I bought this book used and it is horrible!! I agree with people who say he is arrogant, sarcastic and just out and out mean!! If he had been my husband oi.. I would have sent him packing at the first month of the first child. What an insensitive jerk! He talks about having kids as if its as bad as having your wisdom teeth removed.. Its not. Its a wonderful experience that can make a couple even closer. I am the mother of a four year old.. I was a single mom at first then met my husband.. we are planning to start trying in January.. This man and I use that term lightly who wrote this book.. was not meant to be a father or husband.. Please.. if you are a first time father.. DONT GET THIS BOOK!!

Some of the other reviewers here are a little harsh, and a bit humorless. I wonder if they'll approach child rearing the same way.

Anyway, I bought this book not because it's uniquely humorous or marvelously scientific. In fact, I think there are clear disclaimers on both regards in the first pages of the book.

I bought the book because the approach is light and friendly, and sometimes rather clever.

If you want a medical education about pregnancy, this is not your text. If you want side-splitting jokes, this also is not your book... try something by David Sedaris instead.

But if you want a less serious book about a topic that is all too serious, and if you want to gain some insights from an everyday guy, then this book is worht checking out.

I am about to be a father for the first time and I bought several books to read during our pregnancy. This one was lousy.

First and foremost, this book is not funny. It is negative and sarcastic. The premise is that life as you know it is over once you become a father, yet Peter Downey is such a bore I doubt he ever had a life. His shallow, sophmoric humour is riddled with clichý.

"I'm not sure how they calculate the [due] date, but I suspect it's done with a crystal ball or a dart thrown into a calendar" (37)

"I think radiologists are just joking around with us and that the ultrasound is simply a badly tuned TV station" (39)

"By the way, when I said that it's not really that bleak, I was kidding" (50)

I know nothing of Mr. Downey's fathering skills; I prey they are better than his ability as a writer.

If you're one of those Dads-to-be sitting on the edge of your seat, chewing your fingers to the bone thinking "oh no, my life is over now", then this book is for you, because it will definitely help to reinforce those thoughts. Personally, I'm over the moon that I'm going to be a Dad and can't wait for the big day. Hence why after reading a few chapters of this book I couldn't understand why I suddenly felt disturbed about the prospect. I found that throwing the book across the room fixed that though (much to my wife's amusement) and the book is now sitting on the shelf at my local 2nd hand book store....