The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care

With more than fifty million copies in print, The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care is the best-selling nonfiction book after the Bible. First published in 1946 by the pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock, this guide played a vital role in shaping millions of fathers and sons of the baby boom generation.

Although Spock's philosophy evolved over time, initially his vision was in harmony with the emphasis on conformity and strict gender roles of Cold War America. He advocated raising boys to work and compete in the public realm and raising girls to be homemakers. He also reinforced the idea that child rearing was largely a mother's responsibility (although fathers might “occasionally” assist). But Spock departed from conventional beliefs by rejecting predominant child-rearing philosophies that ...