Dummy: The Comedy and Chaos of Real-Life Parenting by Matt Coyne

Dummy: The Comedy and Chaos of Real-Life Parenting Reviews

• 
  Axel

  Best book I’ve read this year. I laughed so much I nearly hurt myself.
• 
  Ffion

  Very disappointed with this book. Most anecdotes and stories were exaggerated for humorous effect, and whilst I did find it quite funny in places, overall it was a moany, sweary, catastrophising version of parenthood which was incredibly self-indulgent.
• 
  Jenna

  The cover & title of this book caught my eye. It was on the recommended NEW humorous books shelf at my local library.
  That’s why I chose it.
  I also chose it b/c it was seemed like a funny blog/memoir style book about parenthood from the male perspective. That’s unique. I’ve read plenty of books written by women on this subject so I was curious. I always like to try the typical story from a different viewpoint.
  
  The introduction was hysterical and had me laughing out loud. I was keen to keep reading.
  It does slow down a bit after that but the writer has a brilliant sense of humor. I was still laughing at various points in the book.
  I liked that he easily made fun of himself as well others around him w/no malice, just observational wit. It was a humble & and sentimental.
  
  I also liked that he used American (USA) references mixed in w/the UK ones .
  
  HEADS UP: just in case, i didn't find it offensive but some people may.
  there are some curse words, some crudish type humor about penises & vaginas, and a heck of a
  lot of detail about poo. (yeah...didn't really need it but i bet new parents o babies could totally relate to those parts)
  
  i also googled the writer. apparently, it started as a facebook post, lead to a blog then a book (titled DUMMY) which was a big hit in the UK a few years ago. this is the published version for the US. I hope it does well enough that the sequel Man vs. Toddler will also be released in the US.
  
  As the Brits say, this book was absolutely brilliant! Completely relatable to parents as well as entertaining for those of us who aren’t.
  An honest account of a new parent’s changed life.
• 
  Edwin Howard

  MAN VS. BABY by Matt Coyne, for those of us who have children, humorously reminds us what we went through when our kids were babies. For those who have yet to have children, I think Coyne might confirm some people's thoughts that they shouldn't have little demons who make their lives infinitely more complicated and messy, but for most Coyne leaves the reader with a sense of enlightenment and happiness that while all of the trails and challenges parenthood of a baby presents, there is something wonderful about connecting, learning and growing as a family.
  Coyne describes how this book was born; he would post, blog-style, about his trails as parent and so many people enjoyed it that he took all those thoughts and refined and organized them into a book. He structures the book into logically sections, like "Sleep", "Feeding", "Milestones" and so on and Coyne touches on the actual advice given in these areas that he stumbled across, but then applies the bumbling reality he faced with his own son, Charlie. To say that Coyne is self-deprecating is an understatement, he constantly,hilariously belittles himself and all the ways he did things wrong as a father to a newborn. He also recognizes, towards the end of the book, that there is nothing bad about doing the wrong thing if the end goal is to always try to the right thing.
  Really a fun read, I laughed out loud several times. Being that we all are either parents or know people that are parents, I think everyone laugh with and love Matt Coyne's MAN VS. BABY.
  Thank you to Scribner, Matt Coyne, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
• 
  matteo

  Coyle is entertaining as hell, and his takes on a ton of parental topics are dead on. There were slight variations coming from his British point of view (mostly references to stores and people), but overall it was uncanny how many things were similar to my own experiences. I laughed out loud at some of his descriptions and found myself nodding in agreement to others. I read several passages out loud to my wife.
  
  Up to the last fifty pages or so, I wouldn't have really known that Coyle was a blog writer, but it drags toward the end. He starts doing really short sections and numbered lists. I could have done without that, but overall the book is pretty fantastic.
  
  (Note that this review is for the paperback, but apparently that doesn't exist on goodreads yet. )
• 
  Rachel

  Probably my favorite parenting book to date. So incredibly funny and honest. Loved it and laughed out loud more times than I could count. I would often read my husband sections aloud because it was so great. Definitely a great purchase for any expecting or new parents!!
• 
  Fernanda

  Super funny!!!
• 
  Joanne

  I guess this is a blog? Parenting is hard. Not much new ground here. Might appeal to the new millennial parent, provided there's a huge tolerance for profanity.
• 
  James Horsley

  This was bought for me by a dad friend. I had hoped that this would help to prepare for the upcoming birth of mmy first child. It has!
  
