[.uk] Cheaper by the Dozen (ISBN 0060594330)

You only need one word to describe this book: fun!:
It is very, very rare to come across a book that is purely and simply fun to read. The reason that this book is a classic is that it has managed to be just this. This is the story of Frank Gilbreth, his wife, and their twelve children around the turn of the 20th century. If you imagine that a family of fourteen would provide many, many occasions for humor, you would be very correct. This book is an account, written by two of those twelve children, of the many interesting and humerous events which befell them growing up in such a large family. The family is made even more enjoyable and strange by the extremely unique father who was a pioneer of motion-study, and who did such things as covering the walls of their home with lessons about astronomy, morse-code, etc. It is very interesting to read, but, most of all, it is very, very fun. My only complaint is about the absolutely horrible cover on the new version. Why on earth would you use the cover from the Steve Martin movie with the same title as the cover for this book, which bears NO connection to the book except that it is about a large family? It is an incredibly tastless and transparent attempt to cash in on Martin's popularity. Overall grade: A+

On target:
After losing the 2nd copy of "Cheaper" I decided to try again -- My wife got this as one of her Christmas Presents and is extremely well pleased.

An Awesome Book, Ignore the Ludicrous Cover:
I don't know why they would put a picture from the recent movie on the cover of this classic book...it had NOTHING to do with this book. The movie was stupid; this book is GREAT. The amazing Gilbreth family shares hilarious and heartwarming stories about growing up with parents who basically began motion-study (figuring out how businesses could do things in less time). This is one to read out loud to the kids. They will laugh and laugh...and so will you. :^)

Among the most classic of classics...:
Everyone who has a funnybone needs to listen to this story. I read it as a child and it was hysterical to me then, and now as I sit and listen to it read, with some feeling...it is only funnier. And yet it is filled with the warmth of a family that loves and tries to know and understand one another--with all its warts and foibles. It's very real. Real; funny. Do yourself, or someone who needs a good laugh, a very real favor...get hold of this original audio story of "Cheaper By the Dozen." And ENJOY.

A Wonderful Classic That Is Still Great - By Jingo!:
"Cheaper by the Dozen" is a wonderful, entertaining portrayal of life in the early part of the last century, combined with universal themes about family life that today's readers can very much relate to. As a member of a family of 10 children from New Jersey growing up in the middle of the twentieth century, this book about a large family from New Jersey in the early twentieth century particularly resonated with me. It was and still is one of my favorites. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, were pioneers in scientific management and engineering, and this book portrays their entertaining adventures in applying these techniques to the raising of their 12 children. After not having read "Cheaper by the Dozen" in over twenty years, I recently read it again with my teenage son, and thoroughly enjoyed it - even more so than I had as a child, with the added perspective of parenthood. It is highly entertaining, and I literally had tears in my eyes I laughed so hard in certain sections. The book is written by two of the Gilbreth "dozen". Its anecdotal style is mostly light and entertaining, and a certain amount of poetic license was taken in writing about actual events. It should not be viewed as a completely accurate historical biography of the Gilbreth's, nor was that the intent. (If you are looking for that I would recommend "Time Out for Happiness", by Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr., and "Making Time" by Jane Lancaster, both of which are generally available. Internet searches will also lead you to lots of additional information, pictures and even some film footage of the Gilbreths.) Although sometimes portrayed as a book appropriate for children, I would not recommend this book for pre-teens for a number of reasons. First off, some of the language (although relatively mild by today's standards) as well as issues discussed (such as those hinted at and referenced in stories about the older daughters dating) are really not appropriate for pre-teens. Secondly, and my only real criticism of the book, is that there a few portions and references which were acceptable by the standards of 1948 when this book was published, but would now be considered less appropriate and insensitive: a small section containing a stereo-typical portrayal of a Chinese cook, a brief mention of the parents putting on a minstrel show to entertain the children (which went over my head as a teenage reader), and the referral by Mrs. Gilbreth to off-color language as "Eskimo". These are reflective of the time period, but a bit of guidance for younger readers on these issues might be useful (for my son, I used these as "teachable moments" regarding how standards have changed). I still highly recommend the book as an entertaining, fun read both for teenagers and adults.