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The Baby Matrix

Why Freeing Our Minds from Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World

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The Baby Matrix

By: Laura Carroll
Narrated by: Elizabeth Siedt
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About this listen

In the movie The Matrix, the character Morpheus offers two pills to Neo - if he takes the blue pill, he will go on with life as he has before, believing what he has always believed. If he takes the red pill, he will find out what the “matrix” really is, and many of his earlier beliefs will be shattered.

When it comes to taking a hard look at a specific set of beliefs about parenthood and reproduction that has driven our society for generations, The Baby Matrix is the red pill. What is this set of beliefs? Pronatalism.

At its core, it’s the belief that having children should be the central focus of every adult’s life. In this audiobook, Laura Carroll explains how pronatalist beliefs have become so embedded that they have come to be seen as “true”. She examines how they affect us individually and collectively and not in a positive way and why we can no longer afford to leave pronatalist assumptions unquestioned.

Carroll scrutinizes seven major pronatalist assumptions and offers alternative mind-sets that reflect realities, true reproductive freedom, and reproductive responsibility in today's society. Whether you are already a parent, want to be a parent, or don’t want children, you will never think about parenthood in the same way.

The Baby Matrix is a must-listen for anyone interested in psychology, sociology, anthropology, parenting issues, environmentalism, and social justice. But most of all, it's for anyone, parent or not, who reveres the truth and wants the best for themselves, their families, and our world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2012 Laura Carroll (P)2019 Laura Carroll
Sociology

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Concise, Clear, FINALLY someone saying it!

I read ONE negative review about this book that said, "OF COURSE women as a rule have an innate urge to have babies!" If you don't... you're a "genetic mutant". We've all heard these kind of things forever. Childfree couples are immature. They are LESS than, they are selfish, etc.. Baby Matrix pulls the curtain aside on all that false thinking. The narrator was excellent and clear and the audible book was perfect meditation on today's population problems and FIERCE push of pronatalism. The author knows her stuff and backs it up with precise data and different sources. I kept thinking of Mama Rose in Gypsy...not everyone should have children. Well worth a read/listen.

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Best Child-Free book

The book was great from start to finish about the Childfree life. Totally recommend it.

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Childfree and pronatalism

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The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World
Laura Carroll
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In the movie The Matrix, the character Morpheus offers two pills to Neo—if he takes the blue pill, he will go on with life as he has before, believing what he has always believed. If he takes the red pill, he will find out what the “matrix” really is, and many of his earlier beliefs will be shattered. When it comes to taking a hard look at a specific set of beliefs about parenthood and reproduction that has driven our society for generations, The Baby Matrix is the red pill.We commonly think our desire to have children boils down to our biological wiring, but author Laura Carroll says it's much more than that. Unlike other books on parenthood, The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World takes a serious look at powerful social and cultural influences that drive the desire for the parenthood experience, and lays out why we need to be very aware of these influences to make the most informed decisions about parenthood.The Baby Matrix looks at long-held beliefs about parenthood and reproduction, and unravels why we believe what we believe. It lays out: -the historical origins of beliefs about parenthood and reproduction-why many of these beliefs no longer work for society or were never true in the first place-why we continue to believe them anyway-the prices society pays as a result The Baby Matrix shows us how we got here, brings to light what is true, which includes knowing about the powerful influence of “pronatalism,” and explains why society can no longer afford to leave pronatalism unquestioned. “This is not a book about convincing people not to have children,” says Carroll. “I want people to be very aware of the long-held social and cultural pressures, and be able to free themselves from those pressures when making parenthood choices. This will result in more people making the best decisions for themselves, will foster a society in which those who are best suited to become parents are the ones who have children and one that knows what it means to bring a child into the world today.”This book will make you examine your own intentions and beliefs, will rile you, and might just change your mind. Whether you are already a parent, want to become a parent, are still making up your mind, or know you don’t want children, you’ll never think about parenthood in the same way. The Baby Matrix is a must-read for anyone interested in psychology, sociology, anthropology, parenting issues, environmentalism, and social justice. But most of all, it’s for anyone, parent or not, who reveres the truth and wants the best for themselves, their families, and our world.

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Genres
Nonfiction
Feminism
Sociology
Parenting
Psychology
Childrens
Philosophy
177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 9, 2012

This edition
Format
177 pages, Kindle Edition
Published
July 9, 2019
ASIN
B07V2BRQL5
Language
English
More editions
The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World Book Cover
Kindle Edition
2012
The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World Book Cover
Kindle Edition
LiveTrue Books
2012
The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World Book Cover
Paperback
LiveTrue Books
2012
The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds from Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World Book Cover
Audible Audio
Laura Carroll
2019
The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World Book Cover
ebook
2024
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Laura Carroll
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My Review
Profile Image for Elisabeth.
Elisabeth
3 reviews
April 4, 2025
Finally, a childfree book that advocates for childfree people in a well-researched and thoughtful way. It explores the history and evolution of pronatalism, highlighting how it continues to shape today’s society—through the media, politics, schools, workplaces, and culture. It also emphasizes that childfree individuals deserve equal rights when it comes to work-life balance, especially since parenthood is a personal choice. The book challenges common myths and the romanticization of parenthood, while respectfully acknowledging the fulfillment parents experience in raising children—just as childfree individuals find fulfillment in their chosen lifestyle. It also sheds light on the often-ignored realities such as childabuse in dysfunctional homes and children in foster care. This broader perspective calls on us not to turn a blind eye to pressing issues like overpopulation and our carbon footprint

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Terrifying ideology

I'm childfree and expected this book to focus on how child / parent obsessed our culture is. Instead it focuses mainly on touting eugenics and suppressing others rights to have children. It dove headfirst into forced sterilizations and I had to stop listening. I didn't expect this book to have the POV that the government should be MORE involved in our reproductive rights... gross!

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