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Object Lessons
Stroller
Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.
Among the many things expectant parents are told to buy, none is a more visible symbol of status and parenting philosophy than a stroller. Although its association with wealth dates back to the invention of the first pram in the 1700s, in recent decades, four-figure strollers have become not just status symbols but cultural identifiers.
There are sleek jogging strollers for serious athletes, impossibly compact strollers for parents determined to travel internationally with pre-ambulatory children, and those featuring a ride-on kick board or second, less “babyish” seat, designed with older siblings in mind. Despite the many models available, we are all familiar with the image of a harried mother struggling to use a stroller of any kind in a public space that does not accommodate it. There are anti-stroller evangelists, fervently preaching the gospel of baby wearing and attachment parenting. All of these attitudes, seemingly about an object, are also revealing of how we believe parents and children ought to move through the world.
Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.
Among the many things expectant parents are told to buy, none is a more visible symbol of status and parenting philosophy than a stroller. Although its association with wealth dates back to the invention of the first pram in the 1700s, in recent decades, four-figure strollers have become not just status symbols but cultural identifiers.
There are sleek jogging strollers for serious athletes, impossibly compact strollers for parents determined to travel internationally with pre-ambulatory children, and those featuring a ride-on kick board or second, less “babyish” seat, designed with older siblings in mind. Despite the many models available, we are all familiar with the image of a harried mother struggling to use a stroller of any kind in a public space that does not accommodate it. There are anti-stroller evangelists, fervently preaching the gospel of baby wearing and attachment parenting. All of these attitudes, seemingly about an object, are also revealing of how we believe parents and children ought to move through the world.
Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.
152 pages, Paperback
Published October 20, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 15, 2022
I am savvy enough a reader of Object Lesson books to know that what the book says they are about isn't always what they are actually about. And whilst Stroller could happily be titled "The Consumer Paradox In Demeaning American Mothers", there is actually a much more solid chunk about Baby Strollers and Prams there. Though only for the fact that the book has to take on Pram's as a secondary subject will I allow zero mention of the most famous pram in movie poster history - that on the poster of Rosemary's Baby (its an odd omission considering how much mileage she gets out of the Odessa Steps in Battleship Potemkin). There is something rather sweet about Morgan striding into another battle about how capitalism has replaced community with consumerism by quickly throwing in a fact about $2999 strollers.
The hook here, and Morgan's particular expertise, comes from the running stroller - a device which promises that you can continue your running schedule post birth whilst bonding with your child. Notwithstanding the lunatic caricature played by Maggie Gyllenhall in Away We Go ("why would I want to push my baby away from me") this device promises independence and childbirth be a mere blip in your life. Morgan deconstructs that lie, and others, whilst wondering how US society got to be so child-unfriendly that the solution to all problems is "buy another thing" (a digression on covid oxygen monitors which never worked is rather satisfying). And actually, as a corrective the book works quite well, not least because the mindset of a prospective mother might actually accidentally buy a short book called Strollers to find out about the best Strollers (or Strollers s baby wearing) and be given some of the views here. Its certainly not a self-help book, and it perhaps ends a little weakly (motherhood is tough but fleeting), but she nails her point politically and tells you that yes you can run with a double running stroller - but never expect to do it well, or anything like you used to. Oh and don't get sponsored by Nike.
The hook here, and Morgan's particular expertise, comes from the running stroller - a device which promises that you can continue your running schedule post birth whilst bonding with your child. Notwithstanding the lunatic caricature played by Maggie Gyllenhall in Away We Go ("why would I want to push my baby away from me") this device promises independence and childbirth be a mere blip in your life. Morgan deconstructs that lie, and others, whilst wondering how US society got to be so child-unfriendly that the solution to all problems is "buy another thing" (a digression on covid oxygen monitors which never worked is rather satisfying). And actually, as a corrective the book works quite well, not least because the mindset of a prospective mother might actually accidentally buy a short book called Strollers to find out about the best Strollers (or Strollers s baby wearing) and be given some of the views here. Its certainly not a self-help book, and it perhaps ends a little weakly (motherhood is tough but fleeting), but she nails her point politically and tells you that yes you can run with a double running stroller - but never expect to do it well, or anything like you used to. Oh and don't get sponsored by Nike.
