Keeping the Baby Alive till Your Wife Gets Home (Paperback)

~ Walter Roark (Author) "All Quiet on the Set...a dream beginning: You're a happy new father with wife and offspring safe and secure on their first magical night home..." (more)
Key Phrases: diaper pail, Helpful Props, Screaming Meemie, Good Dog Appeal (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you're honoring a dad, think about a book such as Keeping the Baby Alive....done with a humorous touch." -- Sarah Long, past president American Library Association, Chicago Daily Herald, June 4, 2002

"New fathers will probably carry this book (secretly) in their briefcase all the way into the men's restroom at work." -- StorkNet.com

Product Description

The perfect gift for soon-to-be (or even has-been) dads, Keeping the Baby Alive till Your Wife Gets Home is a tongue-in-cheek peek at modern parenting from a father’s point of view. It’s as funny, page-by-page, as the title promises, and all of the laughter is backed by candid advice. The spoof, clearly targeted at today’s career-minded mom-and-dad team, romps merrily from subtle to slapstick.Yet under the surface Keeping the Baby Alive focuses consistently on the complex feelings new fathers encounter but are reluctant to talk about.

The breezy, irreverent humor escorts dads through basic topics such as home-from-the-hospital adjustments, postpartum do’s and dont’s, diaper-changing, feeding, difficult infant behavior, child care choices, the walking/talking stage, father-baby games and more.

Inspired by Mr. Roark’s first-born, Meghan, the original manuscript was set aside for years. Brought to life now for the first time by Clearing Skies Press, the publication of Keeping the Baby Alive has an unusual twist to it. Now a teenager, Meghan, the book’s original inspiration, actually contributes to the work’s humorous illustrations. It’s a story with a happy ending for a very special father-daughter team.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Clearing Skies Press; illustrated edition edition (May 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970793707
• ISBN-13: 978-0970793706
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #291,020 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Gift Book for Dads, Trust Me, May 16, 2004

By A Customer

I loved this book because, as a new father learning my trade (so to speak) it gave me a break from all the pressure-packed, heavy advice books. With Keeping the Baby Alive, I could relax and laugh at the many ironies that come with child care. I also liked the book because I felt like it was written for me, an innocent young father who wants to do my best, but who also feels a little intimidated about infant care. The message here is 1) you don't have to be perfect and 2) you can actually have fun taking care of kids if you don't get too crazy and uptight about it. Besides, the book is just plain funny.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for those with no sense of humor, March 2, 2004

By A Customer

This book is really, really funny because it pokes fun at every facet of baby care, all from a man's point of view. No one is spared, including dads, mems, babies, relatives (young and old), baby sitters, toy manufacturers, pediatricians and modern culture in general. It is not a book for women, but a book for women to give to men. Even so, I know several females who think Keeping the Baby Alive is hysterical. I think these gals understand that it's a tongue-in-cheek spoof--not a dead-serious care guide. heaven knows, bookshelves are loaded with grim instructional manuals for parents who are in hot pursuit of perfection. me, I gave up trying to be the perfect dad after a few months of stress and frustration. Now I use common sense and a sense of humor in taking care of our toddler and baby, and leave perfection to saints and superstars.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great look at the humorous side of having kids....from a Dad, March 9, 2001

By	Gregory Swayne (Alpharetta, GA United States) - See all my reviews

I rarely laugh out loud when I read humor...this book was the exception. I'm sitting and reading this book on the beach howling, and I look over at my wife and she's looking at me like I was singing with my headphones on.

Roark has a dry sense of humor and nails the feelings of being a new Dad "center cut". A great read..a quick read. Reminiscent of Erma Bombeck's "The Grass is Always Greener over the Septic Tank". Enjoy it...I certainly did!