  This book doesn't pretend to have all the answers. In fact, it pretty much states that it has no answers. In reality it covers some of the areas that concern first time parents-to-be the most and explains all the options you have.
  
  It never tells you the right answer and really helped to put my mind at ease, knowing that if I make a decision I think us best for the baby, then that is the right decision.
  
  This book is laden with anecdotes that will be relatable to any expectant father which are used in combination with hyperbole to maintain a humorous and informal tone throughout.
  
  This book doesn't preach and paints what I imagine is an accurate picture of life as a father from conception up to the first birthday. And when I'm sleep deprived with an unsettled infant at 3:25 on a Tuesday morning I can take comfort in the fact that thousands of other dads will be in the same situation feeling just as tired and just as clueless.
  
  I recommend this to anyone who has discovered they are soon to become a father. It won't make you a perfect parent (because they don't exist), but it will tell you that you are not alone and make you chuckle as you prepare for this life changing experience.
• 
  Clare

  I might be had up for child neglect but I just couldn't put this book down.
  Please note do not read after you've settled your 6 month old baby to sleep next to you, at one point I had to vacate the bed for fear my attempts at silent laughing would jiggle him off the bed and that would have really p***ed him off and to be honest I felt sitting on the loo was probably the safest place as I didn't know if I could control my bladder .... I could woohoo. However the deranged laughing confused the dog who was concerned that I was an emotional wreck and he just didn't know what to do.
  
  I did decided to take advantage of sleeping baby in the end and get some kip myself but as soon as I woke up the following morning I went in search of coffee and attached baby to boob and resumed reading. Baby not impressed with this and felt that I should be gazing lovely into his eyes and attempted to rip the book (the book was borrowed from the library so I wrestled it from his death grip before any damage could be done). I discovered giggling making boobs jiggle while baby is trying to feed results in a p***ed off baby so I reluctantly had to set the book down for a bit and will child to eat faster, I think he sensed this and decided for a long boobie session.
  
  Noshing done I set baby aside and picked up the book, occasionally bouncing toy bunny in a half arsed attempt to engage with said child and feel like a less s*it parent. Now I was free to laugh out loud and well this then brought both the husband and he dog running as they thought I was in the throws of a serious depressed episode. Neither were impressed that actually I was giggle snorting my little heart out while trying to not pee myself as I'd decided to placate the child and cuddle him but he decided my tummy would make an excellent trampoline.
  
  An honest glimpse into the world of parenting, though of course my little guy sleeps wonderfully (smug face, ok that might not be entirely honest he does have the occasional slip where he becomes a tad grumpy and declares sleep is for wimps) and the only times I've dealt with a poonami is when I've used a disposable nappy but I'm one of those annoying earth mamas that uses washable nappies and occasionally has time to bake lol.
  
  The end of the book though had me in actual emotional sobs, I too have suffered the loss of a parent and my little boy was also long waited for.
  
  We are all making it up as we go along and hiding the c*ap out of shot as we try to Instagram our parenting super powers of pretending we have this s*it together, but we need to remember we are all as clueless as each other with our incredible tiny giggling farting humans that we made and we are all doing an awesome job.
• 
  Ric Oldroyd

  So here's a book I want to share something about. Now, if you've looked at the cover and thought "meh it's about babies, doesn't apply to me", just hold your horses for a couple of minutes. Ok, you still with me? Good.
  
  Here's the backstory of why I've just read this book. Yes, my wife is pregnant. She actually got me this book (along with others that I actually wanted such as the last Dresden Files, Meddling Kids etc) for Christmas. I eventually picked it up to have a read and it's the best book I've read this year. This brings me back to my opening statement. You don't have to be an expectant parent or a new parent to enjoy this book. Why? Because Matt Coyne is absolutely hilarious. He is the guy behind the internet blog "Man Vs Baby", and he put all his musings and anecdotes into this book.
  
  For me, waiting for my baby to be born, this book has proved invaluable. No, not because it's an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide to parenting, but quite the opposite. It's because Coyne says there IS no easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to parenting. He says that, basically, when it comes to being a first time parent, we are all out of our depth and have no idea what we are getting into.
  
