[.ca] A Child Is Born: Fourth Edition of the Beloved ... (ISBN 0385337558)

Amazing eye-opener for the unitiated:
My wife and I are expecting our first and this book was given to us as a gift. I look at it every single day. It's amazing. I take it to family functions to show relatives. I take it to work. The photography in this book is out of this world. Wide-angle shots inside the womb showing an entire baby at 7 months. Incredible! The explanations of how it all works are good too. All in layman's terms and very easy to wrap your head around. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's expecting.

Very good, a bit graphic though:
This book has very fascinating pictures and text. That being said, I have to say that I am surprised after reading reviews that people shared this book with their children. While the early pictures would be fine to share with kids, the later pictures (of childbirth and the bloody placenta) seem to be a bit graphic for kids. My husband and I are not prudes, but we were both a little surprised to see some nude pictures (one of a woman showering, another of a woman bathing) that seemed a bit out of place. Perhaps it is only because we are not so used to seeing nudity here in the United States. I also have the book "From Conception to Birth" and I think I prefer that one to this. I think that one would be a better one to share with children. Also, the format of that book is a bit nicer, it is easier to find what stage you are at in the pregnancy and which pictures correspond. Also, it shows the actual size of the embryo as it grows, which I love. I found myself referring to that book much more than this one. This book is the one to refer to if you want to see pictures of actual childbirth though. I would recommend owning both, as they are both excellent books.

Review:
I can't think of a book I would more sincerely recommend to everyone in the world.

Pictures worth a thousand words...:
I enjoyed reading this book during my pregnancies as it provided full-color photos of the baby developing inside the womb from conception through the later stages. Although it favored the earlier months, and I would have preferred even more photos, it made the pregancy 'experience' so much more exciting and real. It also contains a lot of scientific information which can be useful but which some may find a little dry. While I found it a good reference guide in addition to my baby bible ("What to expect..."), it's definitely not a replacement for it. Makes a fun gift for nervous new mommies-to-be, too.

Learning tool from 5 years old to 25:
I can remember seeing some of the pictures in the book when I was 4 or 5 years old. My mom had a copy around when I was a little girl. She used it to teach me about where babies come from, and I think it was an awesome learning tool. I also remember being in 6th or 7th grade and looking to it again because of the photography itself. How often do you get to see a human fetus? I've read reviews of this "A Child is Born" that said it was too graphic; I don't think so. If it was too graphic, I would be scarred for life, and not buying a book to have around for when I decided to have children. Looking back, it was nice to have this book on the family bookshelf; when I was in junior high, and emarrased to ask anybody anything about sex, I looked to this book for my answers. When I decide to have children, I'm going to add it to my personal collection as well.