Tales from the Dad Side: Misadventures in Fatherhood

By Steve Doocy

Book Overview

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 awkward sex talk and right up to the day the always-practical dad tries to pay for college with bonus miles. I was there for every landmark in my children's lives, except the day I was on the riding lawn mower and missed my son's first words, which my wife insists were "trust fund." As children get older, the lessons of the father get harder, like teaching my son how to shave just as my father taught me, with a rusty double-edged safety razor. At the end of my dad's lesson, I emerged from the bathroom nicked and gouged, looking like an extra from a Quentin Tarantino film. My more civilized son is a Norelco man. With my high-school-age daughters, I promised them a day on which I'd take them anywhere and do anything with them they wanted, expecting them to ask for dinner and a movie; I was horrified when they told me they wanted all of us to get manicures and pedicures together. That was not the answer I was expecting; it was like discovering Lou Dobbs was an illegal alien. Over the course of raising three children, I have learned with my wife that fathers are different from mothers. That could be the greatest understatement since Noah turned on the Weather Channel and found out that the next forty days called for a 20 percent chance of light rain. The truth is, fatherhood is like Wikipedia: some parts based in fact, others just made up along the way. And while bookstores are filled with tales of mothers, their children and families, there are few from the dad's side. Now, as a public service, I'm doing my part to right this wrong. I sincerely hope this answers your questions. If perhaps it's not exactly your cup of tea, I bet you've got a father or mother in your life who'd like the stone-cold truth about dads. Besides, for the same money, you can either put three gallons of gas in your car or take home this book, which has a highway rating of 29 smiles an hour. Steve Doocy

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061441627
• ISBN13: 9780061441622
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

At Last ... the truth from the Dad's side!

"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.

Great follow-up to "Mr and Mrs Happy Handbook"

Steve Doocy has done it again with "Tales from the Dad Side" book. It is real life, funny, and full of great stories that match my own experiences. This book should be turned into a weekly sitcom. I wouldn't expect any less from Steve Doocy, whom I love to watch on Fox and Friends where he shares his life along with the news. Get this book and laugh, smile and share with your own family and friends!

"Tales from the Dad side" is the best there is!

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

A FANTASTIC READ FOR EVERYONE

As a mom I hesitated to get this book figuring it was more a "Dad's" book. However, having read "Mr. and Mrs. Happy Handbook" (also by Steve Doocy), I knew that I would like "Tales from the Dad Side". That's an understatement - I loved it! Every turn of the page brought back memories of my own childhood with my dad or memories of my own children. "Tales from the Dad Side" brings you into Steve's childhood and his family life now with his wife and three children. You'll laugh your way through each page as you become one of the family and you will gain a GREAT respect for his wife, Kathy! Steve's humor is felt throughout the book as well as his intense love for his family. This is truly a MUST READ for everyone! I thank Steve Doocy for writing this book...it was a wonderful trip down memory lane for me.

An absolutly hilarious real life adventure!!!

Steve Doocy is a writer who takes you on a hilarious adventure of his life as a Dad. This book is a winner! It's also bringing back memories of 44 years of marriage and raising 3 sons for my hubby and I. Steve is a really talented author abd TV personality who is a #1 Dad and husband.