As I Remember: An Autobiography

by Lillian Moller Gilbreth

This wonderful account of Dr. Lillian M. Gilbreth's life (up to 1941) is told in her own words and in such a charming style that you will find yourself smiling as you read it. From the first meeting of Lillian's parents, to the graduation and marriage of Frank & Lillian's children, this book will introduce you to the people who influenced Lillian throughout her life. This real-life mother of the Cheaper By The Dozen children was a woman who (with her husband) has had a profound effect on how work is accomplished around the globe.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

249 pages

First published May 1, 1998

About the author

Lillian Evelyn Moller Gilbreth (May 24, 1878 – January 2, 1972) was an American psychologist and industrial engineer. One of the first working female engineers holding a Ph.D., she is arguably the first true industrial/organizational psychologist. She and her husband Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Sr. were efficiency experts who contributed to the study of industrial engineering in fields such as motion study and human factors. The books Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes (written by their children Ernestine and Frank Jr.) are the story of their family life with their twelve children, and describe how they applied their interest in time and motion study to the organization and daily activities of such a large family.

Reviews

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended only to diehard Gilbreth fans.

[Elizabeth Scott Tervo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lillian's story- she was the mom in Cheaper by the Dozen. Somewhat interesting, but marred by its sugary third-person narrative. Also, no clear description of her actual work - she and her husband were pioneers in 'motion study' and she was very accomplished with books & many honorary degrees, but this book does not all explore this field.

[Teri]

DNF. Her modesty, privacy and lack of details made this book a little frustrating for me. I wanted to know what she was really thinking and experiencing during her life. This lack of depth makes sense given her time period and upbringing, but I did not find what I had hoped to from this book.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely only for a die-hard Gilbreth fan. There were some parts I really enjoyed, but I ended up just skimming lots of it. At some point, it’s all just lists of the trips and jobs and speeches her husband gave, laid out month by month. Um…. no.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dry in parts but definitely interesting for anyone who loves the books about the Gilbreth family.

[Daniela Sorgente · Rating 3 out of 5]

This autobiography is not very in-depth and is strangely told in the third person. However, for those who have read some other books on the Gilbreths such as Cheaper by the dozen or Belles on their toes, it is certainly a book to read because it enriches the family history with details.

[Diane Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Cheaper by the Dozen,' 'Belles on Their Toes' and 'Time Out for Happiness' - all these books provoked my interest, leading me to seek further information on this remarkable family and this remarkable woman. 'As I Remember' depicts in acute detail Dr. Lillian Gilbreth's family history, childhood, education, and motion study work. Exciting recollections of work and travel fill this volume, which is in a word, charming. The style in which this book was written provokes thoughts of listening to a warm elderly woman sharing how a shy child became a pioneer in women's work, and a marvel in her day.

My only problem with the book are the vast amount of typographical and grammatical errors in the text, unpardonable for an English Major and a PhD, no matter how many children were distracting her. I will charitably forgive Dr. Gilbreth but certainly not the editor who published it this way!

Sad that it ends in the early 1940s, for Dr. Gilbreth lived many more years and more information would have been fascinating.

I highly recommend it to young women especially: 1) to see how far women (and society as a whole) have progressed since the late 19th century, and 2) to see how the science of ergonomics was born. If the errors bother you, do as I did and correct them. :)

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this view of the Gilbreth family from mother Lillian's perspective. The writing is not as congenial as you'll find in Cheaper By The Dozen, but it is charming in its own way.

It took a bit for me to acclimate to the oddly distant third-person style, but it was clearly her voice and so, perfectly fitting. And perfect for helping me become completely immersed it the era. The edition would have benefited greatly from a proofreader, and the typos can be a distraction, but perhaps they are just indicative of the time of publishing.

I look forward to finding more books written by the Gilbreth clan - time to track down Tine Out For Happiness

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for those who have read Cheaper by the Dozen and/or Belles on Their Toes, because it provides a nice background for the family and more information as to where their lives were leading as of 1941. I will say that it seems as if no editing was done, that it was simply published as she wrote it, which sometimes means incorrect words appear, "and" instead of "an" as well as some inconsistency in names, mainly what nickname someone was called by at any given time. All in all, a good book and an interesting read.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little odd reading.

It's a series of paragraphs that are loosely linked to each other. Not really a "story," but more like a stream of conscious retelling of her life. I guess it really IS how she remembers it.

One thing that bothered me is that Mrs. Gilbreth had a very accomplished life after her husband died, yet very little of the book covers that time in her life.

[Lisa Houlihan]

Stream of consciousness with optional punctuation. I loved Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes so it was amusing to glance through her perspectives

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very old-fashioned writing, but interesting to anyone who ever read "Cheaper By the Dozen," the Gilbreth family memoir.