  And how about you people who think 'well, I don't have kids and never want them'? Read this book anyway. Why? Because it will maybe give you a little insight into what a new parent is going through. The next time you mutter to your partner "I wish they'd shut that fucking baby up" when you're sat in Wetherspoons, or even better "Babies shouldn't be allowed in here", this book just might help you to calm your judgement a little and understand why the parents just needed to get out of the house for half an hour. I know it's opened my eyes, as I've always been one of those people too, who sits down on the train and cries "fuuuuuccck" when the crying starts from two rows behind.
  
  The book is funny, honest and above all else real, which makes it a better read than any 600 page scientific guide on how to raise your baby. Especially since there are tens of thousands of such guides, all which contradict each other.
  
  As an expectant father it proves to me that, quite simply, I am not alone. None of us have a fucking clue what we are doing.
• 
  Andrew

  Matt Coyne has a fantastic voice - and I mean that in two ways: one is that his word choice and storytelling style are very engaging, and the other is that I listened to the audiobook read by the author, and he has a voice and accent that are very enjoyable to my Oklahoma-bred ears.
  
  I read this because my wife and I are currently expecting, but I've gotten quite burnt-out by other books about raising a baby. I didn't expect lots of advice from this book, but Matt surprised me again and again with his insights on not just caring for a baby, but also how he created a happy, loving family. It's this combination of sometimes silly, outrageous storytelling with well-expressed and heartfelt sentiment that makes this book great. He obviously cares a great deal for his family, and has a unique way of talking about it that resonated deeply with me. It was just what I needed right now, since I'm worried as hell about the new addition to our family, and Matt went through the same thing. He was able to cope with it by sharing his story, and his sharing helped me cope with me own feelings.
  
  Thanks Matt!
• 
  Richard

  A trend has developed over the past few years for parenting online bloggers who refuse to sugar coat what parenting is really like and have become known for their brutal honesty and sharing warts an all from their journeys as parents. I first became aware of this trend as my wife read out funny excerpts from blogs written by The Unmumsy Mum and Hurrah for Gin. It wasn't until I discovered Matt Coyne's Man vs Baby blog that I started to pay more attention. His sense of humour and brutal take downs of anyone who suggested what he was doing might be wrong appealed to me.
  
  Before having children I would never have dreamt of reading a book like this. My book shelves are full of sci-fi, horror, fantasy and the occasional brutal crime thriller. There are so many parenting manuals out there full of 'wisdom' from people who think they are far better parents than you and feel the need to share this with the world. This however, is as far removed from a traditional parenting manual as you can find. This is a biographical account of one man surviving the first year of being a father. It is brutally honest and very very funny. Obviously it's only going to appeal to parents of small children who can relate to the author's musings but even still, it made a change to my usual reading material before I move back onto the impending apocalypse.
• 
  Jason

  Meh...started off good. It was funny, but then in parts it really dragged on. The comedy was funny at first but the over the top descriptions of parenting got old. Seemed like he was pandering to his wife a lot. The part where he's writing to his son seemed pointless and out of place. He tries to be funny and come off like "hey, I don't know what I'm doing" and "there's no right way to do things" but then proceeds to get on a soapbox about certain subjects and lecture to you. And he works in a few of his own political beliefs which were off-putting. I finished the book in blowoff fashion just in case there was something worthwhile in the end, but there wasn't. I think the book should have been half the size that it is, but he had to reach a certain number of pages which resulted in a bunch of filler.
  
  In conclusion, I'm sure a lot of people will think he's hilarious. But for me, I saw through his "schtick" and the comedy routine got quite old really quickly and the author just came off as as being a smart-ass, "I'm right and you're wrong", preachy liberal that's trying too hard to be funny.
• 
  Hazel

  My partner and I laughed out loud so many times whilst reading this book. We read some chapters aloud together and then both picked it up intermittently, alone, for a mixture of amusement and education. It really does open your eyes to some of the realities of becoming a new parent.
  
  Each chapter is dedicated to a different topic, such as feeding. With a lighthearted and sarcastic tone throughout, the anecdotes are funny and heartwarming. Each chapter always ends with something heartfelt and therefore I put this book down each time with a laugh...and a cry.
  
