Amazon.com Review
Philip Van Munching sounds like a pretty cool dad. True, he’d rather his daughters steer clear of drugs and alcohol and avoid having sex until after he’s dead, but he’s well aware of the fact that they’re living in the real world. In
Boys Will Put You on a Pedestal (so they can look up your skirt), this father of two offers practical advice to teenage girls in a series of fresh and funny chapters on everything from Fate to Faith to Boyfriends, The Internet, and How to be Happy. Consider what he has to say about Tattoos: "If you ever seriously think about getting one do yourself a favor first. Go to the drawer where you keep your T-shirts and take a good look at them. What’s on them? Got any designer names or funny sayings? Or do you have T-shirts with pictures of cartoon animals? Wait, of course you don’t: you had the animal T-shirts a few years ago, but you’ve gotten rid of them. You outgrew them." To further prove his point, he suggests checking out "your folks’ old high school yearbooks" for more evidence that what’s cool today won’t be forever. One thing his girls can likely count on to remain constant, however, is their dad’s obvious love and respect for them, as Van Munching appears infinitely curious about their current lives and the challenges they will face in the future. –
Patrick Jennings.
From Publishers Weekly
Weaving together humorous anecdotes and sound advice, devoted dad Van Munching, whom Couric calls "my personal Dr. Phil," shares a lifetime of wisdom for parents and their growing daughters in this brief book. The author draws on his experiences both as a kid and as a parent, and writes in a conversational style that is bound to make discussions of touchy subjects easier (and even entertaining). The father of two girls, Van Munching offers advice about boyfriends, sex, self-image and dealing with the emotional roller coaster ride of adolescence. The chapters about grief and drugs and alcohol are especially notable, but the book's most important point may be that all good advice comes through shared conversation rather than one-way lecturing. While the book is geared toward daughters, the content is just as applicable to sons, and readers of all ages will find it a useful tool for opening discussions about life's difficult issues.
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