If you only buy one parenting book, it should be “ Small Animal, Parenthood in the Age of Fear ,” by Kim Brooks. If you’ve grown up anywhere near children, chances are you’ll parent just fine. Sure, you could buy a copy of Dr. Spock. I did. I made it as far as Spock telling me that my daughter would envy me for my penis. I snorted, set the book down, and promptly ‘misplaced’ the tome a few weeks later. You could also buy a copy of Sears' Baby Book. There are some good tidbits from place to place in this massive volume. He’ll tell you that babies spike fevers—just like the rest of us—and that it’s the body's natural way of staving off infection; that made me feel better during pretty much every baby fever we endured. He’ll suggest you babywear, co-sleep, and attachment parent in general. So will I. Where Sears lost me was when I realized that in all likelihood, his wife, did all these things with his children rather than him. If you have friends or family who insist