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The Father's Almanac
A perennial bestseller, now revised and updated for a new generation of fathers, this readable, inspiring guide to the world of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is an indispensable treasury of advice, ideas, and suggestions.
- GenresParenting
416 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1992
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July 29, 2008
The author is a father of two sons and a child-center volunteer, but this book is not just one random guy's ruminations on how to be a better father. The author is also an experienced book editor, and he uses those skills to blend the experiences of nearly 50 other fathers of various backgrounds as he compiles this almanac of observations and seasoned advice.
The style is matter-of-fact yet sympathetic; pragmatic, down-to-earth, and engaging. The content is fair and balanced, offering varying points of view on many details of child-rearing, and does not preach. And while fairly nuanced in this way, on the other hand, it's not wishy-washy and "anything goes" about things -- it's also crisply authoritative in areas where there is just one no-nonsense way to go. E.g., the dangers of older cribs and the maximum recommended gaps between slats, or other safety issues not really open to much experimentation.
Overall though, the book is refreshingly descriptive rather than prescriptive. It's a nice mix of specific, often creative suggestions along with a general philosophy of caring, healthy, and personally appropriate/satisfying fatherhood.
The Almanac will make an excellent gift for fathers of newborns or young children -- up to approximately kindergarten, I'd say, although some of the material is appropriate for even slightly older children too.
Note: although even the more recent edition feels slightly dated simply because the pictures are old, the material itself is all still relevant as far as I could tell.
The style is matter-of-fact yet sympathetic; pragmatic, down-to-earth, and engaging. The content is fair and balanced, offering varying points of view on many details of child-rearing, and does not preach. And while fairly nuanced in this way, on the other hand, it's not wishy-washy and "anything goes" about things -- it's also crisply authoritative in areas where there is just one no-nonsense way to go. E.g., the dangers of older cribs and the maximum recommended gaps between slats, or other safety issues not really open to much experimentation.
Overall though, the book is refreshingly descriptive rather than prescriptive. It's a nice mix of specific, often creative suggestions along with a general philosophy of caring, healthy, and personally appropriate/satisfying fatherhood.
The Almanac will make an excellent gift for fathers of newborns or young children -- up to approximately kindergarten, I'd say, although some of the material is appropriate for even slightly older children too.
Note: although even the more recent edition feels slightly dated simply because the pictures are old, the material itself is all still relevant as far as I could tell.
Displaying 1 of 1 review