Book Review: A World of Babies: Imagined Childcare Guides for Eight Societies

A World of Babies: Imagined Childcare Guides for Eight Societies

By Alma Gottlieb and Judy S. DeLoache

A World of Babies is unlike most other books we have ever read.  We believe it is probably meant to be a supplemental text for an anthropology course.  However, it is an interesting read just by itself.

The idea is that the book contains different case studies that are reported via fictional childcare manuals.

We found most of these to be very interesting and informative.  The book goes into a great deal of detail in some cases and the stories that are told are very believable and fun. However, it appeared to us that the last manual had an agenda the author was attempting to communicate to the reader.

Each section starts out with a little background information regarding the region and some of its history.  Then, sometimes we are given a fictitious biography of the alleged manual writer.  Finally the writer, or in some cases writers, of the manual will write as if giving childcare advice.

We can see that those wishing to learn more about cultures in other areas of the world will find this book very helpful.  With the exception of the last section, the book appears to be written in a very neutral tone recording everyday life in the area.

If you wish to learn more about different cultures, some you may have never heard of, A World of Babies is a good source of information.

FTC Required Notice:
We, David and Suzanne, were given a review copy of this book by the publisher without cost or obligation. Our policy on all reviews is to give our honest opinion of the book.  Neither one of us is an anthropologist, so we cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information contained in this book.




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