Tales from the Dad Side: Misadventures in Fatherhood

by Steve Doocy

Dear Prospective Book Buyer, Publishing types tell me that if you're reading this, it means you're looking for a reason to buy this book. Personally, I think the eye-catching cover shot of me in my pajamas is reason enough. (By the way, those are my real kids on the cover, and yes, those are my actual ankles. No, I'm not retaining water.) What you're holding in your hands is a very funny and sometimes remarkably poignant look at fathers, not from the mother's point of view or the child's, but from the dad's side. Which is why it's called Tales from the Dad Side . It's filled with stories of what it's like to be a dad and a son, from a child's first day of kindergarten to the awkward sex talk and right up to the day the always-practical dad tries to pay for college with bonus miles. I was there for every landmark in my children's lives, except the day I was on the riding lawn mower and missed my son's first words, which my wife insists were “trust fund.” As children get older, the lessons of the father get harder, like teaching my son how to shave just as my father taught me, with a rusty double-edged safety razor. At the end of my dad's lesson, I emerged from the bathroom nicked and gouged, looking like an extra from a Quentin Tarantino film. My more civilized son is a Norelco man. With my high-school-age daughters, I promised them a day on which I'd take them anywhere and do anything with them they wanted, expecting them to ask for dinner and a movie; I was horrified when they told me they wanted all of us to get manicures and pedicures together. That was not the answer I was expecting; it was like discovering Lou Dobbs was an illegal alien. Over the course of raising three children, I have learned with my wife that fathers are different from mothers. That could be the greatest understatement since Noah turned on the Weather Channel and found out that the next forty days called for a 20 percent chance of light rain. The truth is, fatherhood is like some parts based in fact, others just made up along the way. And while bookstores are filled with tales of mothers, their children and families, there are few from the dad's side. Now, as a public service, I'm doing my part to right this wrong. I sincerely hope this answers your questions. If perhaps it's not exactly your cup of tea, I bet you've got a father or mother in your life who'd like the stone-cold truth about dads. Besides, for the same money, you can either put three gallons of gas in your car or take home this book, which has a highway rating of 29 smiles an hour. Steve Doocy

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Comedy, Parenting, Fatherhood, Memoir, Audiobook

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 24, 2008

About the author

Steve Doocy is the Co-host of Fox & Friends on Fox News and a best selling author.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some laugh out loud moments, but overall I found it pretty disjointed. I think in retrospect I would have enjoyed it more had I read it rather than listened to it, as Steve Doocy himself narrates, and he seemed to find his own writing a lot funnier than it actually was. I'm sure this was in part because these were his experiences...and they were funny...but he overemphasized things & seemed to take "laugh pauses" periodically. A more understated reading of the book would have made it better for me. Not a stellar book, but not unenjoyable either.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you don't know who Steve Doocy is and you don't watch Fox and Friends you probably won't like this book. But since I do both of these things I like it. It was funny and somewhat like Bill Cosby in the old days!

[Royce Aldridge · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give it a zero stars I would. I slogged through the first couple lame chapters but was unimpressed. Doocy seems to think he's pretty funny. In reality he is lame. I wouldn't recommend this piece to anybody.

[Kara Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not to be read by just dads. A light humorous and sometimes poignant true memoir of parenthood. A Delightful and easy breezy read.

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “FATHER & SON… SON & FATHER… FROM THE HEART WITH A LITTLE TONGUE IN CHEEK”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The two greatest blessings I’ve had in my life was the Father I had… and the son I have. Anybody that has similar feelings will love this book by Fox News personality Steve Doocy. What is so pleasingly unique and well done… is the way Steve tells you his life story from so many different personal views and angles. Within the same chapter he will be telling you about his son or daughter at a certain age… and remarkably and seamlessly… you are then sharing his childhood when he was that age… with touching testaments to what a wonderful Father he had. In so many movies and books, today’s authors and producers overuse the “FLASH-BACK” scenarios… as well as the “FLASH-FORWARD” maneuver… and some do it so often… that the viewer/reader can’t even comprehend what space of time they’re currently in. But Steve almost magically takes the reader back… forward… and if you can believe it parallel… without missing a beat.

