Childfree by Choice

The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence

By: Dr. Amy Blackstone

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, MacLeod Andrews

Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

From Dr. Amy Blackstone, childfree woman, co-creator of the blog we're {not} having a baby, and nationally recognized expert on the childfree choice, comes a definitive investigation into the history and current growing movement of adults choosing to forgo parenthood: what it means for our society, economy, environment, perceived gender roles, and legacies, and how understanding and supporting all types of families can lead to positive outcomes for parents, non-parents, and children alike.

As a childfree woman, Dr. Amy Blackstone is no stranger to a wide range of negative responses when she informs people she doesn't have - nor does she want - kids: confused looks, patronizing quips, thinly veiled pity, even outright scorn and condemnation. But she is not alone in opting out when it comes to children. More people than ever are choosing to forgo parenthood, and openly discussing a choice that's still often perceived as taboo. Yet this choice, and its effects personally and culturally, are still often misunderstood.

Amy Blackstone, a professor of sociology, has been studying the childfree choice since 2008, a choice she and her husband had already confidently and happily made. Using her own and others' research as well as her personal experience, Blackstone delves into the childfree movement from its conception to today, exploring gender, race, sexual orientation, politics, environmentalism, and feminism, as she strips away the misconceptions surrounding non-parents and reveals the still radical notion that support of the childfree can lead to better lives and societies for all.

©2019 Dr. Amy Blackstone (P)2019 Penguin Audio

A very interesting book

As a childfree woman I was recommended this book by a friend and it didn’t disappoint. It has a lot of very recent, updated information and gives a lot of perspectives on the childfree life, which is important because there is no such thing as a monolith. All childfree people are not created equal.

Very informative and an easy read. I say read it if you are thinking about it. Lots of good information.

Great ! I learned a lot!

Enjoyed everything about the book, full of resources and great points about childfree lifestyle. Thanks for the male input at the end. Loved it !

Cheers for the child free!

Thanks to Amy for giving a clear defense (and I hate to use that word) of the choice to be childfree. We are not selfish, we won’t regret it, we don’t hate kids, we are satisfied with our choice!

Fabulous read for those wanting a childfree life

Anyone else who knows they want to live childfree, this book is great. I highly recommend!

Could not stop listening

I am currently 28, I will be 29 next month, and I am getting married next year. With some of my friends already have a kid or two... it starts to weigh on your mind. Should I have kids too? Wouldn’t it be fun to be a parent? Or am I going to hate my life and regret ever having them? This book has so many great viewpoints and brings up a lot of things I have thought in the past but having someone else say them too made me feel better. If you’re interested in this topic, I would download this in a heartbeat. I literally couldn’t stop listening and I finished in two days.

Boring

I found this book to be repetitive and uninteresting. There's nothing in here that I haven't heard before.

Meh....

As someone who would identify as a "fence sitter" when it comes to having children, I wanted to learn more about childfree living. Overall, this book brought up some really good points about being childfree, however, it was often very slow and I really struggled to finish it. I almost stopped listening after Dr. Blackstone spent a large amount of time making the case that childfree people do not hate children. I'm a firm believer there is nothing wrong with choosing to be childfree because you dislike children. This book was interesting, but overall okay.