I've been trying to finish Parenting, Inc., the new book about the baby industrial complex and the commercialization of parenting by Time magazine reporter Pamela Paul. So far, I'm about 3/4 through, and my review copy is marked up and circled and bookmarked like crazy, so I can have a useful interview with her. Parenting, Inc. covers a disturbing array of hot parenting topics: baby DVD's; educational, interactive toys; the luxury baby market; baby classes and overscheduling... actually, that's as far as I've gotten.
In the mean time, Jason Kottke points to a very solid-sounding interview with Paul at Salon, and he throws in his own two cents, too, which is about how much he and Meg like to spend on their kid's toys. It sounds like great stuff.
The parent trap: Salon Q&A with Pamela Paul [salon]
The Business of Parenting [kottke.org]
