Book Description
In an attempt to gather what wisdom he could to guide his son into adulthood, Kent Nerburn published a powerful collection of essays that touched the hearts of parents and children everywhere. In this beautiful revised edition, Nerburn refines his advice and expands his thoughts.
Customer Reviews:
Best book I've ever read of things that should be said........2007-02-04
In my 61 years of male life experiences, this is my favorite book, for it puts to words human ideals that are so beneficial for people of all ages to understand.
I found this book by chance in a used book store and bought it to read, to reflect on my experiences with my two sons and two step-children. Immediately I realized that Kent had put to words the things I had wanted to say to my children, but didn't know how to express it.
I then bought 30 copies, giving them to my children and friends with children. I read it again, this time calling Kent and thanking him for writing his thoughts for me to share with others whom I love.
I'm here at Amazon again, sending a link to Kent's Letters to a friend, who's husband has died, leaving their teenage son so alone. I'm constantly recommending this book, as well as quoting from it to share thoughts with others. When my brother-in-law died a couple months ago, Kent's thoughts on Tragedy and Suffering were most comforting to my sister and her in-laws. I know Kent's thoughts on Falling In Love I've shared with others has mended many a broken hearts.
Kent's dedication page statement - "We are born male. We must learn to be men." implies it's a book for guys to read, but I know many gals who have found it a valuable read.
I was just on a lengthy trip, with a number of extended layovers. Knowing this, of all I could have chosen to bring to read to make that time most worthwhile, I brought Letters to my Son. And I'll read it again and again.
For years I've thought that too often people read one book after another, searching for something very meaningful to be made know to them. Here is a book I believe, if read a number of times in a thoughtful way, and taken to heart, it will be the most satisfying read ever. I've become certain that it's good enough to last my lifetime.
Father to Son to..............2006-02-28
I gave this book to my husband to give to our older son.
My husband liked it so much that he asked that I get
another for our younger son.
All seem to enjoy it very much.
Rae
a new father's best gift.......2004-11-17
I am 26 and I just became a father. I still feel like a kid myself. Someone gave me this book for a birthday present. I read it to see if these were letters I would send my son. They are not really letters but more like essays or thoughts. This man says so many things I wish I could say. He helps me understand what is important in my life, what is important to teach my boy when he gets old enough. I don't always agree with Kent Nerburn's thinking. But I think he is very wise. I wish my dad was like him. I hope I can be a dad like him. He knows what is important in life. He doesn't just preach or lecture. He unfolds his thinking with stories from his own life. Sometimes he made mistakes and he tells us. He learned. Now he is teaching me so I can teach my son.
Thanks, Kent Nerburn. You tell a good truth.
Disappointed.......2004-10-18
This book is nice, sweet, and somewhat insightful. But I wanted a book that spoke more of the relationship between a father and a son. The vast majority of essays/chapters in this book could have been written by anyone for anyone. For example, Nerburn warns of the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and extols the virtues of giving. But those lessons could have been taught by a mother to her daughter, a priest to a parishioner, or an uncle to a nephew. Many other essays in the book are similar in that they contain no unique perspective on the father-son relationship. (What does the "Power of Art" have to do with fatherhood?) This book reads like Chicken Soup for the Soul. In my opinion, the other reviews overrate this book.
The perfect gift.......2004-07-24
Over the years I have had read numerous books of this nature, but always find myself returning to read a section, a paragraph or a few pages. A wonderful book that I have had the opportunity to share with numerous friends. I think I have purchased at least 20 copies a gifts.
A must read.
Book Description
What do you wish you had asked your dad?
What did you feel the first time you cradled me in your arms?
What was your proudest day as a dad?
A little book that asks big questions: some serious, some playful, some risky. "I had ample opportunity to ask Dad these questions when he was alive. But it seemed that a million reasons not to do so could always be found. It was a waste of everything Dad had ever seen, done, and thought about not to hear his answers, and I regret not finding out more about him when I had the chance." This book was borne of that regret and has one underlying objective: to develop a blueprint for discovery so that children of any age can start to build a clearer, deeper picture of the man behind the word Dad.
