Cheaper by the Dozen
Frank Bunker Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Let’s preface this by saying that I wouldn’t normally have time for this novel, unless it came super super recommended and with a free copy. But! My girlfriend read me this novel as my bedtime story. I couldn’t have hoped for a better one!
This novel documents the best parts of Frank Gilbreth’s life with his 12 children. His saying was always that children were ‘cheaper by the dozen’.That being said, he did end up having less than that.
I really enjoyed the discussions of what life was like back then, and it was presented in a positive, casual way which made it very accessible.
Frank practiced efficiency in every part of his life – at work and at home. He’s best know for beginning the crazy of ‘motion study’ and he and his wife Lillian were responsible for a lot of management improvements.
I wasn’t really sure whether to categorise this as fiction or non-fiction. It was so enjoyable that I didn’t know what to rate it either. My recent trending towards not starring non-fiction is going to remain true for this novel. Even if you don’t have someone to read it aloud to you, it’s worth a read if you like to see into real people’s lives, and have a bit of humour on the way.
