Rating: 
Summary: Incompetence: Nothing But Conservative Backlash
Review: Beware! This book has a hidden political agenda that is appallingly inappropriate for a book about raising young children. It is nothing but far-right conservative backlash (which is the only explanation for its faulty logic) that perpetuates the old tough-love myth and the paranoia that meeting our children's needs for love and affection will only spoil them. At one point the book makes an argument against co-sleeping and meeting basic infant needs on the premise that a sense of competence must be built into the infant! Which, by the way, contradicts one of the book's general arguments that infant consciousness has no value because it vanishes from later memory (as if memory just magically vanishes into nothing)! The authors might as well come out and say that it's acceptable to abuse an infant since they will have no memory of it later. "Competence" in an infant? These people are crazy. The very definition of an infant is utter dependence on at least one other human being. The only reason to buy this book (or a case of these books) is to burn it so that more gullible parents don't end up making the mistake of raising their children with such gross incompetence.
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Summary: Don't be scared into implementing this advice...
Review: This book tries to scare you that if you don't follow these harsh methods you are in for a couple years of sleepless nights with a demanding, fussy child. Not only did the advice from the authors (both men) go against my natural instincts, I began to become suspicious that my own baby would begin sleeping through the night naturally right around the timeframe that is given. Sure enough, that was the case, and I had abandoned the Babywise system as unrealistic, cruel and useless after just a few days.
Rating: 
Summary: On Becoming Baby Wise
Review: I read this book and other parenting books while pregnant, and decided I liked what I read in Baby Wise. We began the implementing the practices from the beginning, and now our child eats, sleeps, and plays well. I've recommended the book to several parents with these suggestions: 1. Read the book before the baby is born, decide what you think, and make your plan. If you think the book is cruel and so forth, (I respectfully disagree) but obviously the book is not for you. 2. Some people think it's bogus that a baby needs to be trained to eat and sleep. But a baby needs to be taught to crawl, walk, talk, use the toilet, etc., so it makes sense that a baby needs to be taught how to sleep and eat correctly too. 3. Make adjustments when needed. Following the book to the letter can cause problems too. Your intuition will lead you. 4. The hardest part about using Baby Wise is all of the comments you have to endure from Attachment Parenting advocates, relatives, and anyone else who thinks they have all of the answers. You're better off not advertising the philosophy to everyone. It's better to have people say, "You're lucky your baby is so good." Rather than have them complain that, "You're a cruel parent." But with all of that in mind...read it, try it, you'll like it. Good luck
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Summary: Once again you've got to love Mr. Ezzo's math...
Review: On another site Ezzo has said that '2 million parents' have used Babywise, applying it to twice as many babies. It would be interesting to find out how many copies of Babywise have ever been sold to see if that even comes vaguely close to those numbers, because just this past April (2 months ago!) he told a reporter that 3 million babies have been fed with his methods. He is saying now that 4 million babies have been reared with it...gee that is interesting. According to census data available on-line, 5 million babies were born in America between April 2000 and July 2001--a 15 month period. We could assume that means 4 million per year. I'm going to make the assumption that his overseas sales are not really that significant, which may be an inaccurate assumption, but... Babywise has now been out for 9 years (despite Ezzo not really claiming the 1993 edition, but hey, I'm trying to give him the broadest possible customer base). That is 36 million babies. Is he saying that 1 in 9 babies have been 'lucky' enough to have been raised under his methods in the last 9 years? I have a HUGE difficulty believing that, because it is not hard for me to find people who have never even heard of him.
Rating: 
Summary: Happy baby - Happy Parents
Review: I've read through the many reviews of other parents who claim this book is cruel and teaches new parents to neglect and harm their children. I think people are taking this book and it's guidelines to an extreme, way beyond the suggestions of the book. Simply stated the book claims that if your child is put on a routine he/she will thrive and be happy - and that's exactlly what happens. From all the parents I know that have followed Babywise - we all have babies that sleep through the night before 3 months (my daughter slept through at 2 1/2 months and does NOT cry EVER at night). I wake her every morning at 7:00 - and she always wakes up happy to see me - and not starving for food. I've just introduced solids (cerael) to her at her 4 month mark but from her time of birth she's gained over 5lbs - putting her in the 50th percentile for weight, height & head circumfrance. She's strong, happy and most importantly healthy. The parents who look at this book and see cruelty probably don't have happy babies and therefore arent' too happy themselves! This program works - feed your baby, let them know they can depend on you for feedings (SCHEDULE THEM!) and they'll thrive and be happy and so will you.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Baby Advice!
Review: Babywise has lots of helpful ideas and was of great help to our family. With our fourth child, it helps to have a little bit more predictable schedule. It seems to me that the unfavorable reviews that I have read are biased to the total "child-centered" approach to parenting (and living). Our children aren't suffering from our control over their lives, rather they are flourishing in a predictable, loving environment. There are always special circumstances that may not be covered or explicit direction given. Our baby was jaundiced and had to go back into the hospital and be under the lights. We fed him and rocked him back to sleep during that time, to make it easier. All our doctors recommended closer feeding times to help with his condition. At the appropriate time, we began to space out his feeding times, and put him to bed on his own. He rarely cries, but is happy to be in his bed (or anywhere else we decide he will nap). He is a very healthy, thriving 4 month old. We have went on to purchase Childwise and Pre-teen wise. The information, as always, should be used with discernment and wisdom granted to those who seek it, by our Lord and Savior. My opinion on demand feeding, is that if it continues, the child begins to rule the household, and that arrangement continues, unless the parents exercise the contol they are designed to have. Our family's goal is to be other's-oriented, and family centered, not "one-child" centered. If something is good, it should benefit our family, not just the baby or mother, or another individual. To have time to devote to the other children, the baby has to be on a flexible schedule. I might add that our goal was not to sleep all night; I enjoyed the midnight nursing times. But, according to the schedule in Babywise, he was sleeping all night at 3 months. We have had a very enjoyable experience using this book as a reference, and I plan to continue nursing for his first year.
