Customer Reviews

A Father's Legacy

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We gave one of these books to my wife's father about a year before he went home to be with the Lord. Battling cancer, he was faithful to journal in it on a regular basis. We visited him several Christmases ago, just a month before he ended up dying. And he left this book to his six children. We made photocopies of the pages, and it remains a precious memory for each child. In fact, it's one of the best reminders of him that we own. Memories and photos fade, but a book like this will last your lifetime and into the next, for sure. What a wonderful way to leave something for the next generations who want to get in touch with their roots. The prompts are varied and draw out different responses. A completed book is fun reading too, even if you hardly know the person. Surely this is better than any fictional account of a nonexistent life. I recommend this as well as the version for moms. You just never know when it is your time to shuffle off into the horizon. In my opinion this book is just as valuable as a $1 million life insurance policy.

I bought Reflections from a Mother's Heart as well as A Father's Legacy. When I first received the books, I was very excited because they were beautiful on the outside. The questions at first seemed great, until I realized that 1/3 of the book was questions about God, church, Christmas and Christianity. Coming from a family of mixed religion, these books were completely inappropraite and from information provided on Amazon, I did not know this when I purchased it. Unless you are a hardcore Christian, I would not reccomend these books. I was beyond disappointed about these books. I am debating on keeping them and maybe changing some of the questions, but I will have to see.

It's one of those books that will provide a permanent link concerning the past of your family history, to your descendants, as is a great Father's Day gift. I am referring to the book "A Father's Legacy: Your Life Story In Your Own Words", assembled by Terri Gibbs (2000, J. Countryman Publishing, 208 Pages).

Now, much has been said as to the contribution of fathers in their role as providers, priests, and kings of their homes. However, few--if any--publications have taken this time-honored idea and put it into a format whereby fathers themselves can best share and explain their own life story to their children and grandchildren. Gibbs puts together plenty of month-by-month sections whereby fathers can write down their observation on life, include photos of important times and family memories, and a few extra pages for wisdom insights that can help children--and spouses--understand what makes the patriarch in their lives `tick', so to speak.

The book also offers nuggets of encouragement, as well as pauses for spiritual reflection and inspiration. It is one of those rare works that will give a man a chance to think and reflect from where he has come from, and how he became the family stalwart that he is today.

There are few works on the market that encourage fathers to express themselves to their families and spouses. This is one of those attempts to bring back the honor and reverence of the institution of fatherhood and manhood. Gibbs has done a masterful job of including those items of information that allow men to express themselves in their own words. It will continue to `give' an accurate picture of Dad, long after he has departed from this world. I highly recommend this work.

Mike Ramey

THE gift for 'the man who has everything'... This beautifully designed book provides an array of questions any son or daughter would love to know but may never think to ask. Questions about one's perspectives, spirituality, and life experiences like "What is your favorite memory of your mother? Why is it so special to you?", "What did you want to be when you grew up?", and "Recall the 5 most important lessons you have learned in life." guide Dad in writing his own personal biography for his children. The book is presented in such a way that he may choose to complete it all in a few days, or throughout the month or even the year. A wonderful way to leave a legacy for your family.

Life passes by so quickly for most of us. I find it near imposible to remember those little details of life that make me who I am. "A Father's Legacy" gives fathers the chance to not only remember and record their life story but to give their children a stronghold in knowing their daddy now and forever. Questions in this "journal" give fathers a foundation in writing down many topics. I give this "journal" five stars for its content and ten stars for its value to myself and my family once I complete it.

My husband has begun writing in this for our son and we've had a great time discussing the questions together. He doesn't always talk about personal things without a lot of prompting, so this book (and the companion book for mothers) is a great opportunity for our son to learn about us -- things he may never have thought of asking.

Filling out this journal can open the doors of communication between any father and son/daughter concerning Christ and Christianity and what it means in their lives NO MATTER WHAT YOUR VIEW IS. Most of the book concentrates on Family and Life stories/history which is great information to record. This book allows a father to record lots of information about his life in an easy to manage format. Because you are recording your life experiences and beliefs, naturally it raises the question of faith. No matter what your views, the most important thing is to talk about it with your children. Carefully examining your faith and what it is based on will only lead to the truth, and in the end you may be amazed at what you find. If you are a Christian partent trying to reach a non-Chistian child in a creative way, this is a great tool. If your are a Christian child trying to reach out to a non-Christian father, this book is a great tool. BUT, if you are in a situation where faith has never come up between father and child do not be afraid of this book. Eighty percent of the book records faimly history and life stories/lessons whose recording in this format in invaluable. The bonus is that both of you may find something much bigger than any of us.

Overall it's an excellent book to capture details of ourselves to pass down to our children. I just wish the author had not woven religion into nearly every section of the book. Questions such as "When did you bcome a Christian?" and "Do you remember your first communion?" are not applicable to everyone.

While one could certainly just leave those pages blank, it would have been much better if the author had left a larger "notes" section at the end of the book or at the end of each chapter... or if the book was printed in a fashion that would enable us to remove pages that are not applicable.

Otherwise a very nice keepsake.

I was given this book as a gift from my mother when expecting my first child. I am actually looking forward to completing the answers so that I can put the book away as a future gift to my child.

Although some of the questions are a bit cheesy, I think overall the book provides a good format for leaving a legacy for a child. Also, some men are more comfortable writing about their feelings than verbally expressing them. This book provides the perfect forum for doing just that.

As I have gone through the book, I think I am getting as much out of it as I hope my son will. In fact, since it is like a structured journal in a way, it has value to the writer even if he never gave it to a son. My wife wants to find a Mother's version ...