Customer Reviews
A Wonderful Classic That Is Still Great - By Jingo! 
2008-05-23
"Cheaper by the Dozen" is a wonderful, entertaining portrayal of life in the early part of the last century, combined with universal themes about family life that today's readers can very much relate to. As a member of a family of 10 children from New Jersey growing up in the middle of the twentieth century, this book about a large family from New Jersey in the early twentieth century particularly resonated with me. It was and still is one of my favorites. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, were pioneers in scientific management and engineering, and this book portrays their entertaining adventures in applying these techniques to the raising of their 12 children. After not having read "Cheaper by the Dozen" in over twenty years, I recently read it again with my teenage son, and thoroughly enjoyed it - even more so than I had as a child, with the added perspective of parenthood. It is highly entertaining, and I literally had tears in my eyes I laughed so hard in certain sections.
The book is written by two of the Gilbreth "dozen". Its anecdotal style is mostly light and entertaining, and a certain amount of poetic license was taken in writing about actual events. It should not be viewed as a completely accurate historical biography of the Gilbreth's, nor was that the intent. (If you are looking for that I would recommend "Time Out for Happiness", by Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr., and "Making Time" by Jane Lancaster, both of which are generally available. Internet searches will also lead you to lots of additional information, pictures and even some film footage of the Gilbreths.)
Although sometimes portrayed as a book appropriate for children, I would not recommend this book for pre-teens for a number of reasons. First off, some of the language (although relatively mild by today's standards) as well as issues discussed (such as those hinted at and referenced in stories about the older daughters dating) are really not appropriate for pre-teens. Secondly, and my only real criticism of the book, is that there a few portions and references which were acceptable by the standards of 1948 when this book was published, but would now be considered less appropriate and insensitive: a small section containing a stereo-typical portrayal of a Chinese cook, a brief mention of the parents putting on a minstrel show to entertain the children (which went over my head as a teenage reader), and the referral by Mrs. Gilbreth to off-color language as "Eskimo". These are reflective of the time period, but a bit of guidance for younger readers on these issues might be useful (for my son, I used these as "teachable moments" regarding how standards have changed). I still highly recommend the book as an entertaining, fun read both for teenagers and adults.
Among the most classic of classics... 2008-04-28
Everyone who has a funnybone needs to listen to this story. I read it as a child and it was hysterical to me then, and now as I sit and listen to it read, with some feeling...it is only funnier. And yet it is filled with the warmth of a family that loves and tries to know and understand one another--with all its warts and foibles. It's very real. Real; funny. Do yourself, or someone who needs a good laugh, a very real favor...get hold of this original audio story of "Cheaper By the Dozen." And ENJOY.
great family book 2008-04-27
We are a family that loves to be together. In the car sometimes we run out of things to talk about and the radio is not always the best for our 6 and 8 year old. So at the library we saw this and gave it a try. The kids books on tape make my husband and I fall asleep. So we went for this knowing nothing about it. Not big TV watching family. We loved it.We could not listen if not all four of us were not in the van or someone would get up set. It was nice. We still talk about this book on cd about the Dad and the family we have fell in love with. We got Marly and Me and that was nice but this was GREAT.
Fun for all ages 
2007-11-07
While some might consider "Cheaper by the Dozen" to be a children's book, I found it funny and interesting as well. As an only child, it was bewildering to even consider the idea of such a large family! In addition, I loved the father's motion study antics. Recommended for anyone seeking a lighthearted but worthwhile read.
Nice Old-Fashioned, Humorous Book 2007-07-16
When Frank and Lillian Gilbreth married, he said he wanted to have an even dozen children and Lillian was happy to oblige, having six boys and six girls. Frank and Lillian worked as efficiency experts and Frank employed efficiency techniques at home including figuring out how to shave in the quickest amount of time; how to dress as quickly as possible; having everyone in the family get their tonsils removed at the same time; and holding an Assembly Call in which he whistled and timed how long it took the family to gather together. Frank was the disciplinarian while Lillian was willing to look the other way when the children acted up. Together they had all kinds of adventures, some on land, some at sea, many of them hilarious.
Written by Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey about their childhood, "Cheaper by the Dozen" is a very funny, old-fashioned read. The father stands out among all the characters, with his strict ideas about discipline and efficiency, yet having a nice sense of humor. Some of his ideas were a bit much, like having his children skip grades to get through school faster. While Frank is larger than life (literally), his wife Lillian is a more quiet character, seemingly in the background until you realize how much control she has over her husband. With twelve children, it's hard to keep them all straight, but a few of them stand out. Bill stands out most notably, with his penchant for playing practical jokes. He has some of the funniest moments in the book - like when he turns the table on his father who liked to scare them with his car horn; almost knocking the cook in the oven; or terrorizing his Aunt Anne. The other children who stand out are oldest daughters Anne and Ernestine who have the unenviable task of dealing with their father as they start to date. The book is more stream of consciousness than chronological and it can be hard to keep track of how old the children are. The book is full of humorous events including family trips in the car which always caused people to stare; family council meetings; a visit from a woman representing birth control who had no idea how large the family was; boat trips; and a visit from a psychologist. The book also has brief biographical sketches of both Frank and Lillian, although Frank's service during World War One is barely touched on. Although the book is humorous, it still touches on the difficulties of raising a large family, notably when Lillian had to travel by train from Boston to California with seven children who were sick for much of the trip. Some parts of the book made me cringe, especially when Martha had her tonsils removed after eating a heavy meal and when Lillian, tired of waiting at the hospital for her baby to be born, walked home while in labor. Still, most of the book was very funny.
"Cheaper by the Dozen" is a nice, humorous read.
Cheaper by the Dozen 2007-04-25
No growing pains have ever been more hilarious than those suffered loudly by the riotous Gilbreth clan. First, there are a dozen red-haired, freckle-faced kids to contend with. Then there's Dad, a famous efficiency expert who believes a family can be run just like a factory. And there's Mother, his partner in everything except discipline. How they all survive such escapades as forgetting Frank, Jr., in a roadside restaurant or going on a first date with Dad in the backseat or having their tonsils removed en masse will keep you in stitches. You can be sure they're not only cheaper, they're funnier by the dozen.
So Enjoyable! Good Family Read 2007-01-24
We started listening to this on tape first. Enjoyed it so much we bought the book to finish reading it out loud. 10 year old son couldn't wait and read it himself. My husband read it out loud and did the voices. What a treat! We all laughed so hard. There is some light cursing which you can skip over if reading aloud. My kids quote from this book all the time.
Cheaper by the Dozen 2007-01-21
This book was a gift for my daughter. She is reading parts of it to her children. They love it.
Cheaper by the Dozen 2007-01-04
Excellent reprint of the 1940's classic with an interesting new foreword by Ernestine that brings us up to date wrt the main characters (particularly siblings.) Highly recommended!
One of my favorites 2006-11-28
This has been one of my favorites since I was 13. I found it in a thrift shop and nearly split my sides reading it while waiting for my mother to have her hair done. I'm many, many years older,now, and it's been through 13 moves and to Europe and back,and it's still on my bookshelf along with two sequels. Didn't bother to see the movie once I found out it had nothing to do with either the book or the first movie.
Part of it is sad, as other reviewers mention, but HELLO... it's non-fiction. Read the sequels. They continue the story. This was an amazing family that did very well.
