Man Vs. Baby: The Chaos and Comedy of Real-life Parenting

From a “hero for dads everywhere” (Daily Mirror), a hilarious, insightful, and heartfelt take on parenting based on a viral blog post that Ashton Kutcher called, “the best description of fatherhood I’ve ever read.”

One Tuesday evening in 2015, while his three-month-old son Charlie briefly slept, Matt Coyne staggered to his desk, opened his laptop, and wrote a side-splittingly funny Facebook post about early fatherhood: Comparing his diaper-changing skills to that of a Formula One pit crew, birth to a Saw movie, and the sound of a baby crying at 3am to “having the inside of your skill sandpapered by an angry Viking,” he shared his observations with friends and family—and soon, to his surprise, the world. In the spirit of that post, which became an instant sensation, Man vs. Baby is the tale of one man’s journey through the first year of parenthood, told with wit, humor, and heart.

Part memoir, part tell-it-like-it-is parenting book, this is a ferociously funny, inventively foul-mouthed, and genuinely touching account of a baby’s first year, filled with relatable references to Harry Potter, McDonalds, and the villain in Die Hard. Matt covers everything you need to know, from labor (a good time to play “profanity bingo”) to what you might find in your baby’s diaper, a catalogue that includes The Phantom, The Expressionist, and The Jeff Goldblum. Capturing both the comic helplessness of new fatherhood and his deep love and admiration for his partner Lynsay and child, Matt’s story will appeal to anyone who has a baby—or is even contemplating the idea. Whether you’re looking for a reprieve from the news cycle or a reminder of what’s most important in life, Man vs. Baby will have you laughing out loud—and, if you’re a new mother or father, filled with relief at being truly understood.

A fresh take on the bewilderment and joy of having a baby from a rip-roaringly talented new voice, this combination memoir and advice book is sure to charm parents everywhere.