September 26, 2022
Welcome back to the series of books on subjects you'd never have expected to find yourself reading about, and in this instance a pure, hard-and-fast non-breeder looks at strollers, prams and baby buggies. Go figure – it's the pull of a series that can definitely get you tearing your hair out much more than it can end up educating. Luckily, this is one of the better examples.
Oftentimes the series is too autobiographical, and while a lot of this refers to the author and the histories of her two children and their strollers, it's done much more readably than is the norm. There's the question of how do you equate toting a baby when a lot of your pre-natal life has involved running. Do other countries have the same approach to prams, which in America seems to be 'spend as much as possible, because it's not like something else will be better serving young'un's development – oh, and forget about using public transport til your youngest is five'. We watch prams descend pell mell in Battleship Potemkin, Ghostbusters 2, that there risible effort called The Untouchables, and The Witches. And we touch again on the social pressure to not succumb to "parental inadequacy", whether it being in keeping toddler close-by 24/7, providing a stroller with enough mobile phone pockets, or factoring in any fictionalised risk before spending double what you ought to.
The thing is, however, this is a book that writes around the subject, and not about it. A later chapter returning to running pre- and post-birth is really quite irrelevant. We get some of the semiotics behind the stroller, but none of the history, none of the social messages of the pram to anything like an academic level, and in the end this moves towards its end path like a mobile hung above a pram, slapped by a carefree and careless baby hand.
Oftentimes the series is too autobiographical, and while a lot of this refers to the author and the histories of her two children and their strollers, it's done much more readably than is the norm. There's the question of how do you equate toting a baby when a lot of your pre-natal life has involved running. Do other countries have the same approach to prams, which in America seems to be 'spend as much as possible, because it's not like something else will be better serving young'un's development – oh, and forget about using public transport til your youngest is five'. We watch prams descend pell mell in Battleship Potemkin, Ghostbusters 2, that there risible effort called The Untouchables, and The Witches. And we touch again on the social pressure to not succumb to "parental inadequacy", whether it being in keeping toddler close-by 24/7, providing a stroller with enough mobile phone pockets, or factoring in any fictionalised risk before spending double what you ought to.
The thing is, however, this is a book that writes around the subject, and not about it. A later chapter returning to running pre- and post-birth is really quite irrelevant. We get some of the semiotics behind the stroller, but none of the history, none of the social messages of the pram to anything like an academic level, and in the end this moves towards its end path like a mobile hung above a pram, slapped by a carefree and careless baby hand.
October 12, 2022
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was very intrigued by this book, and although I’m way past the stage of my children requiring the use of a stroller, the premise was enough for me to request a copy of this book.
I understand there is a full range of Object Lessons books, and like this one - provide some insight into an everyday object, such as the stroller. Making you think about these objects, their purpose and how they fit into our lives.
It was an interesting and entertaining read, looking at this object from different perspectives, both male and female from around the world.
I enjoyed learning about the history of the stroller and the author’s ability to interweave their personal life into the book.
I was very intrigued by this book, and although I’m way past the stage of my children requiring the use of a stroller, the premise was enough for me to request a copy of this book.
I understand there is a full range of Object Lessons books, and like this one - provide some insight into an everyday object, such as the stroller. Making you think about these objects, their purpose and how they fit into our lives.
It was an interesting and entertaining read, looking at this object from different perspectives, both male and female from around the world.
I enjoyed learning about the history of the stroller and the author’s ability to interweave their personal life into the book.
March 24, 2024
Some interesting referenced works and personal reflections, but overall not for me. Won’t be reading anymore of this series either.
January 19, 2023
This is a lovely little book, the first I've read in the Object Lesson series. I look forward to reading more in the series and more by Amanda Morgan.
August 25, 2024
The stroller is a useful focus point for Morgan to explore the anxieties of modern American parenting and her personal experience with them. I really enjoyed her look into running and motherhood; this really resonated with me. I also liked reflecting on the stroller (more specifically, the infant pram) as a site of protection and danger.
The copy editing in this edition was a mess… hopefully there can be a reprint.
The copy editing in this edition was a mess… hopefully there can be a reprint.
November 8, 2022
Amanda Parrish Morgan, Stroller, Bloomsbury Academic 2022.
Stoller is another addition to the delightful series, The Object Lessons, published by Bloomsbury Academic. The series takes what appear to be simple items and develops a well-researched story around them. Amanda Parrish Morgan’s Stroller is an excellent contribution to the series, with its accessible language, personal anecdote, research and political observations.
The book begins with a list of the other publications in this series – a veritable host of objects that make one wonder how they can become the focus of an interesting book – a refrigerator? Office? Password? Rust? Sticker? Like Sticker, (the first in this series I read, enjoyed and reviewed) Stroller makes an impact that is beyond the title.
Amanda Parrish Morgan begins with A Taxonomy of Strollers – a chapter that immediately introduces the reader to the variety of words, phrases, types and descriptions that encompass that simple item – the stroller. Starting with the simple statements ‘one who strolls’ and ‘baby commodity’ the list moves on to the various names given this item, the wide range of items encompassed by the simple description, stroller, to an anecdote that introduces the way in which this book will embrace the personal, political and mechanics of the stroller. Moving from a simple married life to one with children brought Parrish Morgan into the world of the stroller, and what a world she found it.
The chapter headings provide an insight into the topics to be covered: Baby Products and Babies as Products; Child-Friendly and Child-Centric; Carry the Baby; The Pram in the Hall; Prams of Good and Evil; My Years of Magical Worrying; Get Your Body Back; Strolling; and A Taxonomy of Stroller as Metaphor. There are excellent photographs, personal and political; and a list of works cited. The latter includes interviews, articles, books, fiction and paintings.
Considering a couple of chapters in detail seems to me to be a useful way of demonstrating the fascinating approach taken by Amanda Parrish Morgan, to that deceptively simple item, the stroller.
The Pram in the Hall brings together reminiscences from creative people whose lives have been impacted by the advent of children, and the pram in the hall, from its early days of a comfortable, largish receptacle for moving a prone baby through a neighbourhood, to the lighter article that will accommodate one child seated; and to the stroller in an iteration that must house both the prone baby and active, but likely to tire toddler. Where in all of this stands the artist? How does creativity work against the demands of the stroller? Various stories are told, some positive about the way in which the pram in the hall has enhanced their creativity, some suggesting that it has impeded them. These stories are such a contribution to the understanding of creativity, parenthood and what can be life enhancing. Amanda Parrish Morgan’s story of the impact of listening to Frozen in the car instead of All things Considered is a delight – as are her earlier stories of running with a stroller specially devised for that purpose.
The last, short chapter, A Taxonomy of Stroller as Metaphor, sums up what Amanda Parrish Morgan has found, and what the reader has learnt in this fascinating journey. The stroller as a consumer item – what does it entail - Caring? Danger? A threat to creativity? Convenience? Or its opposite? What does the stroller do – push your child away? Keep the child close? This chapter brings together, in a simple form, the important political nature of the act of buying a stroller, choosing it for a particular lifestyle, comparing it with the other options available, cost and competition between purchasers and the appearance they want to foster. In a simple form all the points that have been made in detail throughout the book are made here, while the detailed chapters provide the reader with a lively story of an item they see every day, and possibly have used themselves.
This is a truly interesting book, in a series that encourages a new look at the items we use and observe. I enjoyed it.
Stoller is another addition to the delightful series, The Object Lessons, published by Bloomsbury Academic. The series takes what appear to be simple items and develops a well-researched story around them. Amanda Parrish Morgan’s Stroller is an excellent contribution to the series, with its accessible language, personal anecdote, research and political observations.
