Great book, very informative. Invaluable to the new or expecting parent! Read through it before filling out your wish list, and let your friends and family buy the best of the best so you don't have to!
It is very honest, not written by anyone who accepts money to rate their products. I like that it is easy to navigate, and can save you a lot of time and money!
As a first time parent, this book has been instrumental in helping us decide what was really needed and what we could forgo. There are literally thousands of brands and products out there and this helped us decide which ones to trust and which ones not to pay for. Great book which is updated frequently!
I would not hesitate to recommend this book to every expecting mother. This book has all the information you need for buying all of babies "must haves". They do a great job of steering you away from unnecessary items that baby will never use or need and directing you, instead, to the products that give you the most bang for you buck. They are big on safety too and every section has information regarding what you should be looking for in terms of safety. I loved all the store/manufacturer reviews and the honest, un-sugar coated advise they give.
The only thing I didn't like about this book is the editting. There are a lot of spelling and grammer mistakes in this book.
Bottom line: If money is an issue for you and you don't want to spend $7,000 to equip baby to age 1 this book is for you.
When you don't know anything about what you need for your baby and what is a waste of money, this is a good reference book. It doesn't mean that you will agree 100% with the authors, but it will help you form your own opinion. I felt overwhelmed by the variety of baby-products on the market and this book helped me understand the basics as well as the criteria to evaluate the products. I also liked how the authors summarized at the end of each section their recommendations, according to 3-budget levels. There isn't anything that I disliked about this book, but there are some recommendations with which I didn't agree. However, I've never wanted a "tell-me-what-to-do" book and that's why my expectations for a "help-me-understand" book were undoubtedly met.