"So this is for my dad. And for all dads, past, present, and future. And for their sons and daughters. And for the simple pleasure of talking to each other."--Vincent Staniforth
Customer Reviews:
Reminder of what's important.......2003-12-18
The questions in this book allow the reader to muse on their own relationships with their parents and others close to them, and hopefully to realise how important it is to make time to communicate within families. Buy it to read, think and keep it visible on your bookshelf as a reminder of what is important and that there is always time to talk to those close to you, however busy you think you are.
A dark ride.......2002-09-25
At first glance I thought this was just another "quick-fix" book offering [bad] platitudes about the quest to reveal the mythical father-figure.
I started to leaf through it and three days later I'm still excited and troubled by what "Questions" has revealed to me.
The questions are, quite simply, stunning in their originality and form. There's stuff here I wouldn't have thought of asking in a million years.
And then there's the narrative that is sprinkled throughout the text; a dark and troubled trans-America motorcycle trip during which the author has an eerie insight into the importance that his father has played in his life. Too late, of course. Staniforth returns to England just in time to watch his Dad die, and so begins the internal intellectual voyage of discovery about his father.
Read it, use it, buy it for a father or a child. This book can save families.
Questions for My father: finding the man behind your dad.......2002-06-12
A wonderful book to learn more about your father and yourself.
It's also a fantastic conversation maker. Don't miss out on
this jewel of a book.
Asking both hard and easy questions.......2002-01-25
This book asks both hard and easy questions. It gives the reader a chance to get to know the man with the utmost depth. Some of the questions are a little deep, but I encourage the reader to ask them all. Some of the questions may be superficial, but you might get some surprising answers. Good book. Great starting point for getting to know the man behind your dad.
Carthartic Self Discovery.......2002-01-09
Great book for learning about yourself and passing along your feelings, foibles and future wishes to your children. Works well for those that had a great relationship with their own father and want to continue the tradition; works even better for those who weren't close to their own father and want to make the most out of that special relationship with their own children.
Average customer rating:
- My 14 month old LOVES to be read this book!
- Not what you're looking for in a children's book...
- Pratchett
- If you know Pratchett, you NEED this book
- I Love It!
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Where's My Cow?
Terry Pratchett
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
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Thud!: A Novel of Discworld (Discworld Novels)
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ASIN: 0060872675
Release Date: 2005-09-27 |
Book Description
This is a book about reading a book,
which turns into a different book.
But it all ends happily!
Customer Reviews:
My 14 month old LOVES to be read this book!.......2007-09-15
I have to disagree with those who said this is not a good children's book. We were given this book as a gift by my aunt who loves cows and has no idea who Terry Pratchett is. She was rather surprised by the book but sent it anyway. I have read some of Pratchett's other books so I knew more of what I was in for when I read it to my daughter, who now insists on hearing it several times a day. She loves the pictures, they are detailed and cartoony at the same time. And she loves all the different animal noises and voices as long as they are read with enthusiasm. I think children love being read to by the adults that love them regardless of the story, and wouldn't you rather read your kids a book you enjoy too? One of my favorite things is hearing how different people read the story, like my mother-in-law. I wish I could find more books like it.
Not what you're looking for in a children's book..........2007-07-25
While I love Terry Pratchett's witty satire in his DiscWorld books, I think he is out of his element in this "children's book". I have a two year old daughter, who like most children her age has a limited attention span. I was looking for something similar to the simple straight-forward version in Thud, something maybe 10-20 pages long (if that) that kind of went through different animals and maybe a dragon or a wizard and finally a cow, so that the young reader can shout "that's my cow!"
What you get is an increasingly convoluted plot that tells the story of Vimes reading to his kid. The illustration is an obviously computer-generated mish mash of busy images which do nothing to enhance the story. So instead of becoming a household name in children's books like your Maurice Sendak's or Dr. Seusses, Pratchett appears to be a money-hungry author looking to capitalize on some cross-merchandising, which he has done before with all the companion books to the DiscWorld.
It seems to me a case of too many people involved in this project, and none of them stopped the process and said, "I think we're trying to do too much with this. Let's remember who our target audience is."
But Pratchett is one of my favorite authors, and I eagerly look forward to his next work of ADULT fantasy.
Pratchett.......2007-06-14
What can I say, it is Terry Pratchett. As with all things written or produced by this strange man: It is outstanding.
