On "Cheaper By the Dozen": A Book Review

Title: Cheaper By the Dozen

Authors: Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography

About the book… 

First published in 1948, Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey share their memories of growing up in a household of twelve children with their father, Frank Bunker Gilbreth, a man famous for his contributions to motion study and the scientific management field.

This book was made into a movie by the same name in 1950 starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy as Frank and Lillian Gilbreth.

What I think…

I really have nothing negative to say about this book. I like that it reads like a novel and that it has just the right amount of love and humor in it while still capturing the reality of things. The illustrations also carry a certain charm that only adds to the book.

It’s interesting to read about both Frank and Lillian Gilbreth and the way their work extended into the home, as well as the way their children felt about it. 

There are two parts that stand out as being my favorites. One is in chapter 10 when Frank decides to film all the children getting their tonsils out as part of his research into how motion study could reduce time in certain surgeries and let’s just say things don’t go quite as well as they should. The second part, is about their summer adventures in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where they owned two lighthouses. 

To sum it all up… 

A comically heartwarming book honoring a father and his work. If you want a delightful biography about family this is the one to choose. ♥