Yup, crimson and supernan, I think this is the good ole grauniad cocking a snook at the daily mail's stuffy attitude. i'm not sure I would use the book with kids (probably not) but I'd sure have a good laugh at it myself. It hits a real spot for parents, including me, and I didn't even have kids that wouldn't go to sleep. A lot of swearing (most of it that isn't used in frustration, I would say) is used in the mood of exasperated humour. It has nothing to do with morality or ethics and I wish people would stop confusing the issue by trying to pretend it is. What the author is trying to say is that the f word, as used, is NOT IMPORTANT. It's a filler, an emphasis word, and nothing more. It doesn't mean anything. People used to say "For God's Sake!" Now they say "For Fuck's Sake!" Neither of those phrases mean a thing. Such phrases may seem pointless, at worst, but they are also harmless. I avoid them myself because some people make a fuss and avoiding the fuss makes life simpler, not because I think there's anything wrong with them.