Steve combines just enough wry wit… to give you a few chuckles between the intimate, cherished, emotional… poignant tugs at your “heart-strings”. As the old saying goes: “ANYONE CAN BE A FATHER… BUT IT TAKES SOMEONE SPECIAL TO BE A DAD!”… Well… real Dad’s… and real sons… will love this testimony to the real meaning of being a Father and a son. At times I feel the author uses some humor just to protect himself from how strong his love truly is. But he also makes a couple of short powerful statements that echo what has always been in my heart… and in my words… that I “had always” openly shared with my Dad… and “do always” openly share every day of my life with my son. *A REAL DAD IS SOMEONE WHO WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR HIS KIDS*… and when my son was born… *I HAD A REASON TO BE ON EARTH; I WAS SOMEBODY’S DAD.*

I was a single Father and when my son was three-years-old I started traveling around the country in a sales job. I took my son with me… and as he grew I used to say to him: “YOU CAN’T GET AN EDUCATION LIKE THIS AT HARVARD OR YALE… YOU GET IT WITH YOUR DAD!” He learned what life was really like… And because of those trips Justin was light years ahead of kids and adults as he grew. I bring this up because near the end of this book… Steve recounts his spending days making sales calls with his Dad… and he says: “BUT AS I LOOK BACK NOW, I SEE THAT ON THOSE LONG RIDES WITH MY DAD I LEARNED MORE ABOUT PEOPLE AND PLACES AND POLITICS AND HOW THE WORLD WORKS THAN I EVER WOULD FROM ANYBODY ELSE. AT THE TIME IT SEEMED LIKE I WAS KEEPING HIM COMPANY, BUT IT WAS MUCH MORE THAN THAT. I WAS GETTING A MASTER’S DEGREE IN LIFE FROM MY POP. BACK THEN, THE REASON I WENT WAS TO SPEND TIME WITH MY DAD.”

At 3:00 PM today… I called my son on the phone… and read him this page… and the love and memories that flew back and forth over the phone line was priceless. My twenty-eight-year-old son asked me to copy the pages and send it to him.

[Kirk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although occasionally funny and touching, Tales from the Dad Side had far too many bad jokes and references to the early-to-mid 00s to make it something I could recommend from a field of literature that is already inundated with titles. Each chapter read like a self-contained magazine article, complete with a call-back to a joke from the beginning of the chapter (but rarely referencing anything from outside of that chapter, supporting my belief that this was written in spurts and only belatedly conceived of as a whole book).

Doocy's last chapter was his best, and it's a shame that the rest of the book wasn't as good. This last chapter had less smarmy dialogue and more honest and simple-yet-touching reflections upon fatherhood and its brevity.

Back to the library book sale from whence this came.

[Andy Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tales from the Dad Side

Steve Doocy talks about his relationship with his own father and with that of his children. He has it organized in such a way where the topic is related. For example, in one chapter he talks about being a child in Boy Scouts interacting with his Dad and then about his time as a Dad when his son was in Boy Scouts.

I was not familiar with Steve Doocy before reading this book. It struck me as a fun title, so I picked it up. He certainly has the Dad level humor and it made the book quite fun. As a Dad myself, I could relate to most of the stories. Steve narrated the book and did a very good job.

Content Warning: none

[Sarah J. Triano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tales from the Dad Side is a found Treasure

Steve Goofy is a wonderful writer. I loved the warmth,wisdom and humor and love he shared with his father and his own wife and children.
I started this book last night and could not put it down. Steve Doocy 's wit and tenderness made his whole family come alive. You could not help but grow to love them all.
I know this is not a new book . It is a true treasure. I laughed and shared in both joy , growth and sorrow. I highly recommend you read it.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book to me was very funny, giving into laughter while reading it at bedtime. Thankfully I was alone or I would have awakened the house. Steve’s sense of humor about being a dad is uplifting could visualize the scene as I read with tears of laughter running down my face. Now I watch Steve on Fox and Friends on the Fox News Channel when I can. I hope he never retires from television or writing. The world needs his smile and enthusiasm to get back on track.

[Rebecca Gromek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Funny a d heart warming!

Loved the honesty and humor! Laughed through the whole book! A great read about fathers and their children! A great book for anyone with children.

[Robert Flick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dumb dad jokes and one-line quips. Grew on me after awhile, but glad I finished it.

[Sanae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed out loud many times while reading this book. Although I'm not a dad, as a mom, I've seen how my husband could find himself in Steve Doocy's place. This probably wouldn't be a book I'd pick up to read, but I heard Doocy on a radio show and found him amusing. I think I may have to go and read Mr. and Mrs. Happy Handbook now.

It's a nice reprieve from the mundane.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished this book by Steve Doocy. It was great but I was expecting a little more humor. Still, it was nostalgic and heartwarming with a touch of funny. I do highly recommend it to all those that have read Steve's first book, Mr. and Mrs. Happy Handbook.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun and clever. A good perspective on life as a dad. Overall, good fun.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doocy's tales are fun and easy to read and you may even recognize a few thing that have happened in your house with your kids.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Doocy is funny. His marriage book was funnier, though.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining glance at what becoming a parent means today, especially in comparison to our parents' generation.

[Brick V · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a good and funny book and i would recemend it to anyone

[Shar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, easy read.

[Daver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received as a gift, reading stories out of it as the fancy strikes me. Amusing.

[Major Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this book: good stories; however, not a lot of father/dad lessons.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

hilarious and sentimental at the same time.