Childfree Books

My Husband and I read this book together. In the midts of reading it we had many discussions/debates as well as laughs. I found this book to be intersting, enlightening and entertaining. It's well writen and commical.

Joe discovered that raising children was more challenging, emotionally draining, and required a lot more skills than most jobs, businesses or careers. During his kids teenage years Joe says he chose stand up comedy (over Prozac) to keep his sanity. This book is a candid, insightful and a fun read. His compelling story should be required reading in school! A must read by anyone who is thinking of starting a family -or already has one. Joe's honesty is refreshing and relatable to those of us parents who know that all too often the long & expensive road from cradle to college, can be filled with surprises...and they are not always pleasant. Buy this book -laugh and learn -you will be glad you did! Give Me Back My Credit!

Loved the book and couldn't put it down. Don't let the title fool you--it's full of great advice to prepare you for having kids. Should be required reading for high school kids.

As a parent, I found each reason to have merit, full of insightful anologies and information splashed with humor. The authors shares his experience as a single parent in a truthful and inspiring manner. Well researched and supported, he often supports his observations and opinions with info from well respected sources and world figures. If this book could have a subtitle, I think, HUG A PARENT, they neeed love too, would be an excellent choice. However, because I cannot "unring the bell", I would love this author to write a sequel; 51 reasons to have children and the million little blessings they impart on our troubled souls. I would buy that book as well. Thanx Joe for a wonderful, well written peek into the lives of parents.

It was such a relief to read this book, to know that other women have experienced and share in the frustration and outright discrimination I've experienced. I have never wanted, and do not want, children. As I get older (and as this mythical "clock" is supposed to start ticking), the idea of having children in my home seems less and less appealing.

Yet, despite the fact that my insurance covers sterilization, I have yet to find a doctor willing to do it because I don't have children and will supposedly change my mind. Let me get this straight: I could think about my future with enough surety to get a Ph.D., buy a car, manage not to go into debt by working through grad school, make life-or-death medical decisions for my father, and - if I wanted - could adopt a child from just about anywhere on earth, but I am somehow not capable of making a choice about my own sterilization? Yet, if I were merely 16 and showed up at a doctor's office wanting to have a baby, I doubt any doctor would tell me to have an abortion because I might not know my own mind and may want a different life in the future.

I cannot express how refreshing it was to read similar - and worse! - stories from other women. This is an excellent book; it is well researched and clear, and focuses not just on personal stories but on bias in medical treatment. It also debunks some myths about women who very much want to be sterilized - as in, they actually don't regret it. Terrific read. My copy is dog-eared, and has been borrowed by many friends of mine who have been in the same position, and had no idea such a book existed.

This book was written as a collection of the experiences of a group of women seeking sterilization services in the UK. One has to take into account that there may be some additional resistance to the sterilization of British women as a result of the national health service system of managed care. That said, in my experience the UK population seems to be more comfortable with the notion of voluntary nulliparity and sterilization than that of the US.

US guidelines for voluntary sterilization are based on the "rule of 120". This means that a woman's age is multiplied by a factor of 2 and then by the number of children she has. If that result equals 120 then the woman is considered an acceptable candidate for sterilization. This means that a 30 year old with 2 kids would meet less resistance to a request to be sterilized while a person with no children would never be eligible during her childbearing years.

This book was an important part of the creation of my personal statement in the defense of my decision to follow the lead of the women in this book. In fact, in the end I was required to follow the lead of the women in this book literally. At 29 I successfully visited London's Marie Stopes Clinic and encountered [very gratefully] none of the resistance or disrespect that so often surrounds this process. Such experiences are detailed in the outrage expressed by many of those who tell their stories here. "Childfree and Sterilized" was a central resource in my understanding and planning for the issues surrounding this choice.