If you know Pratchett, you NEED this book.......2007-06-01
So we're in the bookstore, and my husband says "You have to read this book... right now." And then he hands me a large flatboard picture book called "Where's My Cow?" I am baffled. I'm even further baffled when I see "by Terry Pratchett".
We're both huge Pratchett fans... but of course, I've never seen him write a picture book before. I am intrigued. I open it up.
I am laughing from the first page. The laughs get harder and harder as I progress. By the time I get to -- well, a certain city ruler, I have to sit down on the floor of the bookstore because I'm laughing too hard to stand up.
What an absolute treasure. In addition to being the funniest thing I've ever read, it's a fantastic children's book that rings true for any parent. My son loved it, and being ten, of course he's not read Pratchett... yet. We're starting him with Guards! Guards! this summer.
Needless to say, we purchased the book right then, and we're ordering more copies for friends. My only qualm is that I know some people who aren't versed in Pratchett, and will therefore not get it. I'm pushing them to start reading now in preparation for "Where's My Cow?"
Terry Pratchett, you are the MAN.
I Love It!.......2007-05-14
I am a big fan of the Discworld series. Now I can share it with my kids! Yay!
Average customer rating:
- Love these books
- Wonderful story of special times
- Outdoor fun
- Being Fair
- Mercer Mayer Books as a new tradition
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Just Me and My Dad (Look-Look)
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
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Just Me and My Mom (A Little Critter Book)
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All by Myself (Look-Look)
ASIN: 0307118398
Release Date: 2001-03-02 |
Book Description
This well-loved Little Critter picture book has become a modern classic. It's the tale of a father-and-son camping trip filled with Little Critter's mistakes and good intentions. In spite of difficulties, however, the happy father and son manage to put up their tent, catch fish for dinner, and sleep beneath the stars. In spite of minimal text, the story is full and rich, with endearing illustrations from start to finish.
Customer Reviews:
Love these books.......2007-08-10
My sons gave this to my husband for fathers day. They are all great books!
Wonderful story of special times.......2007-08-06
Again Mercer Mayer has captured a special moment full of it's ups and downs. Along with his beautiful art work this book is a joy to read with your little one. My children seem to enjoy the special characters that are along for the trip also. See if your little one can find them as you read. Little Critter always portrays the curiosity and eagerness of children and the funny mishaps that come from that curiosity and eagerness. I have loved Mercer Meyer since I was a child and enjoy that my children do too!
Outdoor fun.......2007-01-18
This short story about going camping with dad fits our family perfectly. I love the art work.
Being Fair.......2007-01-17
It's always easy to find a book relating to the child/mother relationship, but it's a little more difficult finding a book relating to the child/father relationship. So this was quite a delightful find. It was written exceptionally well, and my stepdaughter enjoyed reading it.
Mercer Mayer Books as a new tradition.......2006-11-05
When my 3 sons were little, they constantly begged me to read all of Mercer Mayer's books to them, but especially Just Me and My Dad. Now that my oldest son is grown and has a 3-year old daughter of his own, it has become her personal favorite. Children love the adorable characters and the humor contained in all of Mayer's books, even at very young ages. A great, easy to read bedtime story for all children!!
Average customer rating:
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My Town (We Both Read)
Sindy McKay
Manufacturer: Treasure Bay
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1601150024 |
Book Description
A powerful depiction of the unexplored reciprocal relationship between fathers and sons.
For decades, mothers were thought to be the only real influence on a child. Now we recognize that the father's involvement also has a profound impact, but how sons affect their fathers is too-often overlooked. In My Father Before Me psychoanalyst Michael J. Diamond firmly establishes fatherhood as an essential event for both the son's and the father's development. With chapters analyzing the father/son relationship throughout the life cycle, and demonstrating the powerful influence between them, Diamond calls for a more inclusive notion of masculinity, thus allowing men to access parts of themselves they previously ignored. He argues that sons are largely responsible for helping their fathers embrace this more flexible notion of manhood, making them better partners and better parents. Diamond has written an important book that enables us to make sense of the question: what does it truly mean to be a man.
