Tales from the Dad Side: Misadventures in Fatherhood
Review
Steve Doocy does it again, with a often laugh-out-loud guide to the joys and perils of parenting in the modern age… Little league and Joe Namath, water moccasins and camping, rushes to the emergency room, college visits-it’s all here and it’s all funny. (Hugh Hewitt )
Dear Prospective Book Buyer, Publishing types tell me that if you’re reading this, it means you’re looking for a reason to buy this book. Personally, I think the eye-catching cover shot of me in my pajamas is reason enough. (By the way, those are my real kids on the cover, and yes, those are my actual ankles. No, I’m not retaining water.) What you’re holding in your hands is a very funny and sometimes remarkably poignant look at fathers, not from the mother’s point of view or the child’s, but from the dad’s side. Which is why it’s called Tales from the Dad Side. It’s filled with stories of what it’s like to be a dad and a son, from a child’s first day of kindergarten to the awkwa…
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“Tales from the Dad Side” is disarmingly powerful.
Readers are forewarned that this is a “funny book,” and it is all of that. Steve Doocy has a very engaging writing style that features an endless stream of humorous, laugh-out-loud metaphors and pop culture side shots on every page. You can almost hear the rim shots in the back of your head. Absolutely awesome.
And yet, if this book is so funny, why was I so misty-eyed as I turned the pages, in much the same way I reacted while watching “The Bucket List”? If you are a Dad it’s as simple as this – this book hits your humerus on its way to your head and your heart.
What we have here is an author who is skillfully presenting his life in a humorous and poignant fashion. Along the way he invites his fellow Dads – and sons – to remember all the similar times and moments of their lives, and, with the wisdom gained from the passage of time, to re-enact and re-interpret, even retrospectively understand, their meanings and emotions.
It’s great to read a book that celebrates the value and contributions of fathers, rather than bash or ridicule or minimize them, which seems to have been too popular a trend for too long.
Hurrah to Steve Doocy. Read his tales at your pleasure, but be ready for some serious introspection.
I did it to myself again – I bought Steve Doocy’s new book and chose an evironment inappropriate for bursts of laughter when I cracked it open for the first time.
It was during the 2nd half of the last game of the World Series, while sitting on the couch with my husband suffering from a cold. We’re Tampa bay residents and Rays fans; the picture is now complete.
Knowing Steve Doocy’s entertainment factor from his first book, I read “Tales from the Dad Side” as a non-Dad. Don’t let the title fool you: Steve Doocy’s book applies to practically every family member you know – including yourself!
The fits of laughter started with Steve’s choice of activities following the birth of his son Peter (God bless you, Mrs. Doocy!) and continued beyond his experience at the spa/salon with his two daughters. The humorous and heart-felt recounts take the reader all over the world: from Steve’s hometown, to a volcano in Hawaii, to Ireland and many stops along the way.
Sidenote, after reading this book, you will definitely take on a different view of parmesan cheese and the Blarney stone!
For me, Steve’s book comes at a time when we need as much laughter and positive family experiences as possible in our lives. I quickly turned to Steve’s book while our Rays lost the World Series, the market continued to tank and the Presidential election kept us up for several nights leading to and including election night.
This book shows us the ‘behind the scenes’ Steve Doocy we watch every morning on Fox & Friends. If nothing else, we now know the greatness behind Steve’s success (in addition to his hard work and humor): his family!
This is a must read – once you start, you will find yourself soaking in pages at a fast pace while reflecting on the quirks and laughs supplied by your own family.
Thank you Steve and THANK YOU Doocy family!
Erika Grace
Tampa, Florida
I just finished a long ride from Tennessee to New Jersey and listened to Steve Doocy’s book “Tales from the Dad side”. As a son, father and husband Steve’s book touched me in so many ways that when I finished it I felt satisfied. So many of his chapters were so spot on it felt like I had written this book. The chapters on sex made me laugh the most because my mom educated me the same way. I took my brother to give me the real information. You have to read or listen to know what I mean. I would recommend this to any father who could use a good laugh and to any wife looking to buy her man a book that he will really read and enjoy