Time Out for Happiness

by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Family

254 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. (March 17, 1911 – February 18, 2001) was co-author, with his sister Ernestine, of Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes. Under his own name, he wrote Time Out for Happiness and Ancestors of the Dozen.

He was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, the 5th child (and first boy) of the 12 children born to efficiency experts Frank Gilbreth, Sr. and Lillian Moller Gilbreth, and grew up in the family home in Montclair, New Jersey.

During World War II, he served as a naval officer in the South Pacific. In 1947, he returned to The Post and Courier as an editorial writer and columnist. In his later years, he relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, where he went on to be a journalist, author and newspaper executive. Under nom de plume Ashley Cooper, he wrote a long-running column, "Doing the Charleston," for the Charleston paper The Post and Courier; it ran until 1993.

Reviews

[Jamie Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank Gilbreth Jr. and his sister Ernestine wrote the classic books Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes, about growing up in a large family raised by their parents, who were industrial engineers and pioneers in the field of motion study. This is Frank Jr.’s more straightforward, although equally affectionate, story of the lives and careers of his parents, especially his mother, who outlived her husband by almost 50 years.

It seemed a little dry at first, and perhaps suffers in comparison to the two charming, humorous books he wrote with his sister. It’s a chronological account, beginning with Frank and Lillian’s family history. It improves once he’s telling the story of their life together, and then even more when he describes his mother’s career after the early death of his father.

I did not realize the breadth of the Gilbreths’ work, nor appreciate the extent of Lillian’s achievements in a male-dominated field.

There isn’t a lot of additional information about the family. He does explain that the second oldest daughter, Mary, died of diphtheria at the age of 5, in 1912, and while they never discussed her, they always spoke of a dozen children. He tells the reason for Frank Sr.’s early death: his father's heart was damaged when he “became deathly sick - first with rheumatism, then uremic poisoning, and finally pneumonia” when he was serving at Fort Sill during WWI. He nearly died, and the doctors told him that thereafter he was living on borrowed time.

There are brief mentions of familiar incidents. In particular he writes of Tom Grieves frequently - their beloved handyman who “don’t take nothing from nobody.”

The book is out of print, but I found a fine 1970 edition to go with my worn 1949 and 1950 editions of Cheaper and Belles.

[Kressel Housman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes , I was thrilled to discover another book about the Gilbreth family. While not as funny as the other two books, it was definitely as enjoyable and filled in more details. For one thing, it gave much more detail about the Motion Study system and how it affected society. It also gave family background going all the way back to great-grandparents. It even covered a bit about working with Hollywood for the film version of Cheaper by the Dozen. Now that I've read it, I'm much more interested in reading the writings of parents Frank and Lillie themselves. I might just become a Gilbreth maven!

[Patsy Hollister · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed reading (and often laughing out loud while doing so) Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes, this "less prettified" story of the amazing Gilbreth family and their parents was truly fascinating and enjoyable.

[Hanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

more Gilbreths!! <3

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of a combination of "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Bells on Their Toes". Easy and light read.

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes are two of my favorite books, so I was very excited to stumble upon this book! However, I should have paid attention to the fact that Time out for Happiness was in the Biography section of my library while Belles on Their Toes was lumped in Nonfiction. Time out for Happiness is a book for someone researching the Gilbreths who desires a chronological, fact-based account of the family. It did recount a few stories I enjoyed that were not in the other books, but it is not such a fun, family story based read as the other two books. Frank Gilbreth Jr. apparently needs the collaboration of his sister Ernestine for more enjoyable writing.

[Marca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Gilbreth is one of the authors of "Cheaper By the Dozen" and "Belles on their Toes" based on the true life of his family. This book, written years later, provides a more serious look at his father and especially his mother's pioneering work in industrial engineering. "Cheaper" and "Belles" were two of my favorite books when I was a teen, so I was happy to find there was another book about the Gilbreth family. Lillian Gilbreth, the mother, was a woman who was ahead of her time, deserving of the honors and admiration she received.

[M.H. Elrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having never read Cheaper by the Dozen, this book was a new experience for me. It is out of print, which is unfortunate, because it is such a good story. Most of it was narrating how Lillie and Frank Gilbreth, the parents of the dozen children, were accomplished engineers. This was especially apparent with Lillie's story, which showed how a woman strove for recognition in a man's world. I also liked how the Gilbreths strove to help others with a more efficient system, not because of greed, but because of a desire to give "more time for happiness." I really liked how much they did for business and housework that we wouldn't have without their work and influence. It made me grateful for their contributions, and interested in reading the other book.

