The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance (Paperback)

~ (Author), Joe Borgenicht (Author), Paul Kepple (Illustrator), Jude Buffum (Illustrator) "A newborn baby has limited mobility, so there is no immediate need to childproof the environment (see page 182)..." (more)
Key Phrases: physical cues, auditory sensors, olfactory sensors, Understanding the Baby's Power Supply, General Maintenance, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The title, Baby Owner’s Manual, suggests the promise and the problem of this cheeky and comprehensive guide written by a pediatrician and his son. First-time parents who are not offended by the observation that "babies, unlike other appliances, lack instruction manuals," will find a rich resource of facts and advice. The book is divided into seven categories of "operating instructions" including home installation, feeding and power supply, sleep mode, maintenance, development, and safety. Complete with witty schematic drawings and charts, the authors answer hundreds of questions about breastfeeding, bed, bath, and beyond. While most manuals focus on tender loving care, the authors chose to focus on baby as technology. The result is a highly useful--almost too cool--reference book. Because every parent knows that babies are messier and more rewarding than this approach imagines. --Barbara Mackoff

Product Description

It’s the answer to every new parent’s first question: Doesn’t this thing come with an owner’s manual? At long last, yes!

Through step-by-step instructions and helpful schematic diagrams, The Baby Owner’s Manual explores the common concerns of every first-time parent: What’s the best way to swaddle a baby? How can I make my newborn sleep through the night? When should I bring the baby to a doctor for servicing? Whatever your question, you’ll find the answer here—courtesy of celebrated pediatrician Dr. Louis Borgenicht and his son, Joe Borgenicht. Together, they provide plenty of useful advice for anyone who wants to learn the basics of childcare.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Quirk Books (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931686238
• ISBN-13: 978-1931686235
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,248 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #5 in	Books > Home & Garden > How-to & Home Improvements > Household Hints
  #17 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Babies & Toddlers > Infants
  #37 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Pregnancy & Childbirth

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read for the Expecting Father, April 26, 2003

By	Joe A (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews

I stumbled upon this book in the bookstore a couple of weeks ago on accident, and was intrigued by the cover of a baby drawn in the style of functional diagram. What fascinated me further were the off the wall diagrams combined with the technical manual-esque style found inside, which made me think "Worst Case Scenario Handbook" for the parenting world.

But moving beyond the cover I discovered many such useful facts which have undoubtedly helped me prepare for fatherhood. As a slightly jittery, somewhat confused, but overall excited expecting father, this book has become a Godsend.

I read "What to Expect In The First Year", and for the typical male this doesn't work. The dialogue is so blatantly pitted toward women that my brain can't register it. The context juggles concepts of shopping, breastfeeding, and cutsie warm blankets in a convoluted, non-linear fashion which spawned a tangent-of-a-tangent style change of topics reminiscent of listening to my wife talk on the phone to her sister.

This book combines humor with an effective style for logically-wired males like myself, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to cut to the chase and really prepare for what to expect in fatherhood, and avoid the "what to wear to the baby shower" and other non-essential rhetoric.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just a satire!, January 30, 2004

By	Kyle Maxwell (Irving, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book reads a bit satirically -- think of your standard baby care book but written like a VCR manual. But it's actually useful information; we had our first child born recently, and it's been really useful to us. I've ended up buying copies for friends, too. Once you figure out a few of the slightly less obvious "terms" (like "service provider" for "doctor"), it's easy to read and avoids a lot of the editorializing and "my baby was this way" found in similar books. Worth the time.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Educational and humorous and entertaining reading, May 19, 2003

By A Customer

The book is written as if your baby is a product (therefore the need for this 'manual'). I skimmed through it in the bookstore and found it to be hilariously entertaining. I laughed at the verbage used and the 50s or 60s style pictures and diagrams. I bought it immediately and have enjoyed it very much. Example on writing: they ask you to "inspect" your model for all parts. Example of drawings: A circle with an adult holding a baby by the top of the head while the baby dangles with a line through the circle (as if to say 'Do not hold a baby by the top of the head). Obvious, but funny. I found it to by quite humorous.

I've laughed out loud reading it. But I must say that this book has very good information on how to raise your 'model' (baby). If you are a new parent or know someone who is a new or soon-to-be parent who has a sense of humor, they will appreciate this book. Louis Borgenicht, M.D., and his son Joe Borgenicht, D.A.D. (more humor) have written a master piece in my opinion. I would enjoy reading this book if my kid was 25 or didn't have any. It's just plain entertaining (but, again, very well organized useful information is found within).