On my desk this week: “I’m going to be a Dad: Now what?” by Craig Baird

The subtitle to Craig Baird’s new book I’m going to be a Dad: Now what? joins the ranks of other dad primers like The Expectant Father by Armin Brott. Where Baird’s book is different is that it represents a new trend in dad parenting books, as stay-at-home dads become the norm, as do other complicated living and financial circumstances families cobble together to pay the mortgage, and put pampers and formula on the table. While these new books don’t differ much in the parenting and medical advice they dispense, they do offer advice for dads in different situations.

The subtitle to I’m going to be a Dad: Now what? is “Everything you need to know about first time fatherhood. Organized by age from early pregnancy through two years, I’m Going to be a Dad covers a lot of ground in 277 pages. The information is succinct and to the point, and embellished only by the periodic “case studies” of different types of dads (widower, soldier, traditional for example) which are really Q & A interviews on how they are dealing with new fatherhood. The approach taken by Baird in I’m going to be a Dad: Now what? is sure to appeal to dads who want straightforward information on the subjects that concern them the most.

There is a lot of practical advice in I’m Going to be a Dad, and it’s a solid primer for a new dad, though you may need to supplement it with one of your wife’s books if you want to dig deep into a subject.