The book begins with a list of the other publications in this series – a veritable host of objects that make one wonder how they can become the focus of an interesting book – a refrigerator? Office? Password? Rust? Sticker? Like Sticker, (the first in this series I read, enjoyed and reviewed) Stroller makes an impact that is beyond the title.
Amanda Parrish Morgan begins with A Taxonomy of Strollers – a chapter that immediately introduces the reader to the variety of words, phrases, types and descriptions that encompass that simple item – the stroller. Starting with the simple statements ‘one who strolls’ and ‘baby commodity’ the list moves on to the various names given this item, the wide range of items encompassed by the simple description, stroller, to an anecdote that introduces the way in which this book will embrace the personal, political and mechanics of the stroller. Moving from a simple married life to one with children brought Parrish Morgan into the world of the stroller, and what a world she found it.
The chapter headings provide an insight into the topics to be covered: Baby Products and Babies as Products; Child-Friendly and Child-Centric; Carry the Baby; The Pram in the Hall; Prams of Good and Evil; My Years of Magical Worrying; Get Your Body Back; Strolling; and A Taxonomy of Stroller as Metaphor. There are excellent photographs, personal and political; and a list of works cited. The latter includes interviews, articles, books, fiction and paintings.
Considering a couple of chapters in detail seems to me to be a useful way of demonstrating the fascinating approach taken by Amanda Parrish Morgan, to that deceptively simple item, the stroller.
The Pram in the Hall brings together reminiscences from creative people whose lives have been impacted by the advent of children, and the pram in the hall, from its early days of a comfortable, largish receptacle for moving a prone baby through a neighbourhood, to the lighter article that will accommodate one child seated; and to the stroller in an iteration that must house both the prone baby and active, but likely to tire toddler. Where in all of this stands the artist? How does creativity work against the demands of the stroller? Various stories are told, some positive about the way in which the pram in the hall has enhanced their creativity, some suggesting that it has impeded them. These stories are such a contribution to the understanding of creativity, parenthood and what can be life enhancing. Amanda Parrish Morgan’s story of the impact of listening to Frozen in the car instead of All things Considered is a delight – as are her earlier stories of running with a stroller specially devised for that purpose.
The last, short chapter, A Taxonomy of Stroller as Metaphor, sums up what Amanda Parrish Morgan has found, and what the reader has learnt in this fascinating journey. The stroller as a consumer item – what does it entail - Caring? Danger? A threat to creativity? Convenience? Or its opposite? What does the stroller do – push your child away? Keep the child close? This chapter brings together, in a simple form, the important political nature of the act of buying a stroller, choosing it for a particular lifestyle, comparing it with the other options available, cost and competition between purchasers and the appearance they want to foster. In a simple form all the points that have been made in detail throughout the book are made here, while the detailed chapters provide the reader with a lively story of an item they see every day, and possibly have used themselves.
This is a truly interesting book, in a series that encourages a new look at the items we use and observe. I enjoyed it.
November 22, 2022
Review of Stroller by Amanda Parrish Morgan
by Irma
When I bought Stroller, its short format made me hope that reading an “entire” book without yawning or googling into the freefall associations of my brain chasing a stray fact down alleys to the whirlpool of Google web surfing. The book, Stroller, by Amanda Parrish Morgan, is the most recent printing for OBJECTLESSONS, “A book series about the hidden lives of ordinary things” from Bloomsbury Academic. Parrish Morgan’s short book pulled - and pushed - me out of the rut of post-pandemic reading. And it did more; it introduced me to a new form of writing that combines scholarly attention with the evocative richness of memoir. In this case, the everyday object in the writer’s lens is the smallest and most energy-efficient vehicle of all time: the baby stroller.
