Being a Dad: The Stuff No One Told Me

Rating:
Summary: A humorous look at fatherhood - well done
Review: A hilarious, light-hearted look at fatherhood, "Being a Dad" is sure to bring a smile to the face of any father. In 36 short essays Dale Alderman points out the funny side of fatherhood from playing, to potty training, to disciple, money, vacations, and every other fun and funny adventure of raising children. With a great writing style that gets to the point quickly and brings a smile to the face, "Being a Dad: The Stuff No One Told Me" is very well done and highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A hilarious celebration of the true joy of fatherhood
Review: Being a Dad: The Stuff No One Told Me is one of the funniest books I have read in a long, long time. This isn't some kind of guidebook for present and future dads, it's pretty much one man's retelling of a number of memorable and exceedingly humorous experiences he has shared with his two young sons over the course of their young lives. Much of what Dale Alderman says rings true with me, and I'm not even a father (heck, I'm scared of anyone under twelve years old), so I am convinced that many parents out there (mothers as well as fathers, but especially fathers) will be nodding their heads and mumbling things such as "Yep, I know what that's like" and "The same thing happened to me" as they laugh their way from one chapter to the next.

You may want to think about reading this book while no one else is around. Being a Dad will have you laughing out loud time and time again, and there are far too many people out there in the world who see a reader laughing and simply feel compelled to say something like "That book cannot possibly be that funny." Take it from me, folks - Being a Dad is that funny! (I almost never use exclamation marks, so you know I'm telling the truth here.) It's not easy to laugh and wince at the same time, but Dale Alderman even had me laughing through a chapter dealing with the V word (vasectomy) - anyone who can make the details of a vasectomy funny is a comical genius.

As Alderman points out in his introduction, he isn't offering advice here; he is just telling a number of funny stories based on his own experience as a father. His style of presentation is eloquent yet personal, incredibly witty yet sincere; he writes as if he were sitting there telling you these funny stories firsthand, and he is more than willing to talk about his own mistakes and embarrassing moments. You will learn all about the Hooter Fairy, find out which brand of nipple cream reigns supreme, hear all about the magic of growing older while your children run circles around you, and experience the real-life joys and headaches of vacationing with little children, attending children's parties, and trying to get through each day without a blow or kick in a sensitive area. Little League games, field trips, special father-son days: these are major events in the life of a father, and Alderman recounts his own experiences in vivid detail.

Through it all, Alderman's genuine love for his wife and children as well as the true joy he finds in even the most trying of days in the life of a husband and father are obvious. In a very real sense, this book wonderfully communicates the true joy of fatherhood, and what could be more important than that, really? The world needs more fathers like Dale Alderman.

Rating:
Summary: ATTENTION: A Bright New Comedian Has Arrived!
Review: Dale Alderman has the gift for comedy - in excelsis! In BEING A DAD: The Stuff No One Told Me he offers real life experiences about the uncommonly hilarious (in retrospect, mind you) instances that color the life of young families. He relates his own moments of madness with his two sons (three years apart) and his wife in a way that is usually found in the territory of stand-up comedians on Comedy Central. Embarrassing situations - such as standing in line to buy nipple cream and breast pads, changing his first diaper, the 'real inside story' on vasectomy, potty training, the body changes that occur after babies enter the family space - changes for both mother AND father - and on and on in an endless protracted heartfelt chuckle to guffaw. Not only is Alderman funny; he knows how to write. This book is for everyone - not just commiserating Dads. Much like David Sedaris, Alderman is a naturally gifted writer of comedy. Let's hope he pursues more books about more topics because few authors relate the absurdity of everyday incidents better than Dale Alderman! A wonderful little book, this.