truly the most practical guide - Rated 
This is a book to turn to for help on every aspect of parenting small children. It's well laid out, easy to find specific information, and concise without being dry. It covers everything from developmental stages, to healthy eating (including recipe ideas), childhood diseases, immunisation and first aid, helping your child develop ethics and good values. It's a hefty tome, reflecting a vast amount of knowledge gathered by the two authors over many years, and it was my crutch!
You may want to buy additional guides to parenting if you are struggling with a particular aspect of parenting, particularly the emotional and behavioural aspects, but this may be the one book that you turn to constantly until your child is 3.
Great reference - Rated 
I refer to this monthly and periodically search for specific advice on issues. I wouldn't say it's the only book you need - it's fairly clinical in style and some issues are dealt with in an agony aunt style (quite briefly). I use it in conjunction with Pocket Parent and Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers. Between the 3 books I feel like a well informed and confident parent!
Not nearly as good as 'what to expect, the first year' - Rated 
'What to expect the first year' was THE most useful book we found when we had our first child, so we bought this follow up expecting the same valuable info.
I don't know whether it's a reflection on how weak this second book is (or whether we're just more confident now that we've gained some parental experience) but we've barely dipped into this book. When we HAVE wanted to find out something, the book hasn't provided the information we've been looking for and to be honest we just look up things on the web instead.
I also think that during the toddler years, each child is so unique that there isn't a 'one size fits all' instruction book... whereas for the first year all babies are pretty similar on the whole.
I wouldn't bother with this one.
Biased and full of misinformation, opinion presented as fact - Rated 
This must be one of the worst books on toddler parenting out there.
Many of the 'facts' represented in this book are nothing but the author's own biased opinions. What is even worse is that a great many of these so-called facts are grossly misleading, and in many cases unscientific and false.
One of the worst parts must be the section on extended breastfeeding and why one must absolutely wean at 1 year. This goes against the guidelines put forth by the World Health Organization (recommends breastfeeding for a minimum of 2 years and thereafter as long as mutually desirable), UNICEF, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (breastfeeding benefits continue after one year).
These guidelines follow studies which have proven that the benefits of breastfeeding (nutritional, immunological, cognitive, emotional) continue as long as breastfeeding itself does, and that there never comes a point when you can replace breast milk with infant formula, cows' milk or any other food, or breastfeeding with a pacifier or teddy bear, without some costs to the child.
Reference books such as this one should at least fairly represent each side of the issue. It should include the WHO, AAP and UNICEF guidelines, and describe the benefits of extended BF. Maybe then more women would try it.
What mothers expect from parenting books nowadays is factual scientific evidence (with references), not outdated opinions and an 'if you don't do everything exactly as we say, you are a bad mother' attitude.
Give this one a pass; get the Dr. Sears book for toddlers instead!
Good book for first time parents - Rated
I found this book to be an excellent reference for toddler development. I also think this book is great for first time parents as it clues us in on what our children should be doing at a particular age, as well as gives sound advice about handling some common issues.
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