The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy    by Erika Lenkert Order:  USA  Can DK Publishing, 2008 (2008) Softcover     Reviewed by Jessica Weaver Pregnant with her first child, Erika Lenkert was dissatisfied with the selection of pregnancy how-to books, all of which seem to list every possible bad thing that could happen during your nine months. Lenkert thus set out to write her own guide for moms-to-be, something practical and not scary, something fun and easy to read. Also pregnant with my first child, I found The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy a fun read, especially compared to some of the laborious texts other women have told me are the Bibles of pregnancy. Sure, it's nice to know the medical specifications for what are going on in my body, but it's also nice to know that someone out there understands and has been through what I'm going through. Each chapter of The Real Deal Guide starts with a short essay from Lenkert on the topic and then goes through several points to remember, lists of hints, and suggestions from the Mommy Menagerie, a group of a hundred women Lenkert interviewed for the book. For the most part, it's not laugh-out-loud funny, but it is a refreshing read. I found some stories were repeated over and over again, and one of the Mommy Menagerie sections was also included twice, about three pages apart, which, as an editor, tends to annoy me quite a bit. But all in all, The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy was a fun and quick read and something I'd be happy to pass on to a friend who's just found out she has a bun in the oven, too. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews