cover image This Is Ridiculous This Is Amazing: Parenthood in 71 Lists

This Is Ridiculous This Is Amazing: Parenthood in 71 Lists

Jason Good. Chronicle, $14.95 (176p) ISBN 978-1-4521-2921-1

Stand-up comedian and blogger Good, father of two young sons, finds that being a dad is perfect fodder for jokes and comedic introspection. Here, he presents 71 humor-filled lists, with topics ranging from “How to Defend Yourself Against a Toddler Attack” and “Games You Can Play While Lying Down” to “Love Hurts: Especially My Shoulder.” Good offers advice that parents are unlikely to hear elsewhere, such as suggestions that couples sleep in separate beds and schedule intercourse for once a week so that one parent feels like they are “doing it in a hotel” when that night rolls around. He proposes inventive uses for baby wipes (cleaning mulch off a hotdog, crushing bugs) alongside tips on how to eat cookies while wearing a ski mask. In addition to child-centered lists, Good includes a sweet ode to his wife that applauds her patience and confidence, in spite of the fact that she enjoys eating goat cheese that smells like “the foot of a medieval peasant.” Parents will appreciate Good’s offbeat outlook and quirky one-liners. (June)