[Jm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been looking forward to finding and reading this book. The more I learn about Dr. Lillian Gilbreth, the more I admire her and wish her work and teachings were more widely known and respected.

This book is about Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, as told by their son, a seasoned and trained journalist and author. It traces their family histories and shows how their work in time management was truly a life's calling. Their pioneering efforts to study how people work and create management systems not only improved production in the workplace, but also to prevented worker fatigue and advocated that people start considering more how to create Happiness Minutes for others and themselves.

Yes, this is the same family of "Cheaper by the Dozen", which was noting remotely like the Steve Martin movie with their cheap, sophmoric attempts at humour. Read the two books about the family, also written by this book's author, if you are really curious about what living in a family of 12 is like.

Because family (and friends) were so important to Lillian (as she is referred to in this book, most appropriately), one gets to read about the real-life characters of her story and mission. It is also interesting to see how some of the big events of the 20th century were effected by their work, and vice-versa.

This is a well written, researched, and enjoyable book, sprinkled with effective sketches of personalities and situational stories amongst the definition of a life's work and mapping out of a long-fought campaign that was ultimately successful.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"'You can't run by me like that, ma'am, You know ladies aren't admitted.'
'I didn't know, Lillie stammered. Then she added, 'What shall I do? I'm the speaker.'
'At the University Club? he chortled. 'If you are, lady, I'm Fanny Brice. This club is for men only.'
And then he put her back out in the rain, where, New York fashion, there weren't any cabs."

Most people are probably aware, at least in name, of the book Cheaper by the Dozen. Written more like a biography, this book is something of a companion book to that classic. The author (Frank Jr, the eldest boy of the family) takes on a more familiar tone as he relates some pieces of family history and delves into more background and details of the events related in Cheaper by the Dozen and its followup Belles on Their Toes. Most pointedly for me, the history related here really drove home how difficult it was at the turn of the 19th century for women to break into the "men's world" of STEM-related fields.

This book will make more sense if you've already read the author's original novels (co-written with one of his sisters), but would probably still be an interesting read to those intrigued by American history and the inception of time-motion study.

Related Reads
Cheaper by the Dozen (Gilbreth)
Bells on their Toes (Gilbreth)
Papa Married a Mormon (Fitzgerald)

[Priscilla King · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Lillian Moller Gilbreth was active her children wrote two family-friendly comedy stories about their lives with and without their father, Frank B. Gilbreth Sr., the quintessential twentieth century Yankee. When she retired her son wrote a serious biography of her, not without reflections of his family's love of jokes and wordplay, but without making comedy the focal point. This is the version of his parents' story that contains the dates and details that were blurred, and some of the facts that didn't fit into entertaining stories for middle school readers, and actual quotes from his mother's writings and his elders' letters. It describes Frank Sr.'s feud with a colleague, the struggles of the family consulting business, the death of one of the older children (a footnote in "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Belles on Their Toes"), and the virtually unemployable yardman they kept, however tight the budget was, because who else would have hired him. It ends with Mrs. Gilbreth eighty years old and finally willing to slow down into something like retirement, looking back on a list of achievements that would be impressive now but seemed impossible then.

[Ei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book about the love story, relationship, and life work of the parents in "Cheaper By the Dozen." Dedication to each other, the development of motion study, delightful glimpses into the children's lives, the struggles and joys of Lillie and Frank Gilbreth's marriage and partnership. I could not put this down.
This hardback was printed in 1971 and sold for $5.95. I purchased it through amazon for $24.95. Worth the money! It's now on our bookshelf for others to enjoy a little sunshine and encouragement in their lives.

[Jo-Ann Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Frank Gilbreth's books. They are not only fun to read but they are very informative and educational. This is a beautiful tribute to his mother who received a doctorate in 1914, became America's first female engineer and was barred from many venues where she had been slated to speak because she was a woman. Due to her designs and attention to detail kitchens are more useful and less exhausting for women. She also did a lot of work to make life easier for the disabled. I wish it had been a lot longer because I was enjoying the story so much.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes, although not written in a humorous style. This book has more information about Frank and Lillie, both in their early years and after Frank's death. Also quite a bit about their careers and their pioneering of the field of motion study.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may like this book better than the more famous Cheaper by the Dozen. This focuses on the mother of the dozen, and was written later by a more mature and reflective son. Very good.