This discussion of the subject considered (i.e., the object of the lesson) ranges from interpretation of artistic and scholarly uses of strollers to experiences of the author. The effect is one of engaging the reader in close focus, attending to the object as a tool for its obvious purpose and also as metaphor -- finding the meaning the object carries for and about society. In this case, the object is the practical transport for infants and children. It (the stroller) is also a vehicle for mothers’ fears, a consumer item of significant import about the purchasers, and an artifact of a consumer society. Additionally, the author opens her personal story. As a young mother in her early days as a parent, her life rotates (sometimes frenetically) around a demanding cycle of writing, running, teaching, and parenting. The focus on the stroller, a human-powered yet mechanical form of transport, appears -- at one level -- to be the purpose of writing. As the facts about the baby carriage roll out, however, the personal and social aspect reveal a larger purpose. With its interesting history and shiny future, the stroller is the focal point but hardly the only point of this book. For assessing today’s consumer society and the role of affluence and status, branding and purchasing power in modern life, one could find no more apt vehicle. No matter how practical or down-to-earth an item may seem, data suggest that branding and marketing are as much a part of the product as its brakes, the color scheme, or, indeed, any feature. Parrish Morgan’s work lead me first to question the role of branding and status in products advertised (!) for the safety of our children. The durable take-away from this book for me is larger: banana stains and mud splatters on the well-used stroller reveal a picture of parenting so strong and so tender that merchandizing is nowhere in the final equation. When I emerged from the fascinating trip, I did google – both for more info about strollers and also to find more writing by this gifted and dedicated author.
by Irma
When I bought Stroller, its short format made me hope that reading an “entire” book without yawning or googling into the freefall associations of my brain chasing a stray fact down alleys to the whirlpool of Google web surfing. The book, Stroller, by Amanda Parrish Morgan, is the most recent printing for OBJECTLESSONS, “A book series about the hidden lives of ordinary things” from Bloomsbury Academic. Parrish Morgan’s short book pulled - and pushed - me out of the rut of post-pandemic reading. And it did more; it introduced me to a new form of writing that combines scholarly attention with the evocative richness of memoir. In this case, the everyday object in the writer’s lens is the smallest and most energy-efficient vehicle of all time: the baby stroller.
This discussion of the subject considered (i.e., the object of the lesson) ranges from interpretation of artistic and scholarly uses of strollers to experiences of the author. The effect is one of engaging the reader in close focus, attending to the object as a tool for its obvious purpose and also as metaphor -- finding the meaning the object carries for and about society. In this case, the object is the practical transport for infants and children. It (the stroller) is also a vehicle for mothers’ fears, a consumer item of significant import about the purchasers, and an artifact of a consumer society. Additionally, the author opens her personal story. As a young mother in her early days as a parent, her life rotates (sometimes frenetically) around a demanding cycle of writing, running, teaching, and parenting. The focus on the stroller, a human-powered yet mechanical form of transport, appears -- at one level -- to be the purpose of writing. As the facts about the baby carriage roll out, however, the personal and social aspect reveal a larger purpose. With its interesting history and shiny future, the stroller is the focal point but hardly the only point of this book. For assessing today’s consumer society and the role of affluence and status, branding and purchasing power in modern life, one could find no more apt vehicle. No matter how practical or down-to-earth an item may seem, data suggest that branding and marketing are as much a part of the product as its brakes, the color scheme, or, indeed, any feature. Parrish Morgan’s work lead me first to question the role of branding and status in products advertised (!) for the safety of our children. The durable take-away from this book for me is larger: banana stains and mud splatters on the well-used stroller reveal a picture of parenting so strong and so tender that merchandizing is nowhere in the final equation. When I emerged from the fascinating trip, I did google – both for more info about strollers and also to find more writing by this gifted and dedicated author.
October 1, 2022
Read via NetGalley.
Of the four Object Lessons books I've read so far, this is by far the most personal. It's really quite remarkably personal, actually, and I admire Morgan for what she says about herself to illustrate the points she's making more broadly about society.
