Things I Learned About My Dad: Humorous and Heartfelt Essays, edited by the creator of dooce.com [Hardcover]

Heather B. Armstrong (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2008

Compiled by Heather B. Armstrong, award-winning publisher and uber-mistress of the phenomenally popular dooce.com®, this hilarious and heartwarming celebration of "everything dad" features original stories from some of the country's most celebrated bloggers, including Alice Bradley (Finslippy) Doug French (Laid Off Dad), Maggie Mason (Mighty Girl), Matthew Baldwin (Defective Yeti), Sarah Brown (Que Sera Sera), and more.

From a new father's comparison of pregnancy to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, to a mother's story of bravely surviving a husband-son infatuation with Star Wars, to the mini triumphs and tragedies of toddlerhood, this book provides a unique, no-holds-barred glimpse into the quirks and candid moments of modern dads.

Whether we relish or fear growing up to be like our fathers...whether we've inherited his nose, sense of humor, or entire value system, our dads loom large in who we are and the choices we make. Things I Learned about my Dad in Therapy touches upon the many joys and discoveries of fatherhood, one essay at a time.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 270 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; Reprint edition (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758216599
• ISBN-13: 978-0758216595
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #442,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wanted to Love It... But Didn't, May 12, 2008

By 

K. Miller - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Things I Learned About My Dad: Humorous and Heartfelt Essays, edited by the creator of dooce.com (Hardcover)

I was very excited for this compilation -- most of my year is spent buying grad school text books and things I don't necessarily deem "fun." On top of that, I really wanted all of these authors to succeed. Several of the authors' blogs are on my most-read list, and a couple of them are individuals whose words have really touched me in times when I needed it most (Heather Armstrong is one of those authors).

Unfortunately, in many cases that did not translate to the printed page. I was disappointed that much of Armstrong's contribution was published on her blog (for free, as someone previously noted), and Alice Bradley's essay in WonderTime, to which I subscribe. That eliminated quite a bit of the best writing in this book. I enjoyed a few of the other essays, but several just seemed to hint that perhaps the editor was hesitant to edit these online celebrities... or the essays were beyond saving, regardless of editing.

The fact that I was able to support these folks in what they aspire to do, however, still makes me happy. To those who comment on Dooce's "self-promotion," she's a business woman whose commodity happens to be herself and her words. She's entitled to promote herself. While I don't consider myself a diligent Dooce devotee, her words have pulled me through difficult times as a mother and I respect the ambition she and Jon Armstrong have in tailoring their family according to THEIR rules. These reviews are not intended to rate your feelings about Heather Armstrong (if they were, I'd tack on another star). They should rate the work.

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars some essays are better than others, May 2, 2008

By 

princess "a semi-serious chef" (new jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Things I Learned About My Dad: Humorous and Heartfelt Essays, edited by the creator of dooce.com (Hardcover)

I'll admit to be intrigued by the concept of this book: a collection of essays by different bloggers on the topic of fathers (not necessarily fatherhood, per se) that was then edited by Heather Armstrong.

After having read it, I'll also admit that I found it uneven, probably because the writers all have such unique voices and I am not a fan of each and every person included in the book. My favorite essay is by Doug French of Laid Off Dad fame and for that essay alone I would encourage others to purchase (or at the very least, read) this book. The letter to his sons on the eve of his divorce is incredibly moving.

There were several other essays that were quite well written as well and others that just did not resonate with me. Essentially, if you enjoy reading certain blogs, then you will enjoy reading the longer essays by the authors of those blogs.

32 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty enjoyable read., May 2, 2008

By 

particle_bored (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Things I Learned About My Dad: Humorous and Heartfelt Essays, edited by the creator of dooce.com (Hardcover)

I think, overall, this was an enjoyable book. It wasn't meant to change the world, and it didn't, but I was able to bring out at least one chuckle or smile from myself with every essay. I'm familiar with the editor's website and by association, the small little circle of bloggers that seem to make up the authorship of this book. As on the web, I enjoy some more than others, and so a reader looking to buy this book may wish to peruse some of the blogs first before committing to the book to get a feel for what it will be like. On the negative side, this group of essays seems to be written in a way that suggests the reader should be silently impressed by the hip, modern turn of the phrases and the intelligentsia-ironica-sarcastica tone so prevalent in their writing. And yet, to their credit, sometimes the authors nail a thought or a sentence just so and the otherwise heavy-handed affectation can be forgiven. The essays read and feel like lengthy blog entries, which is to be expected since the authors all dabble in that genre. This isn't a criticism, though - more an observation that it is difficult for me to raise the authors above the title of blogger. Perhaps because some pieces have that unfinished, unpolished feel of a blog post. But as I said above, all in all, this is an enjoyable read and a fine effort.