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Summary: dangerous for breastfed babies
Review: Anyone who has breastfed knows that keeping a breastfed newborn on a 3 hour "schedule" is ludicrous. I am sure there are times when this would work, but every baby is different and most do have periods where they need to eat much more frequently than this!
I agree with reviewers who say to use what you can from this book, but use common sense and read other sources as well. The problem is, when it comes to parenting a very new baby for the very first time, we do not always have "common sense" and interpreting a baby's cries can be difficult to impossible. That is why following a book like this to the letter, as so many parents seem to, may work for some children, but for others could be very dangerous. I am often disturbed by the number of people willing to follow to the letter, advice from people like this who have absolutely no credentials to speak of, who they know nothing about, just because he wrote a book with a catchy title. Anyone can write a book! If you must read this, please also read "the Baby Book" by Dr. William Sears, to get a more balanced viewpoint.
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Summary: This is a great book for people who want to be Non-parents.
Review: Want your child to sleep through the night at an unreasonably young age? You need your full 8 hours sleep to work, party, etc?
You want your child on "your" schedule? You really want to be a parent at all?
It doesn't take an idiot to figure out that if the Academy of Ped's and major churches across America, not to mention many other medical organizations that I have forgotten, all say do not follow this man's advice because it is substantially harmful and neglectful and is not medically or bibically sound, then it probably is harmful and neglectful!
To all the parents out there writing reviews saying how wonderful how great, etc because their babies are now "sleeping through the night" etc.-there is evidence from past abuse on children that if you leave them alone in a dark closet, throw food to them 3 times a day, etc they will also be "good" for you if you let them out and probably not "bother" you at night when they are frightenend, hungry, etc. There are parents who are good and there are parents who are bad, what do you choose to follow and become?
There are some cities currently in the process of prosecuting parents on the basis of "neglect" because they choose to follow this man (not doctor, not minister, not nurse) and now their children have detachment, health, depression problems.
To the parents who say their child is "happy" and "normal", how old are they? These problems you are causing by following this man will show up later, and then it's too late. What kind of parent would knowingly choose to follow a book like this when there are so many good ones out there, sound and full of baby-friendly advice?
Children are only young once, then its gone forever. What kind of parent wants to detach themselves so much from their children? What kind of parent chooses to follow the advice of just anyone off the street on how to raise their child because others have praised the glory of their children sleeping through the night? At any cost? We now know the costs and it is not pretty.
The kind of parent I know I would never want or want to be!
Rating: 
Summary: Gives you a good starting point
Review: I know there is major controversy over BABYWISE, from reputable sources, as well as parents. However, I think you need to take it and use it as it works for you and your baby and not see it as the Bible for newborns. It gave me an excellent starting point as a brand new parent who didn't have a clue. It allowed me to get my son on a relatively consistent schedule and he was sleeping 8 hours by 9 weeks (hallelujah!) Gary Ezzo specifically says in his book, many times over, to feed your child if he/she is hungry even though it may not be the scheduled time. The controversy over starving your children seems to be a moot point if you read his book thoroughly. As for letting your baby cry, I don't think that he meant a newborn, and if he did, I chose not to abide by that pricipal that he set forth. Eventually we had to let my son cry himself to sleep. It took an hour or so, he eventually went to sleep and seemingly does not need therapy for feeling abandoned by his parents. He is an extremely happy 6 month old. However, what I did find frustrating about the book was that Gary Ezzo gave no trouble shooting tips for those babies who did not fall right in line with the baby he portrayed in his book. According to Gary, if you did it all by what his book said (with in reason and common sense)your baby would be napping on a regular schedule, for long periods of time, at an early age (approx. 3-4 months). My son did not, and the book gave me no instructions or help whatsoever on what I may have been doing wrong, different, or what. Nor, did it give me any insight as to why my son would not nap. So again, it is pick and choose what works for you. Use your common sense and trust your parental instincts, it is not the newborn Bible, neither is it as controversial as all these others seem to make it out to be. I found it very informative and helpful in most areas. I do however wish it gave you insight as to what to do if your baby wasn't as "perfect" as the baby written about in the book.
Rating:
Summary: My Parents Thought I Couldn't Do It!
Review: According to my parents and my in-laws, there was no way I was going to have a baby who slept through the night since both my husband and I were both "terrors" when we were babies. A friend of mine told me about this book and I read the entire thing before the baby came (someone else recommended this - and I agree!) The concepts made sense. By the way, the person who said that Ezzo recommends to let the baby "cry it out" obviously missed the point. Ezzo said to let the baby cry for 5-10 minutes, check the baby to make sure he is safe, diaper changed, not to warm or cold, etc. Ezzo goes to great lengths to explain that this schedule is not STRICT! I believe he uses the word FLEXIBLE! If the baby shows signs of hunger early, feed him! I think it is the parents who are complicating this issue. I have followed this book exactly and my baby started sleeping through the night (7-9 hrs) at 4-5 wks! I am a breastfeeding mother and in the first 1 1/2 weeks of my son's life, he gained 2 lbs!!! My pediatrician was amazed! I recommend this book to all of my friends. One funny thing I noticed about several of the negative reviews is that they mention Ezzo saying that this was God's way ... I'm not sure where they found that in the book, because I was thankful there was no religious content in the book so that I could recommend it to friends who shy away from a religious point of parenting. These concepts work no matter what you believe about God! I could go on and on, but I will leave it at this - I DEFINITELY recommend the book!
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