While the focus of the book is the stroller (or pram), this is very much a book about motherhood, mothering, expectations on and of mothers, and how consumer goods like the stroller fit within that. I am not a mother, but even I know some of the pressures and expectations from society imposed on, and internalised by, mothers. Morgan describes herself as someone who didn't expect to be a mother from early on; and as someone whose identity was strongly tied to being a runner. Both of these things influenced the way she perceived maternity, and the stroller. Her early recounting of telling a (not-mother) friend that she's going to try and have a baby, and the quite awful reaction from that friend ("That'll be the end of all your running", p6), sets up a lot of what Morgan picks up through the book (and made me worriedly think back to how I've reacted to child-announcements from friends. I don't think I've ever been that awful?). Morgan relates her experiences of juggling not wanting to fall into the 'must have everything' trap, to not be swayed by alarmist or aspirational advertising. She talks about juggling routines, two preschools, her own desire to run (between two preschools, with a double stroller); and she relays the commentary she received from onlookers, too, which honestly just made me mad.
Morgan mixes in academic discussion, too: of how American society emphasises the 'production' part of 'reproduction', with the mother as unskilled worker; the use of the word 'labour' and 'delivery' and what they suggest about the relationship between mother and child and the whole process of the second leaving the first. And then how baby products get tied into identity, and parenting strategies, and what all of those things mean and say about you and your choices. It emphasised a lot of things for me: just how harshly mothers are treated sometimes, how many minefields need to be navigated, and how unapproachable so many of our cities and spaces are. Also, my goodness it's harder in America than in Australia (paid maternity leave, etc).
It's not quite the book I was expecting - there's not a huge in-depth history of strollers and their alternatives, for instance, although there is some - but it was nonetheless engrossing and... well, I want to say enjoyable, but that's not quite the right word. I read it quickly and with fascination.
Of the four Object Lessons books I've read so far, this is by far the most personal. It's really quite remarkably personal, actually, and I admire Morgan for what she says about herself to illustrate the points she's making more broadly about society.
While the focus of the book is the stroller (or pram), this is very much a book about motherhood, mothering, expectations on and of mothers, and how consumer goods like the stroller fit within that. I am not a mother, but even I know some of the pressures and expectations from society imposed on, and internalised by, mothers. Morgan describes herself as someone who didn't expect to be a mother from early on; and as someone whose identity was strongly tied to being a runner. Both of these things influenced the way she perceived maternity, and the stroller. Her early recounting of telling a (not-mother) friend that she's going to try and have a baby, and the quite awful reaction from that friend ("That'll be the end of all your running", p6), sets up a lot of what Morgan picks up through the book (and made me worriedly think back to how I've reacted to child-announcements from friends. I don't think I've ever been that awful?). Morgan relates her experiences of juggling not wanting to fall into the 'must have everything' trap, to not be swayed by alarmist or aspirational advertising. She talks about juggling routines, two preschools, her own desire to run (between two preschools, with a double stroller); and she relays the commentary she received from onlookers, too, which honestly just made me mad.
Morgan mixes in academic discussion, too: of how American society emphasises the 'production' part of 'reproduction', with the mother as unskilled worker; the use of the word 'labour' and 'delivery' and what they suggest about the relationship between mother and child and the whole process of the second leaving the first. And then how baby products get tied into identity, and parenting strategies, and what all of those things mean and say about you and your choices. It emphasised a lot of things for me: just how harshly mothers are treated sometimes, how many minefields need to be navigated, and how unapproachable so many of our cities and spaces are. Also, my goodness it's harder in America than in Australia (paid maternity leave, etc).
It's not quite the book I was expecting - there's not a huge in-depth history of strollers and their alternatives, for instance, although there is some - but it was nonetheless engrossing and... well, I want to say enjoyable, but that's not quite the right word. I read it quickly and with fascination.
September 18, 2022
Stroller by Amanda Parrish Morgan is an excellent addition to the Object Lessons series. Like the other books in the series, it takes a common object and looks at it from more diverse perspectives than simply as an object.
