Author:
Frank Gilbreth, Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Number of pages:
180

Does the book have pictures?
No

What age group is this book written for?
Elementary School
Middle School
High School & Beyond

Category:
Biography

Brief summary:
Frank Gilbreth Sr. and his wife Lillian had a family of 12 red-haired, fun-loving children. Frank was an essential part of factory efficiency reforms at the height of great industrial growth in America; as a consultant, it was his job to perform detailed Task Analysis and find ways to make the same task possible with less time and effort. (QWERTY keyboards are an example of what was then considered an improvement). He liked to have his home and his children regulated with this same sort of efficiency. Naturally they did not always meet his expectations, yet every situation has humor and love. In the sequel, "Belles on their Toes", Lillian Gilbreth is a widow raising children ranging in age from 2 to 18. She also picks up the consultant business where Father left off. She keeps their spirits up, and the roof over their heads. It's an incredible story, about real people in the era of Big Families, with fewer of the gizmos and gadgets we are so dependent upon today. Both books have been made into movies. "Cheaper by the Dozen" was released by 20th Century Fox in 1950, and starred Clifton Webb, Myrna Loy, and Jeanne Crain (http://classic film.about.com/msub5.html) It airs occasionally on television, and is a highly entertaining family flick! "Cheaper by the Dozen" is 6th grade on the Accelerated Reader charts, but quite enjoyable well beyond that range.