100 books like Dad's Playbook

By Tom Limbert,

Here are 100 books that Dad's Playbook fans have personally recommended if you like Dad's Playbook. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Parental Mental Health: Factoring in Fathers

Shoshana S. Bennett Ph.D. Author Of Postpartum Depression for Dummies

From my list on for dads and dads-to-be.

Why am I passionate about this?

After life-threatening postpartum depression in the 1980s, I became a pioneer of maternal mental health in the U.S. I’ve helped moms and moms-to-be finally receive the support they deserve. Between masters’ degrees, Ph.D., teaching credentials, and becoming licensed as a clinical psychologist, I wrote four books and enjoy interviews on radio and TV. Training health professionals and my clients to develop a wellness strategy for motherhood has been my life’s passion. A few years ago I realized that during this movement, dads’ experiences had been disregarded and minimized, and my mission then shifted to parental mental health. Dad’s worries and needs are important too.

Shoshana's book list on for dads and dads-to-be

Shoshana S. Bennett Ph.D. Why did Shoshana love this book?

This is an honest and very direct look at how our society should include men in the discussion of becoming new parents and illustrates many examples of how men have been left out until now. Dads’ mental health is considered carefully which is very important to my mission. This small yet excellent book offers a gender-equitable, whole family viewpoint of parental mental health and increases awareness about best practices in the care of fathers and fathers-to-be.  

By Jane I. Honikman, Daniel B. Singley,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Parental Mental Health as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The purpose of this book is to include men in the discussion about early parenthood, to foster a gender-equitable, whole family approach to parental mental health, and to increase awareness about best practices in the care for expectant and new fathers.


Book cover of The Secret Life of Fathers

Shoshana S. Bennett Ph.D. Author Of Postpartum Depression for Dummies

From my list on for dads and dads-to-be.

Why am I passionate about this?

After life-threatening postpartum depression in the 1980s, I became a pioneer of maternal mental health in the U.S. I’ve helped moms and moms-to-be finally receive the support they deserve. Between masters’ degrees, Ph.D., teaching credentials, and becoming licensed as a clinical psychologist, I wrote four books and enjoy interviews on radio and TV. Training health professionals and my clients to develop a wellness strategy for motherhood has been my life’s passion. A few years ago I realized that during this movement, dads’ experiences had been disregarded and minimized, and my mission then shifted to parental mental health. Dad’s worries and needs are important too.

Shoshana's book list on for dads and dads-to-be

Shoshana S. Bennett Ph.D. Why did Shoshana love this book?

Enjoy this practical training manual compiled from interviews with over a hundred real dads of daughters. No matter if you’re becoming a father of a daughter, a new dad, or experienced dad of a daughter, you will find this book both useful and most definitely validating. One of my favorite things is that it’s written in small chunks which are easy to digest. You don’t need to read the book cover to cover, but rather pick out the sections in which you’re most interested. You can scan these little gems not mentioned in other parenting books. These are helpful (and often humorful) tips that only real fathers would know.  

By The Father-Daughter Project, James I. Bond,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Secret Life of Fathers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Are men brain damaged at birth, and... could daughters be the antidote, in ways they don't even realize?

"...groundbreaking…" (Forbes.com)

I challenge you to read this and not start rethinking what your father (and every man you know) is REALLY like.

** Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Award Winner**

For 13 years I ran a behavioral management firm working with some of the largest organizations in the world.

Then I discovered that my own relationship with my middle daughter wasn't as great as I thought.

I wondered if I was the only father this clueless about his relationship with his daughters. So…


Book cover of Becoming a Dad: How Fatherhood Changes Men

Shoshana S. Bennett Ph.D. Author Of Postpartum Depression for Dummies

From my list on for dads and dads-to-be.

Why am I passionate about this?

After life-threatening postpartum depression in the 1980s, I became a pioneer of maternal mental health in the U.S. I’ve helped moms and moms-to-be finally receive the support they deserve. Between masters’ degrees, Ph.D., teaching credentials, and becoming licensed as a clinical psychologist, I wrote four books and enjoy interviews on radio and TV. Training health professionals and my clients to develop a wellness strategy for motherhood has been my life’s passion. A few years ago I realized that during this movement, dads’ experiences had been disregarded and minimized, and my mission then shifted to parental mental health. Dad’s worries and needs are important too.

