8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter: And Other Tips from a Beleaguered Father (Not That Any of Them Work) [Hardcover]

W. Bruce Cameron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001

Fathers may suspect it's not easy for their daughters to become women, but those same daughters have no idea how hard it is for fathers to stand by and watch. According to W. Bruce Cameron, "Having a child mutate into a teenager is a bit like being an airline passenger who must suddenly take over for a stricken pilot and land the plane. And in this case, the passengers are all yelling, 'I hate you! I hate you!' and slamming the door to the cockpit."

Cameron has two daughters, so he is doubly aware that raising teenage girls is well, impossible. He's been through braces (the most expensive metal on earth), kissing (do they have to use their lips?), teen "logic" ("I asked if I could go out with Lindsey and you said no, so I went out with Courtney"), and, of course, dating, which leads to the 8 Simple Rules. (Rule #1: if you pull into my driveway and honk, you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure as heck not picking anything up.)

If your little girl has moved out and a teenager has taken her place, this book will help you do something you probably thought was not possible in your situation: laugh.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A comic survival guide to being a parent of teenage daughters, Bruce Cameron's book started life in 1995 as a wildly, and accidentally, successful Internet column. In short, sharply observed vignettes, he touches a middle-aged-male nerve by describing the rage and bewilderment of having little girls turn into teenage monsters, but every complaint is punctured by a self-deprecating regular-guy-in-a-mad-world irony. There are helpful hints (or rather, unhelpful ones, because Cameron admits that nothing will make any difference) for coping with the telephone, clothes, parties, car you used to own, and boyfriend you don't want her to hang around with.

It's all rather reminiscent of Dave Barry, though of course Cameron's canvas is smaller, and for that reason alone, many readers will find that a whole book is a stretch. This is definitely a bathroom browse rather than material for reading cover to cover--assuming it's possible to get into the bathroom, that is; according to the author, this is a coveted parking space for strange aliens who paint themselves for hours while dreaming of Brad Pitt. --Richard Farr

From Publishers Weekly

In an age when many households are veritable kinder-doms, and teenagers have become a major market force, many parents feel confused by the sturm, drang und hyperactive telephone use of their teenagers. Here to help fathers stay afloat during their daughters' adolescence is humor columnist W. Bruce Cameron with 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, and Other Tips from a Beleaguered Father (Not That Any of Them Work). In a chapter called "It's Her Party and I'll Cry if I Want To," he explains that teen parties are unnecessary because "[y]our daughters do not need to be made any more excited than they already are. They do not need to meet or dance with boy particles." If nothing else, the book will prove a welcome distraction.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761123148
• ISBN-13: 978-0761123149
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #319,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OUTRAGEOUSLY FUNNY, AND...OH SO VERY TRUE!, June 7, 2001

By 

Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter: And Other Tips from a Beleaguered Father (Not That Any of Them Work) (Hardcover)

I love this author's wit and style. He obviously has the art of raising teen-aged daughters down to a science. Having raised three daughters, I can attest to the fact everything in this book is true. When my second daughter was sixteen and just starting to date, she met, "Binky," the man of her dreams. Binky was a cross between a sheepdog and a mop with eyes; he ate a lot, talked very little, and had this staggering, loose, hip walk, like all his body parts weren't quite connected. Making conversation was not easy, I knew how to connect sentences; he knew three words, "cool," "awesome" and "groovey," while at the same time continually moving "to the beat" no one else in the world could hear. Binky finally followed "the beat" to other wonders of the world.

So many of the experiences the author shares with you in this book, will be ones that you who have raised teen-aged daughters will find familiar. I loved reading of "the trip to the mall," the parties, the boyfriends - this book is absolutely and positively hilarious from start to finish. Teen-aged daughters are like the ugly ducklings who turned into swans. Not ugly in the literal sense, but ugly in the sense of zits, bad hair days, telephonitis, owning three cars and not having one to drive, and the "I know it all" attitude that drives us bonkers! Finally, one day emerges this beautiful young lady and makes all the "Binky's" in the world seem worth while. Read this excellent book; you will laugh until you cry!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My teenage daughter HATED this book, July 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter: And Other Tips from a Beleaguered Father (Not That Any of Them Work) (Hardcover)

I guess the truth hurts. She didn't find it funny at all. I, on the other hand, laughed so hard I nearly fell off the couch.

In addition to being EXTREMELY funny, I also found that this book left me with another, rather unexpected feeling: REASSURANCE. Reading his hilarious rants made me realize I'm not alone in facing this completely incomprehensible life form that so strikingly resembles the sweet little girl I've raised for the 12 previous years (but who changed so completely in the last 2).

Read this book. The man knows his subject matter. His description of a daughter's unspoken rules for being dropped at the mall was just TOO accurate - even MY daughter had to grudgingly agree. And his "8 rules" made perfect sense to ME....

A rare combination of truth and humor!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful humor, May 11, 2001

By 

Melvin Durai (West Lafayette, In. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter: And Other Tips from a Beleaguered Father (Not That Any of Them Work) (Hardcover)

As someone who writes and enjoys humor, I've relished Bruce Cameron's columns over the years and consider him one of America's best humorists, as funny and sometimes even funnier than Dave Barry. You don't have to be a parent to appreciate "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter," but if you are, you'll find it even funnier. Cameron has a unique way of lampooning the experiences of parenting. If you're like me, you'll get a few laughs from every page of this book and you'll want to share it with your friends.