Don't be misled by those who think books in this series aren't about the object they claim to be about. That is far from the truth, though admittedly those who just want an encyclopedia type description will not catch on to what is going on. Especially those who have to self-proclaim their savviness. Kinda like someone claiming to be a "stable genius," a dead giveaway he is neither stable nor a genius. Same idea. Let me give an example for other "savvy" readers. A book that gives the history of the development of the Ford Mustang and all kinds of specs is clearly a book about the Mustang. Yet a book that touches on the history Mustang but devotes most of its pages to showing both how it spoke to a generation's quest for the feeling of freedom and of big company's desire to capitalize on that feeling is still, if using the Mustang as an example throughout, a book about the Mustang. It doesn't matter if it was actually the Corvette that spoke to me personally at the time.
So, for those who can read about an object and all of the many things it can represent, Stroller (and the rest of the Object Lessons series) is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. At what point does a utilitarian object become a status symbol? Its modern "invention" or when there are models that sell for several month's rent in many places? Can we complain about the commercialization of everything when we are now told that what we present to the public is our "brand" rather than just our public persona? How can some countries be child-centric yet not child-friendly? These are some of the things addressed our touched on in the book, and with which the reader can grapple.
Highly recommended for those who like to think a bit more about an object than just surface level, so apparently not for the self-proclaimed savvy people.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Don't be misled by those who think books in this series aren't about the object they claim to be about. That is far from the truth, though admittedly those who just want an encyclopedia type description will not catch on to what is going on. Especially those who have to self-proclaim their savviness. Kinda like someone claiming to be a "stable genius," a dead giveaway he is neither stable nor a genius. Same idea. Let me give an example for other "savvy" readers. A book that gives the history of the development of the Ford Mustang and all kinds of specs is clearly a book about the Mustang. Yet a book that touches on the history Mustang but devotes most of its pages to showing both how it spoke to a generation's quest for the feeling of freedom and of big company's desire to capitalize on that feeling is still, if using the Mustang as an example throughout, a book about the Mustang. It doesn't matter if it was actually the Corvette that spoke to me personally at the time.
So, for those who can read about an object and all of the many things it can represent, Stroller (and the rest of the Object Lessons series) is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. At what point does a utilitarian object become a status symbol? Its modern "invention" or when there are models that sell for several month's rent in many places? Can we complain about the commercialization of everything when we are now told that what we present to the public is our "brand" rather than just our public persona? How can some countries be child-centric yet not child-friendly? These are some of the things addressed our touched on in the book, and with which the reader can grapple.
Highly recommended for those who like to think a bit more about an object than just surface level, so apparently not for the self-proclaimed savvy people.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
December 9, 2022
I’m deeply thankful I read this at the end of 2022 because had it come out earlier, every book I read after would have been a disappointment in comparison! Parrish Morgan deftly writes about the nuances of motherhood, history of strollers and societal commentary about parenting. I adored how this book came together. As a mix of memoir and non-fiction, it thoughtfully wove topics together in a way that felt honest, yet relevant to all and poignant. I was especially struck by her dive into parenting and consumerism. As a new mother, I felt all the emotions about what gear my child needed and this book captured the essence of modern parenting. The content itself was fantastic but I was also struck by the writing. I rarely take a highlighter to my books but this was one where I wanted to mark it up so I could come back and reread portions. I also had laugh out loud moments like when she describes her life as “goldfish dust encrusted”, the exact way I’d reference my life though I never had the prose. I’ve already ordered more copies to gift this holiday season and I’m not at all surprised this was placed on so many lists. I’m eager to read more from the Object Lessons series and this author!
September 28, 2022
This title is part of a series called Object Lessons. Each relatively short entry gives a detailed view of a common object-here we have the stroller. It is that most iconic of parent purchases. It is an object that publicly states something about each family, in my opinion. I have seen a lot of social pressure around which one of these a family chooses and how it seemingly reflects on them.
This book is framed by the author telling readers something about herself and her decision to be a parent. Her children then enter the scene as do their transportation systems.
From this beginning, comes a lot of information about strollers, beginning with their history. There are some fascinating photos accompanying the text. I would bet that not all readers would know that there was a “gas safe pram” for use during war time. However I was most struck by how the topic of the pram offered the author an excellent opportunity to talk about parenthood and children.