Shoshana's book list on for dads and dads-to-be

Shoshana S. Bennett Ph.D. Why did Shoshana love this book?

The dads I work with are always worried that to become the fathers they really want to be is greatly challenging since it competes with work and other obligations. The author, who is the Founder of Fathers' Forum shares his experiences and insights from the numerous mens’ groups he’s led throughout the years. I found this book to be personal, truthful, and inspirational. It is an important call-to-action for every man to decide how he wants and doesn’t want to change as he becomes a father.

By Bruce Linton Ph.D.,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Becoming a Dad as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of The Expectant Father: The Ultimate Guide for Dads-To-Be

Joseph S. Sanfilippo Author Of The Expert Guide to Fertility: Boost Your Chances for Pregnancy

From my list on how to increase your chances for pregnancy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have spent my medical career focused on infertility and helping couples achieve their dream of pregnancy. Over the span of my career, I have had the opportunity to teach and provide research in the field of infertility, offer medical treatment to address the dream of pregnancy and parenthood, and, most importantly, be there for each and every one of my patients in good and bad times through the stages of their fertility journeys. The joy of achieving pregnancy after navigating infertility makes our entire team celebrate this sometimes monumental goal. This is why I am most passionate and enthusiastic to provide a book designed for those going through the challenging, daunting infertility process.

Joseph's book list on how to increase your chances for pregnancy

Joseph S. Sanfilippo Why did Joseph love this book?

The authors are to be commended in focusing on males and their role with regard to fertility. Preparing for pregnancy, from the male perspective, is revealed in an interesting manner.

The emotional and psychological aspects and experiences that are to be anticipated are readily conveyed. “Staying involved” is as important as providing support for one’s spouse or significant other. Addressing fathers serving as adoptive parents was added with the most recent edition. Decisions that have to be made about the birthing location and what to expect month to month of the pregnancy are addressed. The labor and delivery experience, as well as what if a C-section needs to be performed and the male partner’s role, are the concluding sections of the book. Appendices and resources are readily accessible.

By Armin A. Brott, Jennifer Ash Rudick,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Expectant Father as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Expectant Father is the best-selling pregnancy guide for men, with more than 1.5 million copies sold. This reassuring month-by-month overview gives you the tools you need to support your partner, prepare for your baby's arrival, and take care of yourself during this exciting time. It concludes with two special sections: one on labour and delivery, guiding you through the big day; and the other on what comes next, covering the first few months after the baby's arrival.

This new edition of The Expectant Father is updated from cover to cover with the latest information on fertility options, delivery options,…


Book cover of The Ultimate Baby Book for New Dads: 100 Ways to Care for Your Baby in Their First Year

Sherry Ellis Author Of That Mama Is a Grouch

From my list on for new parents in that crazy first year.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a young mom, I had questions:  Why won’t my baby sleep? Are all these hiccups normal? Am I doing the best I can for my child? I wanted answers. So, I read lots of books and learned as much as I could. While no book can give you all the answers for your unique child, reading some good ones can take some of the mystery out of parenting.

Sherry's book list on for new parents in that crazy first year

Sherry Ellis Why did Sherry love this book?

Dads need a book, too. This survival guide lists 100 things dads can do for their baby and partner to help them not only survive but thrive in their first year. The things I like about it are that it’s in color, with eye-catching pictures, the format is easy to understand— basically in bullet-point style, and it’s so funny! Dr. Roy adds a bit of daddy humor in it.  Like if you’re doing tummy time with your baby, you can expect to be burped on! 

By Roy Benaroch,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ultimate Baby Book for New Dads as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The baby owner’s manual to help new dads succeed

Covering everything from burping and naptime to filing for paternity leave and setting up a safe play area, this is the complete survival manual for first-time dads. Discover more than 100 things dads can do to help their baby―and their partner―thrive in the first year.

