Blindsided by a Diaper: Over 30 Men and Women Reveal How Parenthood Changes a Relationship

Packed with essays by some of the best-known names in self-help—including Hope Edelman, Dr. Susan Maushart, Beth Levine and Adam Wasson—as well as a few child-besotted writers from other disciplines (like literary prankster Neal Pollack), Bedford's anthology of newborn baby angst is by turns heartwarming and hilarious, and perfect for freshly minted parents. A wide range of tones and topics map the contemporary child-rearing landscape nicely: Nicholas Weinstock takes the baby's POV in “Being a Baby,” Moon Unit Zappa is predictably in-your-face with “Having a Baby Can Waylay Getting You Way Laid,” Molly Jong-Fast waxes scholarly in “Why My Husband and I Love Our Son More than We Love Each Other,” and Adam Wasson strikes a fine balance between tittering and touching in “To Sleep, Perchance to Scheme.” Among them, they provide much more engaging reading than the typical parenting book, and, arguably, more honesty as well (novelist Leah Stewart on the moments after giving birth: “I was waiting for the rush of profound, intense love... I felt something more along the lines of, 'Well, look at this. Where did this baby come from?' ”). Readers will be happy to join Hilmer's community of new parents, and will love sharing favorite essays with their own crowd of postnatal newbies. (June)