A small consolation for 21st century parents: Mothers and fathers have had to face a load of challenges since forever. This tongue-in-cheek book charmingly traces what it was like to be a parent in past eras. Living up to the expectations of being a "good parent" has never been easy. Advice on conception and pregnancy was supposed to help create ideal circumstances before the child was even born. Infant care and child-rearing strategies have changed like seasons in the course of history. What is timeless, however, is parents' love for their offspring. Our ancestors already knew: Puberty is a critical phase and more than one ambitious father's plan was thwarted by teenage rebellion. What's the moral of the story? Most parents pulled through and humankind did not go extinct. So moms and dads, stay calm and carry on!

Marriages might be made in heaven but they are lived out here on earth – for some a floor lower… Even beforehand, when choosing a partner, those keen to marry are faced with a tricky decision: money or love? There are countless traps, which even royal marriage-hopefuls can fall into: Henry VIII of England fell victim to the Photoshop effect back in the sixteenth century when he requested portraits of suitable marriage candidates. After the ceremony is completed it’s often no easier: who turns out to wear the trousers? And rumours of a blissful two-fold union are a myth: one half turns out to come with a mother-in-law, the other can’t manage with just one woman. And the dictates of church and state follow the couple right into the bedroom. Till death us do part. But help is at hand.