  I would recommend this for expectant fathers (I was really pleased to see my partner taking on new ‘parent’ information without being overwhelmed), expectant mothers (I loved it) and any new parents who want to identify with the horrors, delights and stark truths of parenthood.
• 
  Shaun Dyer

  Dummy: Parenting for the Inept and the Clueless is a hilarious and heart warming parenting book that, in my humble opinion, should be provided on the NHS to all new parents.
  
  Unlike 99% of the other parenting books I've read Dummy doesn't take itself too seriously, it doesn't pretend to have all the answers and it won't make you feel like your making a hash of things; and that is the kind of book new parents need to read.
  
  Matt Coyne has a fantastically approachable style that make this a swift and fun read. Also despite being a comedy book it is surprisingly informative and most importantly reassuring. The main thrust if the book being 'You might not be getting everything right but no-one else is and that is fine.'
  
  If you only read one parenting book make it this one.
• 
  Sarah Jones

  BUY IT NOW
  
  I only recently discovered Man VS Baby on Facebook and "dropped a like" seeing as what i read made me chuckle a bit. Saw the book was coming out and thought brilliant, all the chuckles in one place without wading through rubbish comments from people like Greg (you know who you are, Greg. Don't try to deny it now). Other than the soul crushing revelations that the Loch Ness Monster, the Jabberwocky and unicorns are, in fact, not real (spoiler alert, sorry!) it was a thoroughly enjoyable read! I read it in a couple of hours as I couldn't put it down and I dont feel like I want my money (or those hours) back, so what are you waiting for? Go buy it! Enjoy!
• 
  Kristina

  I started reading this at 9 months pregnant and finished it whilst my 2 day old son tried to work out if my chin was as useful as my nipples (spoiler alert, it's not and he's not happy about it).
  This book is such a breath of fresh air. I've been reading Matt's blog since he created it so was looking forward to his take on a parenting manual. I wasn't dissapointed. Good topics, I especially found the review of parent and baby classes useful as I'm about to have a years maternity leave.
  Additionally, my husband is also reading it and everytime he laughs I have to ask which part he's up to so I can have another giggle.
• 
  Joanna

  DNF
  This book truly held potential. Parts were funny and I thought about recommending it to a friend but it went downhill too fast for me to even finish. I thought I could get past the constant swearing and over-exaggeration but it got to be too much. It's not that I am offended, I'm not, more along the lines of annoyed.
  
  Quite frankly I think Matt needs to get over himself. People are jerks; this isn't new information. Yes, he realizes it more now that he has a small person to lug around but that doesn't mean every person who is a prick needs to rot in hell. We get it, Matt has pet peeves, but we all do. He isn't exactly being a better person himself by condemning others.
  
• 
  Matija Penezić

  I didn't like this book at all. The author uses a lot of swear words which gets boring and tenuous fast. Since the whole book sounds like a stand-up show, and is not very funny, there is not real value in reading it. It might be interesting for young parents because you could relate but everyone else steer clear. One extra thing that annoyed me to hell is the constant self- bashing by the author. Ok, I understand, you are an idiot but not really, you are actually just a normal person - what is this? Some say that this book is not really a book but a printed blog. I agree with this, the whole book reads like a badly edited train of thought from some random, modern and privileged new parent.
• 
  Wayne Farmer

  Mildly amusing man's story of bringing up a baby. I enjoyed it but there was something slightly forced about some of the humour - it was as if he tried too hard to be funny in each subject. A shame as it seems he has a lot in common with me backgroundwise. I also found it hard to associate with some of his "advice" because a lot of the situations he talked about were completely different from my experience. For instance he basically dismissive of NCT classes while we have found that ours were actually very good, useful and introduced my other half to a group of women and their eventual babies with whom she and my son regularly socialize which is good for both their well beings.
  
• 
  Heather

  Sometimes I just want to read something funny, and this fit the bill. It reminds me a lot of the email my husband used to send to his friends who were about to become fathers warning them of what was ahead. We found out upon having children that we were not baby people. We like them better and better the older they get. Coyne seems to be in that camp as well, but also has a genuine love for his wife and child. Now that my kids are both teenagers, most of these memories are distant, but I related to them nonetheless, and I think I would have found it even funnier ten years ago.