[Denice · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of a family history than a human interest.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

after reading cheaper by the dozen again i thought i should read another gilbreth book. it really was quite interesting. they were quite the family.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was NOT a great book. No where near as good and funny and exciting as the first two. REALLY technical and most parts pretty boring. I was really disappointed!

[Child960801 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focuses more on the parents of the Gilbreth family; their upbringing and families of origin, their early careers/education, and their contributions to science.

[AnneMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lillian Gilbreth is my new inspiration. I've read Cheaper By the Dozen and Belles on Her Toes numerous times, but enjoyed this insight into her background, both before and after her husband died.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I'm a fan of the Gilbreth family!

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

its very interesting

[Chrisangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book!! Unlike "Cheaper by the Dozen' and "Bells on Their Toes", which both seemed bit exaggerated and then were made into slightly corny movies, "Time Out for Happiness" was real. I never got the feeling I was reading an idealized version of Frank and Lillian's life together, one that's part fantasy, part wishful thinking, as are most bio books by family members. This couple had one of those rare, soulmate marriages, based on true love, yet at the same time, each had their faults and idiosyncrasies that weren't glossed over. They weren't made out to be paragons of perfection, just two people beloved by their children. Their hard work and achievements were described, along with their deep love for each other and their children.

Read this book, I can almost guarantee you'll, love it as much as I did.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, a couple of interesting (to me) details.
My fellow BT and Beany fans will like to know that this book was published by Thomas Crowell.
The original Frank had a sister, Martha, who attended GLS and was a distinguished botanical scientist until her early death.

This is Frank Jr.'s defense of his parents' groundbreaking work against the attempt of the Taylorites to relegate the Gilbreths' innovations in Motion Study, humane treatment of workers and management/employee cooperation to mere footnotes in the Time Study movement. (more later...)

[Rose Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fills in the beginning of the story of Frank & Lillian Gilbreth, the parts of their lives, their early married life, that are only hinted at in "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Belles on Their Toes." I had loved "Cheaper by the Dozen" ever since I first encountered it, when I was 12 years old. This was a pretty good read, but it lacked a bit of the charm of the other 2 books, maybe because the author's sister Ernestine Gilbreth Carey wasn't involved? Anyway -- if you loved the Gilbreths like I did (and do!), it's worth your while to pick this up and give it a go.

[Kathy Ludwig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Very nostalgic for me. I had read "Cheaper By the Dozen" and "Bells on Their Toes" and enjoyed those books especially as a kid. Reading this book brought back memories of reading the original ones and it added more of an adult tone. Always found the Gilbreath family fascinating. Remember riding around Montclair trying to find their house on Eagle Rock Way but did not know it had been torn down.

Also discovered even more how incredible a person Lillian Moller Gilbreath was. A woman way ahead of her time.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved "Cheaper By the Dozen" so much that I taught the novel to my seventh graders. I discovered this book only a few years ago. It focused on the story of the Gilbreth parents and their motion study work. Lillian, the wife and mother of twelve children, was a business woman very much ahead of her times. All that she accomplished in her life was nothing short of amazing, especially for the times.

[Karen Brinkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up Cheaper By The Dozen was one of my favorite books. When I moved to Montclair I tried to find the Gilbreth's house but it had been torn down. Recently I was in the Montclair library and saw this book and figured it might be a fun summer read. It was. Plus the book had signatures by the author and 2 of his brothers! ( perhaps the other 8 didn't read it ?). In any case, reading about Dr Lillian Gilbreth is inspiring as she was an amazing woman.

[Ronda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gilbreth family, stars of Cheaper by the Dozen, are really fascinating people. This book focuses less on the interactions of the children and more on the careers of the adults. Lillian Gilbreth has always been a role model for me, and I enjoyed reading more about her life. It wasn't quite as well-written as Cheaper and Belles on Their Toes, but I still really enjoyed it.

[A Busscher · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was an ok read about the history of Frank and Lillie Gilbreth. Fascinating read about the lifestyle and choices they made. I am pretty sure I couldn't live with Frank after watching him be an inpt at the hospital. I did have to laugh when they said money was tight, yet they still owned the 2nd house, have servants and maids and somehow all 11 kids made it to college.