Customer Reviews

Pacify Me: A Handbook for the Freaked-Out New Dad

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

There are books out there, geared towards new dads, that come with inherent problems. They either speak (metaphorically) over your head with unnecessary amounts of information or simply talk down to you.

["Rookie Dad" comes to mind. I sometimes felt like I was being lectured to instead of having my confidence built. The author was telling me not to hound my wife for sex after childbirth and to "get on the floor and play with your baby." Wow, really?]

"Pacify Me" is not the be-all-end-all of new dad books, but the unique thing about it is that it's a book written by a (previously) freaked-out dad FOR freaked-out dads. It doesn't talk down to you, it speaks directly at you. If some of it comes across as dumb or juvenile, that's probably part of Chris Mancini's point; being a comedian, jokes make up the bulk of his communication. He does his best to set you at ease through self-deprecation, sci-fi references, and ripping on his in-laws.

Poking through his jokes and random references to robots, you get glimpses of some really solid advice and occasionally some almost embarrassingly frank information. The former is a nice surprise for a book that I didn't expect to take seriously, and the latter is not a bad thing. It gives a hamball like Mancini some credence.

"Pacify Me" all adds up to something new dads can EASILY wrap their minds around. It's a breezy read, at 200 pages with large font and large spacing. Even if I didn't agree with him 100% of the time (I honestly forget which points I didn't agree with, showing that I didn't think they were serious differences in opinion), I'm glad I read it.

And on page 44 he assembles a chart comparing famous pediatric author Dr. Spock to Mr. Spock from "Star Trek." Go on, try to find another parenting book that does that.

My mom bought me this book and I absolutely loved it. Its a quick read, insightful, and very funny. I dont normally laugh out loud when reading, but this book did it for me. Just a lighthearted approach to the feeling of "Oh f**k what now?" feeling you get after your first-born. Highly recommended to anyone still shocked at the thought of fatherhood.

I've read a couple of expectant father books (i.e The Expectant Father) and I found them to be cold, dry and boring. They just didn't feel personal enough to what I was going through. In the beginning of this book, Mancini writes "I'm having a baby. My life is over" I said the exact same thing to my boss when I found out I was going to be a father. This book is a really down to earth, personal account of what all new fathers go through. The stories are hilarious, the references are charming (this author's a real lovable geek), and I know that I've relayed many of the same fears about parenthood to my friends over a beer (or my therapist for that matter). The only bad thing I can say about this book is that I wish it had come out 4 years ago when my 1st son was born. It would have got me through some tough times. I highly recomend it to any new father and any new mothers for that matter. Maybe they can see what we're going through and give us a bit more slack.

My husband is thrilled I got this book - after reading the countless pieces of literature I brought home he was feeling a bit left out. This is aimed squarely at the guy, is laugh-out-loud funny, and is stunningly honest. Nevertheless, it's a great read for both the man and his pregnant wife - I think I finished it even before he did. Thumbs up!

Bought this for my son, a new first time dad-to-me. He blazed through it, laughed, was glad to be not as freaked out as the author. He was amazed there was actually a book for new dads with humor and some education. And the cover alone is worth the price.

I read this book as a nervous first time mom, not a dad. It was a gift for my husband, but I had to sneak a peek and could not put it down! This is a very accessible, humorous book that provides plenty of advice for dads-to-be. The informal tone and pop culture references help to give comfort to anxious new fathers, an element I found missing in most books for men. A highly enjoyable read, I'd recommend it to any dad!

I ordered this book for my boyfriend to read because he didnt seem interested in reading any other books. I ended up reading it before he did and was cracking up throughout most of the book. It was nice to read what goes through a guy's head during a pregnancy. Would suggest this book for any new dads as it is written to real terms! Loved it!

Got this for my son-in-law for fathers day which was just days before his first son was born. He loved it. Thank you.

I bought this book after seeing an interview with Mancini on the Geekscape podcast. As an expectant geek dad, I glanced at one of my wife's books, and read through another book aimed at fathers. Neither one really did it for me. Pacify Me is eons past anything else I've seen. Mancini has some hilarious stories, interesting points, and good, level-headed advice. Mancini is the first to admit that he is far from the expert, but he makes the reader feel as if the reader is along for the journey with the author. All of his insights are conveyed in a voice that speaks to geeks with a healthy sense of humor. I found myself laughing out loud at lots of points, something I almost never do when reading.

If you have a well-developed sense of humor and are geeky enough to get broad Star Wars & Star Trek references, you'll love this book.

I'm not an expectant / new Dad. I'm a Mom who had my children 29 and 24 years ago, respectively, but this book was a fun read. Chris's references to movies and famous individuals juxtaposed with the true-to-life world of being new parents made "Pacify Me" a great comedic reality check. Hope I'm a grandparent one day so I can share with my sons. (And I will keep the 'not so helpful advice from family' chapter in mind so I don't pass along any irresponsible 'wisdom'.)