Walker Lamond wants to remind women--by way of a set of rules for his own newborn daughter--that they don't have to listen to boys play guitar, that throwing like a girl is a good thing, and that they can't be friends with just anyone.
Rules for my Newborn Daughter, full of pithy sayings and life lessons presented with interesting typography and photos, will charm even the most cynical reader. There's some great advice for any gender, such as "if you're cool, you don't have to prove it," "always carry a book" and "learn to drive a stick shift."
Some of the advice is focused on newer technology ("Never cancel dinner plans by text message"), while other bits come off a bit patriarchal and strangely traditional: "You can buy your way into the gossip pages, but you can't buy your way out" speaks to a different time, when gossip pages existed.
The short book, a follow-up to Lamond's Rules for My Unborn Son, pulls content from Lamond's website; it's a fun, joyful read with plenty of moments of familiarity and discovery. Rules for My Newborn Daughter has somewhat of a tender streak, too. "No pierced ears until you are sixteen" and "Help your father clean the garage; he gets sentimental" seem to worry about the titular young daughter ahead of any actual problems she might have in her life. This author/father engages in a thought exercise full of heart and love that will ring true for dads (and moms!) everywhere. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor