What does it mean to raise a child, and how do you do it properly? Countless commentators have weighed in on these questions over the centuries, from childless philosophers to amateur psychologists to self-proclaimed parenting gurus. Today, the entire internet seems to have an opinion. But does anyone really know? Why are these discussions so often contradictory and polarizing? And why does it feel like the more answers we find, the less confident we feel?

This is Not a Parenting Manual cuts through these debates. Using a historical and cross-cultural lens, Nicole C. Bourbonnais exposes the political, economic, and social struggles behind some of our most basic assumptions about parenting. She challenges the simplistic ways that evidence, causality, risk, and free choice are understood, feeding a highly intensive parenting model and creating superficial divisions among us. Instead of seeing parenthood as an identity to be performed or an outcome to be achieved, Bourbonnais instead urges us to embrace the work of parenting in all of its messiness, ambivalence, and uncertainty.

This is not another "how-to" book; rather, it aims to empower parents to navigate the world of "how-to" with a more critical eye, extracting the advice that is actually helpful while leaving the rest of the baggage behind.

Nicole C. Bourbonnais is an Associate Professor of International History and Politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute.