New Parent Reading List
Books, articles, podcasts, and learning resources we like (and some we dislike)
This page is the ongoing DadQuest reading list. Leave a suggestion any time — and remember, the only person you're allowed to call stupid is me.
Note that I use Amazon Affiliate links for these, and I'll make a small amount at no cost to you if you purchase via these links. All proceeds go to charity, just like your paid subscriptions.
Parenting Books
My sister in law said this was the only book she read before raising her first son, and it's easy to see why. Emily Oster is a mom and economist who sorts through data to help you understand the decisions many parents struggle with. It leaves room for different decisions and tradeoffs for different parents, which is exactly how it should be. Highly recommended.
👍 The Expectant Father: The Ultimate Guide for Dads-to-be
Another dad-branded parenting book, but this one was not too bad. It's targeted at managing pregnancy and what you can do to prepare for the baby ahead of time, and I found it educational and accurate compared to what my wife and I learned from the doctor and parent friends. The biggest value of this book for me was learning what my wife is going through during pregnancy and trying to understand how I can best support her. I actually read the month by month chapters to my wife each month, and we both enjoyed it.
🤨 Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads
My opinion is this book is annoying as shit, but it's not without value. The annoying parts: it's full of dumb boomer sitcom dad advice and jokes, as if the authors pre-assume that you, as a Dad and a Man, are exclusively interested in Man stuff like tactical backpacks and army men cosplay or whatever. The valuable parts: there is some actual practical advice in there, although I'm sure it can be found other places easily enough.