Customer Reviews:
PARENTS NEED TO READ THIS.......2007-06-27
Dr. Diamond is exploring the relatively uncharted waters of the psychological relationship between fathers and sons. As a father reading the book, I realized how many things I took for granted in the relationship between my father and me and between me and my sons that are broken down and discussed in this book. The analysis and the examples provide a reference for how I conducted myself at various times in my life and the effect it may have had on my family. This is a wonderfully insightful look, written in straigt forward prose, to learn how to be a better son and father.
P.S. It doesn't hurt to be a baseball fan. For those of us who love the game, there are lots of examples where baseball is the vehicle for insights and understanding.
The Parenting Alliance.......2007-03-12
Although, Diamond's book is ostensibly about the reciprocal father son relationship through out the life cycle, he opines the importance and need for a "parental alliance", whereby both parents support the others role in active parenting. As Diamond re-asserts the important role of the father he by no means neglects a mother's role and at the same time stresses how this "united front" on parenting allows for the son (child) to experience
the gifts that both partners bring to child rearing. This is a MUST read for both men and women who are either new parents or seasoned parents searching for a mindful and contemporary paradigm on understanding the nuances of parenting.
A terrific, touching book for all kinds of families.......2007-03-12
This book was a delight -- informative and poignant, obviously informed by the author's experience as a psychologist, yet accessible to the lay-person (like me). This is an easy read, full of insights for ANYONE who's a parent or a child, not just fathers and sons. I heartily recommend!
A wonderful read for the layman and the clinician.......2007-03-09
Dr. Diamond's book is accessible and informative and warm. His clinical work with his patients comes through so beautifully and tenderly. As I read his book, I was filled with emotion for all the fathers and sons I know. And as a clinician, I was rethinking my work with my own male patients. Lives are multifaceted and complex; and in Dr. Diamond's case examples he provides vignettes of many different kinds of relationships. Each vignette educates the reader and illustrates the capacity of people to grow and heal at any age. I recommend this book for fathers, sons, mothers, sisters, and clinicians of any persuasion.
Average customer rating:
- Funny Absurdism -- with a VERY nasty edge.
- The Day I Read A Whole Children's Book Aloud in the Store...
- The day I swapped my dad for 2 goldfish
- BRILLANT, SWEET, CHARMING, TWISTED
- I�ll swap my dad any day if that�s book I�ll get for it...
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The Day I Swapped My Dad for 2 Goldfish
Neil Gaiman , and
Dave McKean
Manufacturer: White Wolf Pub
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ASIN: 1565049446 |
Amazon.com
It's a graphic short story more than a traditional picture book, by a famous fantasy and comics team. From the front end-flap to the final Fin (and not excepting the copyright page), this is a witty, funny collaboration. Neil Gaiman's grasp of kid-narrative logic and Dave McKean's whimsical layered art tell the story of a dad who "doesn't pay much attention to anything, when reading his newspaper" and the narrator's brilliant idea of swapping him for something more interesting--and of course, the convoluted consequences.
Customer Reviews:
Funny Absurdism -- with a VERY nasty edge........2007-07-20
One minor problem for me, that is evidently not a problem for many others, was the art. I was put off by the blotchy, surrealistic, color-schemes, which were distracting, and rarely added to whatever charm the line-drawings themselves possessed.
Getting past that, I was able to enjoy the silly story. Humor is often generated when the tension is created by horror or fear, but then is punctured by the absurdity of the situation.
All decent people should be horrified by the idea of buying and selling other human beings, in pursuit of materialistic goals, as though they were mere objects. Here, however, the absurdity of the situation breaks the ice. We know that virtually no real child would want to sell his or her father. Moreover, the idea of this rather useless dad permitting himself to be bartered all over town by children, without ever once looking up from his newspaper, is completely nonsensical. I suppose children might laugh (just as I did).
Another saving grace is that, even though the story is told from the point of view of the creepy little sociopath of a son who sells his dad, there were other characters for me to root for. I was completely on the side of the little sister, who (quite properly) objects and protests the scheme. She (quite properly) rats him out to his mother, who is also suitably furious, and makes this creepy little materialist promise never to sell his dad again. Morever, since the bulk of the story concerns the quest to RECOVER the bartered-off dad, even the boy is doing the right thing for much of the narrative.
