

If it wasn't for someone raving about Erma's books ~~ and her insights, I would have never thought of picking her books up again. I remember very vividly reading her columns in my hometown newspaper every day till I moved to college. She is what I consider to be part of the American scene, Mom, Apple Pie and Erma Bombeck.

This book, which I read in one day over this past weekend, is just as wonderful as her other books. It made me laugh and roll my eyes (I don't have teenagers yet) and cry. The one chapter that made me cry the hardest is the letter from a mom whose son is a criminal. I had studied a little bit of criminals and their families in sociology in college, and that letter hit home. I love the letter from a teenager asking how did moms get their bionic and super powers. I love her insights on traveling and coming home. Let's face it, I just love Erma. She really is a woman who has her finger on the pulse of the nation's heart.

This is a wonderful must-read for all moms and their children. This is a book to read in different stages of your life too. I plan to read it again in several years when my two are tweens and again when they're teenagers. I am sure her insights will still help me grow through rocky patches. This is a timeless book. And one that I plan to share with the new moms in my life.

5-15-06