“Familyhood” by Paul Reiser (Hyperion, 236 pgs., $25.99)

I was so ready to dismiss this little book as the musings of a sitcom quipster with not much to add to the national discourse — when, during one of those insufferably long children’s birthday parties, another dad began to rant about many of the same things that Paul Reiser does in “Familyhood.”

Sure enough, Reiser digs deeper than expected for some very relatable observations in this follow-up to his best-selling books “Couplehood” and “Babyhood.”

It seems to take a while for Reiser to hit his stride. Early on, I didn’t really trust his glibness or sitcom sensibilities. That’s because we still know him best from television, primarily “Mad About You” and the short-lived “Paul Reiser Show.” As a performer, Reiser’s particular gift seems to give words a percussive emphasis, almost a rim shot. They are reactive, these jabs, to the other people in the show.

In his writing, it takes a while to hear that voice again, to find the beats of his sentences. But if you like Reiser the comic, you’re likely to enjoy Reiser the writer. That personal connection is important, for he’s covering some pretty familiar ground in this collection of 22 essays: his struggles with technology, his two sons going off to camp.

Point of view is everything with Reiser, not to mention an eye for the little things in a father’s life. Reiser doesn’t so much pick the right word as accentuate the right emotion. In any case, good writing has a way of letting us feel a little less alone in the world. It validates some of our dreams and dissatisfactions, makes us nod along, knowing we have an ally.

Reiser has done that here, hitting fatherhood on the head with a sweet, personal little book brimming with wit and understanding.