Go beyond other books for new dads with:

Up-to-date advice―Written by an experienced pediatrician and featuring the most modern, evidence-based info available, this guide is everything books for new dads should be. From birth to 12 months―Divided into easy-to-skim sections, this book makes it simple for…


Book cover of Dads Don't Babysit

Han-Son Lee Author Of You’re Going to Be a Dad!

From my list on modern day fatherhood.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m the founder of DaddiLife—the leading online platform that focusses on modern day dads, who are becoming more equalised in their day to day parenting. We’ve covered a range of different areas from early stage post partum and mental health for dads, through to new research projects on dads at work and young fathers. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt over my time as a father myself is that there’s no such thing as perfect parenting, but there are lots of insights that can challenge our fatherly approaches for the better, both at home and at work.

Han-son's book list on modern day fatherhood

Han-Son Lee Why did Han-son love this book?

I call this book ‘the big so what of modern day fatherhood’ as it’s the ultimate destination for where modern day dads can go and what we can achieve. 

James and David have crafted a compelling argument not just about how the world sees dads and the language used, but also sets a pathway toward true gender equality by challenging us about how dads can unlock so much more change across pretty much every facet of society, economics, and more.

By David Freed, James Millar,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dads Don't Babysit as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

By turns informative and irreverent this book takes a new approach to tackling gender inequality in the home and at work, focusing on dads being entitled to a bigger role in parenting. It presents the barriers men face to being active dads - from sexist security guards to Tory MPs and even Homer Simpson - and, crucially, it outlines how to tackle them for the good of men, women and children. In Dads Don't Babysit two dads outline some of the biggest problems facing families that want dad to get his turn at raising the kids, and offer a range…


Book cover of Parenting for a Digital Future: How Hopes and Fears about Technology Shape Children's Lives

Natalia I. Kucirkova Author Of The Future of the Self: Understanding Personalization in Childhood and Beyond

From my list on research on children’s technology use.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an avid reader, I have been fascinated by children’s reading development and began researching this topic with a specific interest in the personal motivation of young readers. I examined children’s reading in various digital formats, including e-books made by families and children themselves. Today, I work as Professor in Norway and the UK and enjoy working across academia and industry. I feel very passionate about communicating research in an accessible way to children’s teachers, caregivers, and policy-makers. The books on my list do this exceptionally well, and I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Natalia's book list on research on children’s technology use

Natalia I. Kucirkova Why did Natalia love this book?

Many parents are worried about the amount of time their children spend with screens and look for ways and a deeper understanding of how to best manage children’s use of modern technologies. I loved how Livingstone and Blum-Ross brought together research, deep thinking, and applicable strategies in one coherent book volume. I learnt so much from reading this book, including how algorithms shape children’s games and social conversations. The most important takeaway for me was the vital need to support children’s rights in the digital age.

By Sonia M. Livingstone, Alicia Blum-Ross,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Parenting for a Digital Future as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the decades it takes to bring up a child, parents face challenges that are both helped and hindered by the fact that they are living through a period of unprecedented digital innovation. In Parenting for a Digital Future, Sonia Livingstone and Alicia Blum-Ross draw on extensive and diverse qualitative and quantitative research with a range of parents in the UK to reveal how digital technologies characterize parenting in late modernity, as parents
determine how to forge new territory with little precedent or support. They chart how parents often enact authority and values through digital technologies since "screen time," games,…


Book cover of Too Small to Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters Most

Joan Deneve Author Of Saving Eric

From my list on the wonders of life and mission work in Africa.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for Africa came from my college days at Tennessee Temple University. Each year, the university would sponsor a missionary conference, and I always found myself drawn to the African exhibits. I am particularly passionate about missionary work in Africa and the challenges that it presents. Africa is a vast and splendid place with cultures as diverse as the climates in which they live. My research has only deepened my great love for this continent and the precious people who live there.

Joan's book list on the wonders of life and mission work in Africa

Joan Deneve Why did Joan love this book?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Too Small to Ignore. Dr. Wes Stafford, the son of missionaries, wrote amusing anecdotes of his boyhood adventures in a West African village. Also in the book, Dr. Stafford, head of Compassion International, writes of the challenges that children in Africa often face. This book is inspiring and captivating to read and will leave the reader with a greater understanding not only of the beautiful country of Africa but also of the compelling need to champion all the children of the world.

