Beyond "What to Expect... "

Everyone has heard of "What to Expect when you're Expecting" It is THE pregnancy book, at least in the USA.  However, what about the other 100 books on the "Parenting and Childcare" shelf of the Barnes and Noble? I've read a number of less well known books, mostly the ones geared toward "dad."

Fatherneed - This book is different from all the others. It's not so much a book on how to parenting as it is a sociology book about parenting, mostly (as the title suggests) fathering. It delves into the positive affects of a father in a young child's life along with the negative affects of one's absence. Later in the book it does give a brief overview of major steps for a young child. My wife bought this for me when we were in the very preliminary stages of trying to conceive, and it really helped put some of my anxiety at ease.  Highly recommended for any new father / father to be.

Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads - I would place this one in the must have category for every dad. While not an all encompassing book about parenting / raising a child, this one is filled with random tidbits specifically for fathers - from staying awake at work at the office to rigging up a diaper with duct tape and a sock.  All of this is illustrated and pretty funny.  Really a great book.

Experimenting with Babies - This is what I imagine every psychologist dreams about when they have a kid.  This has 50 experiments you can do with your baby to show cognitive development and random evolutionary traits.  After the experiment, there is a discussion about the discovery of the experiment along with its implication.  Not a necessary book, but definitely a good one for scientific / nerdy parents.

Bringing Up Bébé - I'm in the middle of reading this book right now.  This one has changed a lot of perspectives on things.  Written by journalist Pamela Druckerman, Bébé is part story, part parenting advice, part education in French culture. After explaining the french approach to things, Druckerman then goes into the scientific reasoning of why it works.  Skeptical?  Consider this: most babies in France are sleeping through the night by 2 months, and Druckerman explains why.  That right there is worth the $14.95.