Time Out for Happiness

Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. wrote this biography of his parents decades after "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Belles on Their Toes". This book fills out, expands on and also corrects much that was in those books while giving the reader a great deal more information about both his parents. We find out about the dozen's grandparents on both sides and about the childhood of their parents. Mr. Gilbreth's love for his parents shines through but without being saccharine. A must read for all fans of the Gilbreth family.

Cheaper by the Dozen and Bells on Their Toes have been my two favorite books since I was a little girl. But I always thought that those two books were the only two that chronicled the Gilbreth family. So I was extremely excited when I found Time Out for Happiness. Although Time Out for Happiness mostly focuses on Lillie and Frank Gilbreth, the parents, it still is completely enjoyable. Even though this book is much less focused on the humor of raising twelve children, it actually is a nice change of pace from the other two books. I enjoyed the fact that this book focused on the personal and professional partnership of Frank and Lillie that the other books only alluded to. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially those who have followed the Gilbreth family saga.

If you are reading this review then you have almost definitely drifted here because you are fan of 'Cheaper by the Dozen' and are looking for further reading - well the short answer is - track down a copy of this book - it will explain all - but don't expect Cheaper by the Dozen all over again. While that book was a series of Hilarious anecdotes on how the dozen children of Time and Motion experts, Frank and Lillie Gilbreth, were raised this is really a more serious biography of their life. Frank Jnr, who co-authored the first book and is sole author of this memoir, started writing it before his mother Lillie died - I think to please her. For while she had enjoyed the flippant good-fun of Cheaper by the Dozen, it seems she was worried that her and husband's work might be reduced to the level of a comic remembrance, and certainly she had fought long and hard for their work to be accepted thanks to a smear campaign conducted by their rivals. This book is still has all the warmth of Cheaper by the Dozen, I think the Gilbreth's must be pathologically incapable of being anything but witty and friendly, but it is a more serious biography of the family. It was also a very welcome one for I Cheaper by the Dozen left many things unexplained - I could never quite figure out how many children the family had at any one time as names would pop up with the barest of reference. In this we find out that one of the children, a daughter, died very young in an epidemic. Mostly what I found interesting is the greater detail of Lillie's life both before she married, and as a widow. The book also explains more about the Gilbreth's work, the innovative techniques they introduced which we now considered standard business manangement practice. Lillie Gilbreth was an amazing woman, she pioneered many of the advantages women hold today - including membership of engineering organisations, and all in her inimitable, calm way - she is truly inspirational.

I loved Cheaper By The Dozen and Belles on Their Toes, so I loved this book,too. It was really interesting to find out about the lives and the families of Frank and Lillie before they had the children. It was written from a point of view that made it easy to understand. This book is more focused on the lives of the parents of the children and their lives than it is on the lives of the children.

After reading "Cheaper by the Dozen and "Belles on Their Toes", I really wanted to learn more about the amazing Gilbreth family. Written by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr., it's a more detailed story of the patriarch of the Gilbreth family, Frank B. Gilbreth, Sr. His outstanding career is highlighted, and the author seems to spend a great deal of time making sure his father gets proper credit for his landmark work in motion study. He succeeds, and entertains and amazes his reader in the process. He also shares additional stories about the 12 children, the unusual relatives, and other people who influenced their lives. The book is also a glowing tribute to his mother, Lillian, who partnered with her husband and then took over the reins upon his death.