Rating: 
Summary: Frightening, Negative
Review: I have spoken to a number of people regarding this book and everyone had been so frightened by this book that they all actually thought they had lost or were losing their baby and had insisted that their Dr.'s perform an ultrasound to make sure everything was OK!!There are plenty of other books out there.
Rating: 
Summary: It is your Pregnancy - take control of your information!
Review: This is the first book that I bought to give me an idea of what to expect during my first pregnancy. While the overall layout leaves something to be desired (it appears monthly, but then other information is spread throughout), and the tone may be somewhat alarmist, I found that it gave me the general information that I needed. I knew almost nothing about what to expect and would rather be extra cautious my first pregnancy than to do a big no-no because of ignorance.
I woudl recommend this book to someone who needs the general information, but also has enough common sense to adapt some of it's guidelines to their own lifestyle (for example, one soda is not a good drink choice in this book, but if you like soda and would feel comfortable drinking one every other day or even every day, making sure to intake enough water etc, then go ahead and do it!).
Rating:
Summary: What's all the hype about? It's just good marketing
Review: So many people recommended this book to me, not to mention the television coverage and the best-sellers listing. I definietly would not recommend this book. Compared to my doctor's advice and other pregnancy books, I found this one very alarmist in tone. Also, while it looks like it is organized by month, you soon realize that information is spread out all over the place in a confusing and limiting question and answer format. Try "Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn" by Penny Simkin instead - much better. That's the book my OB recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy "Babytales" or "Girlfriends guide to pregnancy" instead
Review: I found "What to expect when expecting" to be pretenious, condecendind, and extremely negative. Yeah its true that this book may be loaded with a lots of needed information...and it may have its place in the world of pregnancy, but this is not the kind of book that a first time mom to be should be reading. This book will take a young woman, who is alread afraid, and instill more fear in her. It will talk down to her, and then make her feel insecure about the whole experience. I will not recommend this book at all. "Babytales: A Pregnancy companion", by M.S.Woodson and "The Girlfriends Guide to...", by Vicki Iovine - are much better choices.
Rating:
Summary: Overly medical, stress-inducing book
Review: My sister in law insisted I borrow this book from her claiming that it was the "best pregnancy book ever". What I found was a lot of fear mongering that treated pregnancy more like a terminal illness than the joyful occasion it really is. I literally couldn't force myself to read very much of it, and the parts I did read made me feel like every little bit of queasiness was a miscarriage waiting to happen or if I ate a bite of ice cream my baby would come out sick. If you are looking for a guide to pregnancy with a bit of heart, I suggest Dr. Sears' The Pregnancy Book; if you are looking for a nutrition guide that is easy to follow and well researched, I recommend Barbara Luke's Program your Baby's Health: The Pregnancy Diet for your Child's Lifelong Well-being.
Rating:
Summary: Some useful information, but better guides are out there
Review: Like many people, I bought this book at the beginning of my pregnancy because I had vaguely remembered seeing the book before and assuming it must be pretty good.
Unfortunately, even though this book has gone through multiple editions, the information and tone of the book has changed little. I figured this out by reading other books, and while the information in the book was fairly progressive in the early 80's when it was originally written, many changes have taken place in ob/gyn practice and pregnancy care since then so many things are outdated.
The diet and weigth gain information in particular is unrealistic (the most recent edition has revised this info. so it may be more realistic than it was in the past.) There is no need to eat solely whole grains - folic acid supplements are commonplace in cereals and white grains and have been used since 1998. Also there is no correlation between many pregnancy complications and eating habits/weight gain (with gestational diabetes being one major exception), which the book implies in some of the question and answer sections. The hormones of pregnancy play a MUCH bigger factor in the development of pregnancy complications, which makes sense when you think about how dramatically the levels are changing in your body. Most of this information is either in the medical literature or inferred through it so it is troubling that the authors are ignoring the facts and resorting to finger-wagging and scare tactics for mothers-to-be. Also the delivery section seems outdated but since I haven't delivered yet I don't have any first-hand experience. There is little to no mention of doulas or other "alternative" birthing procedures which are available and offered at the hospital where I'm due to deliver!
I would recommend a more recently updated pregnancy guide which has more information on alternative birthing methods and de-emphasizes diet and weight gain issues. The book supplied by my OB/GYN's office which is put out by the Association of OB/GYNs (it has a pink background cover) was the best overall source I read. There was MUCH more balanced and non-judgemental information presented, and gave more realistic information I have used throughout my pregnancy so far.
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST-HAVE
Review: I loved it, after reading this book I was told by my doctor that I know enough to see patients with him :) Entertaining and filled with needed information!
Rating:
Summary: Too much focus on food...
Review: I am on my 4th pregnancy, and it was the first book I bought with my first. Definately the "Best Odds Diet" is extreme. The author alots you ONE dessert or "splurge" per month. And then to ruin the excitement of splurging she tells you to pick something semi nutritious like carrot cake. The book acts like your child will be deficient if you take one bite of anything with sugar, deep fried or salty. Ridiculous!!! I spent the better half of my first pregnancy in fear of eating sweets or processed meats! This diet will ruin any special occasion dinner, vacation or treat. There is some good info in the book, but I wish there was more on the development of the baby. I wish it told you what weeks lined up with the nine months.
Rating:
Summary: Scared me away from pregnancy
Review: I bought this book when one of my friends became pregnant and, after reading it, I told my husband there was no way I was ever going to be pregnant. The demands that this book puts upon a pregnant woman are unbearable, and the guilt that is not-so-subtly applied if you don't follow the rules in the book is immense. After reading many other books (that were happier, and much truer to life, like, believe it or not, "Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy") and feeling better prepared for what it was like for "real" people, we did decide we were prepared to have a baby. While I was pregnant, I used the "What to Expect" book when I wanted to look up something specifically, but I refused to use it as any sort of a holistic guide and would really not recommend it at all. If you are looking for a much more empowering alternative, you should really consider "The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth" by Sheila Kitzinger.
Rating:
Summary: A must have if you are pregnant
Review: My sister bought this book for me when I told her I was pregnant. I didn't think much about it, but then I started having those normal pregnancy things that happen. You know the pains you didn't know where normal, the acid reflux, the gas.....The real attractive part of pregnancy. When I would feel these, I would turn to whatever month I was on and read. It lists all the things you should expect, the things to expect at your doctors visit and the progress of the baby. It also has a section on some of the things that can go wrong in pregnancy and early signs or ways to cope. For example, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and this book had a section on it. It helped me deal with the problem. This book goes all the way through to labor and birth. Also, each monthly chapter has a Q and A area of what is probably the most frequently asked questions. I found that 90% of the time it answered my concerns. I didn't sit down and read this like a book, but used it as a reference. I found it very helpful to have around.
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