When I was a kid my dad would tell me, “Don’t build me a clock, just tell me what time it is.” I had absolutely no idea what he meant, thinking he was making some sort of nonsense joke, whatever that means, so I didn’t ask him to clarify and continued to ramble on about the most important thing in my world: Pac-Man.
Now that the shoe’s on the other foot and I’m The Dad, I know exactly what he meant.
That’s what this book is. It’s the time. It’s the nuts and bolts. It’s the basics. An essential read for any new dad. But it’s also funny as hell.
Be Prepared is the hilarious offspring of a book about engaged fatherhood and a Boy Scout Manual dressed up in a Pee-Chee Folder. It’s Al Bundy meets Dr. Spock. The Fonz meets Xavier Rudd. Rodney Dangerfield meets Eddie Vedder….
Whatever, look, bottom line is it’s an easy, entertaining read that provides all the vital info a new dad is going to need if he hopes to be in any way responsible for the care of a baby during the child’s first year. It tells you the time, but it in some areas, it builds you a clock.
Be Prepared touts itself as “A Practical Handbook for New Dads” and that’s exactly what it is, and it does so without being boring. From diaper changing to playing games to improve cognitive development, this handy book is a must-read for any dude about to be a dad or who is brand new at the job.
Just whatever you do, don’t leave it lying around for your eleven year-old nephew (or in this case my eleven year-old son) to discover. Or you better be prepared for THAT situation as well:
