Be Prepared (English)

Bound and illustrated like a Boy Scout manual, this often humorous how-to book for first-year fatherhood was written by a comedian, but offers serious advice presented in a light format. Instructions include quickly baby-proofing a hotel room, changing a baby's diapers at a ballgame, and the caveat that a "transitional object" to replace a security blanket should be something readily replaceable. Greenberg covers temperature-taking and feeding, including the tip that when the baby is hungry, it makes "a pattern of low-pitched, rhythmic moans, growing more and more insistent," whereas simple boredom involves "a low-volume whimper that stops and starts irregularly." Diagrams and pictures accompany the text. minimize