THE BABY DECISION

An energetic book, full of advice, issues to consider, and exercises to help you understand your true feelings about becoming a parent. Topics include keeping well-meaning parents and friends at bay (the same arguments--like selfishness--will be put forth, from different perspectives, by proponents and opponents); the dynamics involved when one spouse wants children and the other doesn't (avoid the impulse to sign up for all the parenting chores if you're pro and your spouse is con: it will never work out); and--for women--reconciling the childbearing decision with the supposed dictates of feminism--which, Bombardieri contends, is about having options and choices, not about career-over-children per se. But since most readers will probably approach a book of this kind with unresolved thoughts, the initial conjuring-up exercises will probably prove the most popular feature--though some are more than a bit farfetched. Imagine yourself, for instance, on a journey with baby in knapsack; baby kicks a hole in knapsack, and you must visualize what falls out (""Scott""--revealingly?--saw freedom, peace of mind, etc., slipping away). But there's also a chance, more practically, to consider how many hours a week you spend on various activities, how much child-care time you may need, and where that time is coming from. Other topics: advantages and disadvantages of delayed parenthood; how to find counseling help; etc. A grab-bag of ideas and thought-catalysts that many should find helpful.