I rarely review a book here, but I was so utterly disappointed with this read. I was hoping for an exploration of the pros and cons of the childfree lifestyle - what I got was a defensive screed against children and in particular the parents of unpleasant and poorly behaved children. The defensiveness with which the writer approaches the subject and the choice to be childfree, doesn't allow for any discussion of the emotional difficulties, the uncertainty, and regrets that one might encounter when trying to make and stick with the choice not to have children. The writer assumes that men don't want children (not something I've found to be the case, as there are many men who view having children as much a necessity and natural choice as many women) and does not address the question of finding a childfree mate, what are the difficulties of a childless marriage, etc. If one is looking for a pep talk for the childfree this is your book, it validates, and blissfully enumerates the positive of a childfree life without delving into any of the difficulties or downsides. It lists several somewhat superficial political motivations for not having children, complains about issues like stroller traffic, and over population, and offers a repetitive and exhausting rant about how insensitive everybody else is to people who don't have children - which is nice to a point because it's true - but it's not a very deep and helpful look at the choice.

I have read close to 4 books on the topic of being Childfree and this one tops my list. In fact, I have reread it after people make mean remarks to help myself calm down. It is a great book, especially if you are thinking you are the ONLY one struggling with the decision or feel like you are alone. Thank you AMAZON for selling this book. I have been to several retail book stores that rarely sell these type of books. This book tops my list of all time favorite books. Good research and well written. If only someone had shown this book to me in my mid-twenties.

I have read several of the books in this category and this one was the most accessible. I find that all of these books are trying to convince us that it is ok to be childfree. I had already made my decision and needed affirmation that I wasn't alone in my reasoning. This book put in black and white what I had been feeling and thinking about already.

Very thorough and thoughtful. Lots of entries from both parents and non parents. Great book. Loved it. Easy to read even with the occasional differences between the writer's UK vocabulary and my USA brain.

I've always sort of felt like I didn't want children. Even as a kid, I can remember insisting that I would have dogs and not kids. Recently, however, I was wrestling with the issue of whether I really did want to have kids at some point, and I read several books on the topic. This was the one that really helped me feel confident in my decision not to have children.

The one criticism I have of this book is that it devotes a little too much space to complaints about how the child-free are treated, and how most people react with shock and horror to those who choose to remain child-free. This may vary with different social circles, but I've mentioned my decision to many people and not one person has reacted negatively. Most of the people I've talked with seem a little surprised and say something like, "Oh really? Well, I can see how that could be the right decision for some people but I love mine!"

I liked her study and she really knows her stuff, and it is nice to hear the male perspective on choosing not to have children. It seems a little expensive though compared to the other book I bought on the subject.

This book is possibly the only one of its sort currently in print. As a voluntarily nulliparous heterosexual female, this book provided an important source of information for me regarding how men make and live the decision not to have children. Such information about men's reproductive choices, and the thought that they have put into those choices is far from easy to find.

This book is done in a "stories of the persons" style with men having similar reasons being grouped by chapters. The author provides some basic, yet extremely valuable, insight into what the roles of men are becoming in reproduction and child rearing in the western world and the clearly demonstrates why some men are making the choice not to have children at all.

Lunneborg occasionally points out some differences between men and women as they go through this decision making process. This is, in my opinion, one of the most valuable contributions of this book because the question of children is viewed predominantly as being the prerogative of females. The men interviewed often seemed to have reasons that appeared different from women's on the surface but were, at the core, similar desires.

This is a valuable book, a resource for finding the opinions of others like oneself if one is considering living a childfree life. It could also be a instructive work for those who want to understand the choice. For those persons, I cannot see how one could read this book and still maintain the stereotype that the childfree are immature, selfish, or have been so impulsive to have given only momentary thought to a choice far less life altering than the decision (usually by default!!) of having a child.

I waited on whether or not to get this book as the price is way too high. I found it on half.com for nearly half the price. Anyway, I am very glad that I made the purchase. I am 29 years old now and I have known for a long time (over 10 years now) that I was not someone who wanted kids. It was so refreshing to read the stories of other guys and why they did what they did. I feel like an outcast so much of the time because of my decision, but reading this book made me feel like I was perfectly justified in my feelings. These men have so much going on in their lives! They keep busy, yet they are able to drop any of the activities and just chill out and enjoy some quiet time if they want. They are flexible, less stressed-out, and have more time and money for their own personal hobbies and interests. I wish there were more books on this taboo subject as I feel that men get the raw deal when it comes to decision making in a marriage/relationship. Too often we are passed over as just breadwinner and nothing else. We have visions of what will make our life positive as well, and a lot of the time, most of the time, it gets overshadowed by what the woman in the relationship wants. I really recommend this book to anyone, especially men who are interested in why this child-free choice is a good one.