This book is quite interesting and deserves an audience wider than the title may indicate.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book is framed by the author telling readers something about herself and her decision to be a parent. Her children then enter the scene as do their transportation systems.
From this beginning, comes a lot of information about strollers, beginning with their history. There are some fascinating photos accompanying the text. I would bet that not all readers would know that there was a “gas safe pram” for use during war time. However I was most struck by how the topic of the pram offered the author an excellent opportunity to talk about parenthood and children.
This book is quite interesting and deserves an audience wider than the title may indicate.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for this title. All opinions are my own.
October 20, 2022
This is my first foray into Bloomsbury's "Object Lessons" series, and I such I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Stroller. I was quickly engaged with the book and ended up reading it in one sitting. The book includes a well-researched history of the object itself--stroller/pram/buggy--which was both surprising and informative. As much as I enjoyed reading about how strollers came to be and how their role in culture varies from place to place, though, I gravitated even more toward the personal vignettes in the book. With honesty and intelligence, Morgan looks at the symbolic connection between the stroller as a representation of connection, separation, and materialism within the context of her world as a mother, runner, consumer. The book is in turn funny, piercing, illuminating and ultimately quite moving. I had no idea that a stroller, in the right author's hands, would give me so much to think about.
October 18, 2022
This is an interesting fun read about strollers and the Sauthor‘s love-hate relationship with them I must say I really enjoyed the chapter talking about her running and wish that would’ve been expounding on more also I think a lot of the people the author refers to in the book has too much time to think I did like her comparison with the Maggie Gyllenhaal movie and the two inclusive parent but my favorite was the history of the stroller. This book is perfect for when you just have a few minutes to Peru’s the book but it is totally worth reading even the titles of the chapters are interesting. This was a really great read. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
October 26, 2022
Parrish shares the story of strollers and prams throughout history. It includes personal anecdotes, history, research and more.
This is the type of book that I typically enjoy very much. Ruminations on parenting are very interesting to me. However, I felt it was a bit disconnected and I struggled to find a through-line. The purpose of writing was not clearly defined, nor was the purpose of reading. I enjoyed the anecdotes, but I felt disconnected from the book and the topic even though I feel a personal connection to strollers, running, the tension between attachment parenting and free-range parenting.
This is the type of book that I typically enjoy very much. Ruminations on parenting are very interesting to me. However, I felt it was a bit disconnected and I struggled to find a through-line. The purpose of writing was not clearly defined, nor was the purpose of reading. I enjoyed the anecdotes, but I felt disconnected from the book and the topic even though I feel a personal connection to strollers, running, the tension between attachment parenting and free-range parenting.
November 4, 2022
Admittedly I would’ve never picked up a book titled “Stroller” that is seemingly about actual strollers, if I didn’t know the author. HOWEVER, it is artfully written in a way that I was invested in not only learning more about the stroller (pram), but also getting the anecdotes from Amanda’s experiences as a mother and navigating life with a stroller (or five). This was my first read of this series and it definitely piqued my interest to check out others!
January 10, 2023
Full disclosure: I own the stroller that is on the cover of this book, so of course it piqued my interest. This book might convince you to add strollers to the list of baby products that are made more for parent's convenience than for baby's enjoyment (right after sippy cups and baby walkers). I found this book's exploration of modern parenthood absolutely fascinating and honestly helpful as I build my own philosophy of parenting.
December 30, 2022
Short rumination on something that I spend a lot of time thinking about. What is the right stroller for every day and situation. It can make such a difference. I identified a lot with the author’s feelings about it as something that is an encumbrance and a freedom at the same time. And like all aspects of parenting, something I will be happy to be done with and also miss when it’s gone.
December 8, 2022
I loved this little gem of a book. It has more wisdom per page than any book I have ever read.
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May 4, 2023Read our conversation with Amanda Parrish Morgan about Stroller, "Moving Memories," Winter/23: https://mag.uchicago.edu/arts-humanit...
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