Maybe Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth About Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence, and How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Lives (Hardcover)

by Lori Leibovich (Author), Lori Leibovich (Editor) "WHEN PEOPLE LEARN THAT I'M IN MY LATE TWENTIES, happily married, and am not planning to have children, they respond in one of two ways..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Los Angeles, Maria Teresa (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Inspired by a letter written to Salon.com requesting more stories about people who chose not to have children, senior editor Leibovich brought together a broad spectrum of writers to create a refreshing, sometimes painful, collection of essays in which, to quote the subtitle, "28 Writers Tell the Truth About Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence, and How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Lives." Lionel Shriver celebrates her adults-only existence in "The Baby Stops Here"; Amy Richards goes through the seldom-discussed procedure of "selective reduction" in "Triple Threat"; and Kathryn Harrison cares for her dying grandmother as well as her newborn daughter in the beautiful "Cradle to Grave." Other standout essays include Neal Pollack's, defending his right to have only one child (his response to the often-voiced concern "Won't he be spoiled if he's the only one?" is "Not with our credit card debt"), and Rick Moody's, revealing his early-in-life assessment of children as "bloodthirsty dwarves." This bittersweet anthology is the perfect antidote to readers tired of the number of books lauding child-rearing and its many joys. (Apr.)
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Product Description

To breed or not to breed? That is the question twenty-eight accomplished writers—including Anne Lamott, Rick Moody, Kathryn Harrison, and Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez—ponder in this collection of provocative, honest, and deeply personal essays. Based on a popular series at Salon.com, Maybe Baby features parents and nonparents alike exploring how and why they decided whether to have children.

This powerful collection offers both frank and nuanced looks at those choices, both alternative and traditional, from a wide range of viewpoints. From abortion to adoption, from ambivalence to baby lust, from single parenting to searching for the right partner to have a baby with, Maybe Baby brings together the full force of opinions about this national—but also intensely personal—debate.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (March 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060737816
• ISBN-13: 978-0060737818
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #260,220 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #30 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > By Topic > Decision-Making
  #86 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Fertility

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow - this book doesn't resort to easy answers and well-worn sentiment, April 11, 2006

By	Gen of www.LibraryOfEden.com (California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I couldn't put this book down. I'm a literate 27-year-old with an exciting life, just starting to feel that baby lust that so many of us struggle with, yet not sure if the sacrifices, lifestyle changes and restructuring of priorities that happens with parenthood is going to be right for me. This book gave me some excellent food for thought.

Every angle that I had wrestled with and many more were presented by real people who have struggled with the same questions I have. I couldn't believe the diversity of thought, the raw and painful honesty, and the naked love shown in each of these pieces. It helped me sort through my priorities and examine my personality, and gave me a much clearer idea of exactly what my personal pros and cons are.

So much of the writing about parenthood resorts to cliches and easy answers, and none of the writers in this book copped out and allowed themselves that comfort of falling back on the usual sentiments. The writers were honest enough to examine even the negative personality traits which played a part in helping them make their decisions, and were also honest about the positive and negative things they felt and experienced because of their decision.

I was surprised and impressed by this book. It was not a comfortable read and made me squirm inside many times, seeing my own selfishness or worries reflected back at me, but the book got to the heart of the many truths and considerations involved in making this hugely important decision.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good only if you want kids, July 26, 2006

By	kmh - See all my reviews

Most of the childfree/childless people in this book claim that they may change their minds or regret not having kids. Only one really stood out and said no I am never having kids (Elinor Burkett) The ones who were on the fence really seemed like they will all have kids one day. And there are no I regret having kids stories from the parents.

The book reads very fast and is an interesting read. But I would not add it to a list for those trying to chose if they should have kids or not. It leans too much towards being a parent. If you want honest anwsers from both the childfree and moms/parents I recommend "do I want to be a mom?" you can find it here on amazon.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars will help you decide, July 11, 2007

By	Shannon B Davis "Nepenthe" (Arlington, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Maybe Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth About Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence, and How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Lives (Hardcover)

Maybe Baby is a series of essays from adults on the subject of having a child. The first third of the book is from adults who decided not to have children. The second half is from adults who would like to have children or are undecided, but haven't yet. The third is about adults who did have children. I'm not sure how I felt about the book being grouped in this way because it made it very clear what the theme of the story would be, rather than letting each story tell itself. Other than this fact, I found the book very enjoyable. The stories represent a great deal of diversity, from gay parents, parents of Asperger's Syndrome children, adopting parents, teen parents. Of course, there were many stories from people who were not parents as well, and they also ranged in their diversity. Both men and women wrote essays in this book, which surprised and pleased me. On one hand, I think it is different to be a father than a mother - it is a very different thing to decide to carry a child in your womb than for someone else to do it. On the other hand, I am sure men will be interested in this subject and would appreciate their perspective being included.

If you are ambivalent about having a child, this book will help. Oddly enough, I am still ambivalent but I am now quite sure that I do not want to NOT have children. Now, it is only a matter of deciding WHEN I will have children. If you read this book, you will find sections that resonate with you. Perhaps if you would like to be childless, the first third will really resonate and you will feel confirmed in your convictions. For me, I realized that I did not want to be childless and I hadn't felt the feelings expressed in that section of the book. But I could really understand the fear and uncertainty of the undecided, and definitely some of the parenting stories both scared me and soothed me.

All the stories are written by professional writers. For sure, this changes their perspective on life. Many of them are able to work from home or have flexible work to be with their children more. Unfortunately, this does affect the perspective. If only there was some way to capture the perspective of someone more like me (with a time-consuming business career), but someone like me would probably not have the skill or time to invest in writing essays for Salon.