By Wess Stafford, Dean Merrill,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Too Small to Ignore as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The time has come, argues Dr. Wess Stafford, for a major paradigm shift: Children are too important and too intensely loved by God to be left behind or left to chance. Children belong to all of us and we are compelled to intervene on their behalf. We must invest in children–all across the world.
There are strategic, persuasive reasons–beyond love and kindness–to invest in children. Today they may snuggle into your lap, if you let them. But tomorrow you may not have access to them in the corridors of power they might occupy. Now is the time to shape the…


Book cover of Raising Resilience: The Wisdom and Science of Happy Families and Thriving Children

Linda Graham Author Of Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your Brain for Maximum Resilience and Well-Being

From my list on resilience and how to cope skillfully with life’s difficulties.

Why am I passionate about this?

Resilience - helping people recover their capacities to deal with any adversity, stress, loss or trauma – is the heart of my work as a licensed psychotherapist (25 years) and an international trainer of mental health professionals (more than a decade). Bouncing Back is the book I wanted to be able to hand my clients to help them learn to use the capacities of resilience innate in their brains to develop more effective patterns of response to life crises and catastrophes. No such book was available at the time, so I wrote my own. It has become a tremendous resource for people to learn to how to be more resilient, and to learn that they can learn.

Linda's book list on resilience and how to cope skillfully with life’s difficulties

Linda Graham Why did Linda love this book?

In a charming, reader-friendly style, this book offers ten universal principles for skillful parenting that lead to genuine goodness and happiness in their children. A delight to know it’s possible.

By Christopher Willard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Raising Resilience as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In every spiritual tradition, we find teachings on the virtues and qualities that we most want to pass on to our kids-such as generosity, kindness, honesty, determination, and patience. Today, a growing body of research from neuroscience and social psychology supports these teachings, offering insights into cultivating these virtues in ourselves and in our families. Raising Resilience is a practical guide for parents and educators of children from preschool through adolescence, detailing ten universal principles for happy families and thriving children.

Bridging the latest science with Eastern wisdom to explore ourselves and share with our children, Dr. Christopher Willard offers…


Book cover of The Work / Parent Switch: How to Parent Smarter Not Harder

Andrew G. Marshall Author Of I Love You, But I'm Not in Love with You: Seven Steps to Putting the Passion Back Into Your Relationship

From my list on raising emotionally rounded children.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a marital therapist with thirty-five years of experience helping couples fall back in love and deal with the fall out from infidelity. I trained with RELATE – the UK’s largest couple counselling charity – and have a private practice in Berlin and lead a team of therapists based in the UK. I have heard over a thousand couples argue – more often than not – about their children. So I am always looking for books that will give a wider perspective and practical advice on how to be a parent without exhausting your marriage and forgetting to still be lovers.

Andrew's book list on raising emotionally rounded children

Andrew G. Marshall Why did Andrew love this book?

‘I can’t just flick a switch’. It’s something that I hear in my therapy office all the time but what if you could transition better from work to parenting – because they each require a different part of you. Anita Cleare was a great guest on my podcast: The Meaningful Life with Andrew G Marshall. She is good at explaining the different stages and challenges of child development and how stressed our parents often end up fighting with each other. Parenting as a team, rather than bickering with each other, is often one of the breakthrough moments for improving my clients' love lives.

By Anita Cleare,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Work / Parent Switch as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

You can still work and be a great parent!

Most modern parents work. And we have limited time, limited energy, limited patience and too much to do. We are seldom at our best at the end of a long working day when the parenting shift kicks in. We want to do the right thing but, in the thick of it, with no time to think and no energy to spare, it's easy to miss the small changes that could make a big difference to our child's (and our own) well-being.

The Work/Parent Switch is essential reading for every working parent.…


Book cover of Parental Mental Health: Factoring in Fathers
Book cover of The Secret Life of Fathers
Book cover of Becoming a Dad: How Fatherhood Changes Men

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