The Life of Dad: The Making of a Modern Father

現在的爸爸好難當！以前的爸爸只要負責兇就夠了。反正父親的形象就是要嚴肅，沒有第二種可能：努力工作，替全家人買單，當所有人的榜樣。但現在的父親不一樣了。大家對「父親」這個角色，開始有很多不同的期待，因此也越來越困難。本書作者費時十年，研究各種「為人父」的經驗。並提出每個男人隱隱約約都有的焦慮問題：我是不是必須為了當個「父親」而改變自己？別人都怎麼當父親的呢？小孩跟我在一起快樂嗎？我是不是會不自覺的用父親對我的方式，對待自己的小孩？作者匯集基因學、神經科學、心理學等研究，對「父親」這個角色提出許多反思，告訴讀者們男人們當了父親之後，會在身心層面有多驚人的改變。並幫助讀者們思考自己想要成為何種父親。THE STORY OF FATHERHOOD AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A FATHER TODAY, BASED ON A DECADE-LONG STUDY OF NEW AND EXPECTANT FATHERS. Becoming a father is one of most common but also one of the most profoundly life-altering experiences a man can have. It is up there with puberty, falling in love and experiencing your first loss. Fifty years ago a father's role was assumed to be clear: he went to work; he provided the pay cheque; and he acted as a disciplinarian when he got home. But today a father's role is much more fluid and complex. Dr Anna Machin has spent the past decade working with new and expectant fathers, studying the experiences of fathers and the questions fathers have: `Will fatherhood change me?', `How do other men fulfil the role?', `How can I help my child grow into a healthy, happy adult?'. In The Life of Dad, Dr Machin draws on her research and the latest findings in genetics, neuroscience and psychology to tell the story of fatherhood. She will show the extraordinary physiological changes a man undergoes when he becomes a father, investigate how a man's genes can influence what sort of father he will be, and will show how a dad makes a unique contribution to his child's life, helping to foster independence of mind and spirit. Throughout the book, readers will encounter the voices of real dads, expectant and established, as well as fascinating insights into fatherhood from across the globe. The Life of Dad throws out the old stereotypes of fatherhood in an entertaining and informative journey through the role of dad - helping you decide what sort of father you want to be. `A tour-de-force exploration of the forgotten half of the parenthood business. Essential reading for every expectant dad ... and mum.' - Robin Dunbar, professor of evolutionary psychology, University of Oxford