Cheaper by the Dozen

Rating:
Summary: Great family fun
Review: I had seen the film version many years ago but had no idea that it was based on a real family.
I really enjoyed this book and was fascinated and impressed by the parents. The book is realistic and amusing and by the end your find yourselves so involved with the family that you'll have a lump in your throat or tears in your eyes.

My favourite scene is the birth control advocate meeting the family in all its glory. Brilliant.

Rating:
Summary: A young adult classic that cries out for rereading
Review: First the confession: I had a role in the Roosevelt Middle School production of Cheaper by the Dozen in 1972. Rereading this young adult classic, I was struck by three things. One was the amount of stagecraft that any parent puts into his parenting, whether conscious or not. To our children, we are larger than life, even when we are embarrassingly insignificant. Two, modern management was invented by ambitious engineers like Frederick Taylor and Frank Gilbreth. And three, the technological changes that happened a hundred years ago were at least as significant as the ones of the last decade. There was one technology that the book mentions that didn't survive the Darwinism of the marketplace. Who knew that you could put whistle on the exhaust pipe of a car, the same way you do on a teakettle?

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: "Cheaper by the Dozen" is a book full of warmth, love, admiration, and grief. A warning: this is nothing like the 2003 movie "Cheaper by the Dozen." The only common theme is the 12 children. This story will remind you of your childhood days, if you grew up in a large family, or will remind you of one of your parents (or just make you yearn for a large family). Told in a random autobiographical format, you'll be taken through certain highlights of this family's life. What makes it a bigger treasure is that it is told by two of the Gilbreth children. If you're a fan of "Life with Father," then you'll love this story. It's a snappy read, and one that should be read together by families. The last chapter is sad, and a depressing note to end on. Nonetheless, the entire time you're reading this book, you'll have a smile on your face, and a few laughs. I recommend.

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: I just finished reading it ten minutes ago! I loved it! It has changed my life. I hope I can have such awesome experiences with my own five children! What an amazing family! Truly uplifting and inspiring! I will definitely read it again and again.