Customer Reviews

Pop Culture: The Sane Man's Guide to the Insane World of New Fatherhood

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Most books for fathers are just terrible. I'm a 28 y.o. dad of two kids, got lots of dad books when my kids were born, for Father's Day and so on and most of them really offended me. The writers acted like I'd never want to change a diaper, couldn't manage a stroller without my wife, really unbelievable stuff. (I have a PhD, I think I can handle a stroller!) But Christopher Healy's book is really funny, really smart, I totally related to it and laughed out loud--repeatedly. My wife borrowed it and liked it as much as I did (she said it was as funny as Vicki Iovine's books, even for moms). HIGHLY recommend.

There are many fatherhood books out there, and if you're browsing through titles trying to choose one, they all start to sound the same: a how-to comedic exaggeration of the transition from man to dad.

Despite the fact that this book's title doesn't break that cycle, I found its content not just funny but rollicking, not just informative but insightful, not just readable but relatable.

In terms of humor, Healy keeps the stereotypical bamboozled-dad slapstick scenarios to a minimum, and his references to pop culture, especially in the chapter and section titles, are enjoyably clever. Information-wise, the book goes beyond the catalog of obvious advice in discussing the nuances of hot topics like birthday parties and play dates. Also, Healy has quoted the experiences of many new dads around the world, which not only presents a range of observations but also adds variety to the book's narration.

I happen to be one of the dads quoted in this book, but since we all contributed for nothing but the love of the game, I don't stand to gain much by writing such a favorable review. Rather, I strongly recommend _Pop Culture_ because I've read quite a few fatherhood books, and out of them all, it's one of the most complete: readable, entertaining, and enlightening.

What a neat little book! I originally picked it up for my husband, and now we arm-wrestle each other to read it. It tells it like it is for guys without talking down to them. Another neat part of the book is the way it explores the ever-changing role of fatherhood as men are now facing the "gotta-do-it-all" syndrome women have been through (career vs. family). It also explores the social changes you run into raising a kid and how to deal with them (ex- opinionated parents, child playgroup politics, etc...). Add in humorous writing and quirky pop culture references, and you end up with an informative--yet fun to read--book which gives future/new dads (and moms) everywhere the peace of mind we are not alone.

This book has saved my sanity. I was more excited than worried about becoming a dad, so when my mom gave me this book I thanked her politely and and then put it aside. Well, a month into my son's life when I was on the phone telling my mom I didn't see how I was going to make it through the next week, she asked if I'd read the book she'd given me, so I picked started to read it on my lunch hours. Now I wish I'd read it right away. The author managed to address most of the (non-medical) issues that had arisen during the pregnancy, as well as things that were cropping up as my wife and I got used to living without sleep, which was all the more amazing because I thought that lots of "our" problems were unique to us! It was comforting to know that the author and/or some of the many guys he interviewed for this book had experienced the same kinds of things that I was going through. In addition to the feeling of validation I got ("I love my son more than anything, but thank goodness I'm not the only one struggling through this mess"), there is a lot of no-nonsense advice about how to deal with the big and small things that I never could have predicted pre-birth. The comfortable writing style and humorous tone (humor about things that only a new dad could find humorous, by the way) makes for an easy read. This book has become my bible and I know that I'll be reading and rereading it as my son grows.

This is a wonderful book for a modern father/father-to-be. It does a great job of touching on things that are important to dads from the male point of view. It covers pregnancy to toodlerhood. It isn't the most informative book but it has a lot of good info. I think it is a great book for my husband. It is very supportive of a father's role in parenting and even has sections on being a stay at home dad. The book also touches on important topics like playing video games and watching tv with a new baby. The best part is it is very funny and full of pop culture references. It is a great read and worth investing a little time and money.

I read this book hoping for some advice on how to deal with the perils of popular culture on kids. Turns out it's not really about that, and I won't fault it for not being something it's not trying to be.

What I will fault it for is taking the "in order to be a good father, you need to be more like a mother" attitude that's so prevalent these days. It focuses on getting guys to do the nurturing things that Moms are already doing, but it doesn't have much to say about being the actual Dad. (Dads are different from Moms, and not just because they have gas)

The author spends a lot of time complaining about how pop culture stereotypes fathers as bumbling idiots-- which is certainly true, and it's a big problem-- but then fails to do much to counteract that stereotype. Basically, it offers advice on how to trick people into thinking you're not really Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor. It treats the fatherhood duties as chores that you must do because they're expected of the modern man, but the underlying assumption, and maybe I'm reading something into it that's not there, is that you don't actually want to do them.

I think the biggest thing that stuck in my craw was the disrespect to pregnant wives I picked up in the early chapters. The author tells you to be sensitive to her changing body, to make sure she feels beautiful. Then it suggests that, if your wife's budda-esque physique doesn't "do it" for you, you should keep some pornography handy, of "use your imagination" to help get you in the mood for intimacy. Boy, she'll really feel beautiful then!

On the whole, if you hadn't already figured this out, I didn't get much out of the book. It wasn't what I expected, and it wasn't particularly good at what it actually was. I found much of the advice to range between banal and insulting.