The Dadly Virtues: Adventures from the Worst Job You'll Ever Love
The Dadly Virtues: Adventures from the Worst Job You'll Ever Love
edited by Jonathan V. Last contributions by Larry Miller, P. J. O'Rourke, Joe Queenan, Toby Young, Stephen F. Hayes, Joseph Epstein, Matthew Continetti, Tucker Carlson, David Burge, Christopher Caldwell, Andrew Ferguson, Jonah Goldberg, Michael Graham, Matt Labash, James Lileks and Rob Long
Templeton Press, 2015 Cloth: 978-1-59947-489-2 | Paper: 978-1-59947-508-0 | eISBN: 978-1-59947-490-8 Library of Congress Classification HQ756.D35 2015
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK
From the all-star cast who brought you The Seven Deadly Virtues comes a book with a look at the good life… or the crazy-stressful-overwhelmed life… of a father.
The Dadly Virtues is a tongue-in-cheek collection of encouragement and guidance for any stage of fatherhood, from pacifying babies to prepping for senior prom, from cutting the cord to getting the first, “Best Grandpa” t-shirt. P.J. O’Rourke sets the stage with the chapter, “What Do Men Get from Fatherhood? Besides What They Put In …” and then is followed by: •Matthew Continetti’s, “Newborn Terror: The Moment You Realize that ‘Bundle of Joy’ Is a Euphemism for Something Very Different.” •Stephen F. Hayes’ “Siblings: The Best Gift You’ll Ever Give Your Kids.” •Jonah Goldberg’s “Get Your Kid a Dog: The Moral Case for Pets.” •Tucker Carlson’s “In Praise of Adventure: How to Fill a Child’s Life with Excitement and Danger (without Getting Them Killed).” •Michael Graham’s, “Dating: Enjoy the Movie and Please Keep the Impregnation to a Minimum.” •Christopher Caldwell’s “College: It’s Not as Bad as You Think; It’s Worse.” •Andrew Ferguson’s “Emerging Adults and Empty Nesters: Just When You Had Fatherhood All Figured Out.” •Toby Young’s “The Dark Side: Bad Parenting and the Things We Think, but Do Not Say.” •Joseph Epstein’s “Thanks, Grandpa: Grandfatherhood and the Spirit of the Age.” •And more.
Father-to-be, two-time-dad, or granddad, each essay will make you laugh and, at the same time, reinforce your commitment to the virtuous—the dadly—life.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Jonathan V. Last is a senior writer at the Weekly Standard, a Washington-based political magazine, and author of What to Expect When No One’s Expecting: America’s Coming Demographic Disaster (Encounter Books, 2013) and editor of The Seven Deadly Virtues (Templeton Press, 2014). His writings have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the New York Post, the Claremont Review of Books, First Things, and elsewhere.
REVIEWS
“Depending on the author, the humor ranges from quiet dry wit to don’t-drink-your-coffee-while-reading-because-you-will-snort-coffee-through-your-nose funny. P. J. O’Rourke’s chapter on how fatherhood turns men into adults will make you chuckle. Tucker Carlson’s exploration on filling your children’s lives with excitement and danger will make you laugh. So will Toby Young’s on bad parenting, Andrew Ferguson’s on empty nests, Rob Long’s on marriage, and Joseph Epstein’s on being a grandparent.”
“The chapters are not just about jokes. Each dispenses wisdom about some aspect of fatherhood. Any dad who had gone through “the Talk” on sex with their children will identify with the embarrassment experienced by Matt Labash. You may not be as into shared experiences in television watching with your children as James Lileks, but he reminds you of some shared experience with your children.”
“Fathers who have been through the experiences related by the authors will nod in agreement. Fathers who have yet to go through some aspect of fatherhood outlined will get useful pointers. The Dadly Virtues is out in time for Father’s Day. It is a book with application past Father’s Day. This book is one that will resonate throughout the year.” —Mark Lardas, Galveston County Daily News (June 7, 2015)
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In the Fraternity of Dad, children haze their sires, who become men. Maybe. With one exception, each of the contributors to The Dadly Virtues is a member of the Frat of Dad and has stories about what he learned, what he wishes he’d known, and what he still doesn’t know.
The book is arranged chronologically, from new fathers to grandfathers, but you should start with the final essay, Joseph Epstein’s reflections on being a single father and then helping raise his grandchildren. Amongst the frat, Epstein is the man, a mensch, the incredibly cool alumnus everybody wants to be—or at least write as well as. —Mike Hubbard, Ricochet
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments / xi
Introduction: On Fatherhood, Manliness, and Failure / 3
Jonathan V. Last
Chapter 1: What Do Men Get from Fatherhood? Besides What They Put In … / 17
P. J. O’Rourke
Chapter 2: Newborn Terror: The Moment You Realize That “Bundle of Joy”
Is a Euphemism for Something Very Different / 25
Matthew Continetti
Chapter 3: Siblings: The Best Gift You’ll Ever Give Your Kids / 36
Stephen F. Hayes
Chapter 4: Television and Kids: The Beauty and Pain of TV / 45
James Lileks
Chapter 5: Get Your Kid a Dog: The Moral Case for Pets / 58
Jonah Goldberg
Chapter 6: In Praise of Adventure: How to Fill a Child’s Life with Excitement and Danger (Without Getting Them Killed) / 66
Tucker Carlson
Chapter 7: Catechesis: Teaching Your Kid about God / 73
Larry Miller
Chapter 8: Surviving School: It’s Just as Bad the Second Time Around / 84
Joe Queenan
Chapter 9: Sports: Advice for the Care and Feeding of the Child-Athlete / 94
David Burge (aka Iowahawk)
Chapter 10: The Dark Side: Bad Parenting and the Things We Think, but Do Not Say / 104
Toby Young
Chapter 11: The Talk: The Birds and Bees Aren’t What They Used to Be / 113
Matt Labash
Chapter 12: Dating: Enjoy the Movie and Please Keep the Impregnation to a Minimum / 127
Michael Graham
Chapter 13: College: It’s Not as Bad as You Think; It’s Worse / 137
Christopher Caldwell
Chapter 14: Emerging Adults and Empty Nesters: Just When You Had Fatherhood All Figured Out / 146
Andrew Ferguson
Chapter 15: Love and Marriage: How to Talk to Your Kids about the Most Important Decision They’ll Ever Make / 156
Rob Long
Chapter 16: Thanks, Grandpa: Grandfatherhood and the Spirit of the Age / 166
Joseph Epstein
About the Contributors / 177
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