Cheaper by the Dozen

By Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Nonfiction

I first read this book in high school, and have enjoyed it many times since.  I was reminded of it last night when I saw a commercial for the Cheaper by the Dozen 2 movie coming out soon.  For those who don’t know, that Steve Martin film bears almost no resemblance to the book.  Not only is it modernized, but the plot and characters are almost entirely changed.  The title and lots of kids are about the only things they have in common.  It’s a harmless film (although I’ve only seen parts of it), but in no way measures up to the book.  

The book is the hilarious true tale of an early 20th century family.  Written by two of the twelve children, it is basically a memoir of their childhood, and a portrait of their remarkable parents.  Mr. Gilbreth was the founder of motion study, and the book is worth reading just to learn a little about that little-know topic.  You also get a good glimpse of the culture of that time.  My mother read this book as a child, and credits it as being part of the reason she wanted a large family.  There are ten of us, so reader, beware!  This is powerful stuff!