Benjamin McLane Spock (May 2, 1903–March 15, 1998)
On July 14th, 1946, at the dawn of the post-World War II baby
boom, Dr. Benjamin Spock published The Common Sense
Book of Baby and Child Care.
It would become a foundational work on the topic of parenting,
transforming how generations of children were raised.
The book, which has sold more than 50 million copies and
been translated into more than 50 languages, stands as
one of the best-selling nonfiction works of the 20th century.
A culmination of more than 20 years of scholarship, and
written over seven years with his wife Jane, the book
debuted a revolutionary approach to child-rearing, all
delivered in a warm, congenial tone.
