Review: Hip Mama Survival Guide — Ariel Gore

Posted on | December 16, 2009 | No Comments

I picked up Hip Mama Survival Guide thinking it would be a fun read to break up the monotony of pregnancy books I was reading. It met my expectations there, but fell short in some other areas. The book was published in 1998 and from all the pop-culture references in it, you can tell. There were bands mentioned that I listened to in high school, which made me chuckle. Some of the political comments were pretty funny, too. I did get a bit sick of Gore’s comments about conservatives. Not that I didn’t agree with most of what she wrote, but it got old in a parenting book.

Hip Mama Survival Guide discusses pregnancy, labor, nursing, toddlers, gender roles, creating a “village,” being a single mom, divorce and child custody, and living poor, among other things. The book is so short that Gore doesn’t go on at length about any one topic, but she gets to the nitty gritty right from the start. I don’t think you miss out on anything because of the length.

What I liked:

It’s really funny

Pop-culture references from the 90s

Completely honest, without being brutal or cold

Genuinely informative

What I didn’t like:

Book skips from labor to toddler fits, so there isn’t anything about babies

Gore is very opinionated about circumcision and goes on about that at length, but doesn’t have a son

Gore doesn’t mind shoving her opinions down your throat, but bashes anyone who may do so that doesn’t agree with her (doctors, law makers, nurses, advice-givers, etc.)

Pg. 152 “If Yo Momma Were President”

Basically, if you’re a feminist and liberal, you will enjoy this book. If you don’t despise everyone who disagrees with you, this book will annoy you at times. If you’re conservative, strongly religious, or at all right wing — skip this book completely. While I feel strongly about my own opinions (child-related or not), I also don’t feel the need to bash everyone who has their own, different, opinions. That kind of thinking seems to only breed more intolerance and that’s something we can all do without. Hip Mama Survival Guide reads like advice from a big sister; honest, to-the-point, and at times a bit too judgmental. I would recommend it, but maybe with a disclaimer.