"The results [of this book] hold substantial interest, for they tell us not only about men's experiences of childlessness, but also about the great gap between the experiences of 'childfree' men and women. . . . For the social scientist the study provides an eye-opening look at an underexamined subject and suggests a wealth of hypotheses to guide future research."

From Jerry Steinberg, Founder of the non-profit social club NO KIDDING! "There is something in this book that every man can relate to, and every man should read it--with or without his partner."

I just could not relate to this author. I'm happy that childfree worked for her, but there is a huge difference between making the decision to live childfree before you exhausted your treatment options and making the decison after coming to the logistical end of treatment (whether it be due to the insurance, finances or probability of success running out...). This book speaks to the former group of decision-makers; people who I would argue are closer to being childless by choice rather than chance.

My husband and I are nearing the end of our fertility treatment options and, in all honesty, are leaning more toward childfree than adoption, but not because we haven't seriously considered the latter. If you have no interest in adoption whatsoever, then you may be able to better relate to this book. If, however, you are struggling between the two, I think you'll find this book a little too one-sided and simplistic to be of much assistance. A better book would be "Sweet Grapes: How to Stop Being Infertile and Start Living Again" by Jean and Michael Carter.

A better title or this rather slim and somewhat melodramtic book might "Childfree Instead of Fertility Treatment" since that was the choice the author made and the one she is best qualified to talk about.

Everyone must make their own choices in this area and what works for one person may not work for another. However, potential purchasers should be aware that the author decided to terminate fertility treatment before trying either IUI or IVF and never seriously considered adoption. This suggests that choosing the childfree option was perhaps less of a struggle than for someone who has exhausted fertility treatment options and is now trying to decide between adoption (or egg/embryo/sperm donation) and childfree. Such a person may be better served by the book "Sweet Grapes: How to Stop Being Infertile and Start Living Again". That book has the added advantage of being written by a couple for couples.

On the other hand, the book does raise some good points and given the seriousness of the decision being made, buying both books would not be a complete waste of money.

I do wish that I had had this book years ago, as it is an excellent book for those in the infertility maze who are trying to find their way to acheiving some sort of resolution.

I tend to find many books about regarding the infertility issue very depressing, focusing on "making do" or pushing the reader off to the adoption route without seriously considering the childfree route.

The author tells her own story and explains to the reader in detail about how she arrived at her own choice to be childfree.

This book contains heartfelt case histories and helpful quotes from various women throughout. Each woman has a unique story, so the reader is bound to find someone to whom she can relate.

The author also includes helpful responses to those well-meaning (or not such well-meaning) people who will try to question the reader's positions and choices.

A definate must-read!

Child-free doesn't mean child-hating, and I applaud the author for pointing this out. Her sense of humor helps the wary reader feel more comfortable about the choice of a child-free vacation. As the author notes, there are many times when a child-free vacation is most appropriate (on a honeymoon, for instance!) Even parents need a break away from children to get re-acquainted with each other. In my mind, that's much better done away from crowds of children, who would probably only make them feel guilty and remind them of child-related things. Having a break from parental duties can enable the parent to return to parenting refreshed and better able to handle stresses.

This book may seem elementary to those with lots of experience in child-free travel, but it included tips and resources I hadn't encountered before, including web links and links for educational travel for adults and tips for seniors, who, though they love their grandchildren, also treasure quiet time.

First, I was astonished to learn that Jennifer Lawler has a child. However, if she keeps her child out of places where children don't belong, then she's ok!

I read this book because I thought there would be a wealth of information about where to go and how to avoid crowds of children. The book didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know as far as eating at later hours, avoiding theme parks, etc.

I did enjoy her candor. Children, although sometimes pleasant, are just not welcome everywhere. Some people, parents and childfree folks alike, just want to have a relaxing vacation without hearing screaming children, tripping over children, etc. Ms. Lawler seems to have some common sense, which seems to be lacking in people who drag their children absolutely everywhere they go, whether the kids like it or not.

I'd recommend checking it out at a library to decide whether or not you like it first, and if you do, then by all means order it!