Ummmmm......I just got done with the book.   K, I know what you mean.

She should have stopped before she decided to start rating the carriers.   The benefits of babywearing were really her expertise.

She strikes me as someone who really liked the idea of babywearing moreso than the practice of it.  

Or perhaps she just got by with some not so great carriers.  Which can be done!  Better than not wearing a baby.

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Amazon Wrap Warrior and Mama to three blue eyed baby slingboys :)

Yeah....I know what you guys mean. I read it too. I thought that the overall concept of it was great. But I just do not understand why she recommended most of those carriers. Why wouldn't she recommend the good/popular ones amongst the BWing community?? I have to say though, my best friend (who doesn't have a baby yet) read through it the other day while she was over and I was putting DS down for a nap. When I came downstairs she said "Wow, I am so SOLD on this babywearing idea!" So, it really does get the message across to people. Just REALLY wish it recommended good carriers. :(

Don't you think some of Maria's carrier recommendations were opinion based. Hands down my favorite carrier is a wrap, but I use others. For example many people love the ergo, but I think it puts too much weight on your hips. Those statements are true, but it is also important that people who babywear realize that anyone that gives a review has personal taste and preferences. All people have different bodys and babies.

At our last NINO meeting it was really hard for me to not just focus on my favorites and give a review and or show every wrap available without letting people know what I thought. I think the book was good for overall information, and giving the importance of babywearing. New carriers and vendors are being added weekly how can a book keep up with that?

I have been wanting to talk about this book since it came out but it seemed like no one was saying much. So here goes. :)

I liked the first 4 chapters a lot--the benefits, general types of carriers, etc.
I thought including basic instructions on ring slings, pouches, MT and wraps was a great thing.  It's nice for a newbie to have it all in one place and these things aren't going to change much over time.

 I think the rest of the book has problems that any book about a changing subject would have, but this is made worse by the fact that a lot of carriers are made by small WAHMs and the field has really exploded in the past 2 years. I do think that since there are so many different brands of carriers coming and going and changing their designs, that maybe including and reviewing specific brands is a mistake and the discussion should have stayed more general. OTOH since she did discuss brands, I am actually impressed she included as many as she did; it's just too bad that the book will be dated so quickly.

As to Storchenwiege not being included--I also found that strange, but as someone said maybe they just weren't on the radar because they have only been sold in the US since 2004...she probably had to submit the finalized version of the book many months before it was actually printed.  I had to take issue with some things in the wrap section--like all the differences in weave and the whole "cut on the bias" or not thing...but that is sort of a wrap geek complaint.

I would like to see a book that talks about some of these same topics but also includes babywearing in other cultures both past and present, and lots more photos. And color!

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Kim
mama to 2 boys--a peanut and a preschooler

I agree on the pictures and colors thing. The book was already $30.00. Can you imagine how much it would have been with more color picutres? I thought it was expensive for a paper back book.
Beth