But then comes the TWIST. You see, he never promised anything about not selling his little sister. The last panel shows the brother's huge shadow, mouth open with glee, reaching like an ogre for this little girl, who looks small, isolated, helpless.
This time, I did not laugh.
Why not? This time, sadly, the absurdity of the situation does not puncture the horror. It is not absurd enough, and it is too horrific. We do not think the boy is joking. Earlier in the tale, we actually saw the little sister bound and gagged by the older brother to prevent her ratting on him to Mom (a disturbing enough scene in its own right). Moreover the pictures make the boy look much larger and stronger than his little sister -- the situation lacks the obvious jokiness of bartering off one's much-larger dad while he never looks up from his newspaper. Even the THREAT of selling your little sister to your friends is potentially a nasty and frightening form of abuse.
Gaiman's afterword tells us the story reflects real and bitter hostility that existed between two of his children, and further reflected a similar bitter hostility between himself and his own sister. This eerily suggests that the final panel might have been inspired by genuine malice. How, then is it a joke? If bitter hostility between siblings is a problem -- and it often is -- ought not the message, in a picture book ostensibly marketed for children, be a bit more positive? Payback time, little girl! I guess she shouldn't have ratted out her creepy older brother. Funny to Gaiman, perhaps, but not to me.
The Day I Read A Whole Children's Book Aloud in the Store..........2005-10-01
This book is a whimsical tale about a boy who sets covetous eyes on his friend's goldfish, and after rummaging through all his belongings, finally hits upon the idea of swapping his dad for the goldfish. Though the friend initally doesn't think it's a fair swap ("I've got two goldfish, you've only got one dad"), he eventually agrees. But when Mom gets home, the boy has to go return the goldfish and get his dad back. Returning the goldfish, he finds his dad has been swapped for something else, and so the boy has to go through the town returning item after item until he eventually gets his dad back.
Though it's dressed up and marketed as a children's book, it's a little long to hold the interest of anyone under 7 or 8, and a little too simple for those over that age, but who aren't old enough to really see the humor in it. But as an adult, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. The illustrations by Dave McKean are delightfully creepy, and the story is just silly enough to remind me how I thought about the barter system when I was a kid. The story is funny, and the ending even funnier. My wife and daughter enjoyed hearing me read the whole thing aloud in the store, and by this merit I was allowed to buy it. The edition that I got has a CD insert with a recording of Mr Gaiman himself reading the story. Though my performance was masterful in the extreme, I have to concede that Neil reads it better than I do, and I've listened to the disc several times since I got it.
If you're reading it aloud to kids, make sure you've got a patient audience first, since it takes a while to get through. But if they'll sit for it, they'll probably enjoy it. I personally loved the illustrations, done in a mixture of media, collages of photograph and hand-drawn images, a staple of McKean's artistic style. Not the typical happy-cartoony children's book drawings.
Though I've gotten mixed responses from the groups of children I've read this to, I enjoy the book a lot, and think that you will, too.
The day I swapped my dad for 2 goldfish.......2004-02-13
This is not a children's book. It is dark. Don't read this to yor children. This person should not be writing childrens books.
BRILLANT, SWEET, CHARMING, TWISTED.......2002-11-27
I'm sure I'm not the first reviewer here to say that I love this book as much as any kid ever could. Great story, great writing, exceptional artwork by the inimitable dave mckean. If you don't fall in love with this book, then I'd be willing to wager that you never had a childhood.
By any means necessary, no matter how old you are, read this book; even if you have to swap your favoritest family member for a copy. (I've heard Amazon does in fact accept this kind of bartering system)
I�ll swap my dad any day if that�s book I�ll get for it..........2002-04-06
Take Neil Gaiman, put him in a room together with Dave McKean. What do you get? Wonders. This dream-team has worked many times before and has produced some of the best Sandman comics in the bunch.
Although it is presented as a book for those who are still children at heart and offers a moral which should not be overlooked, it spins a wondrous yarn about a boy and his friends, and mocks the sixdegrees theory in its undertow...
Gaimanýs words are beautiful and McKeanýs art is fantastic. You can read this book over and over again and never tire of it, or just leaf through the pages and marvel at the pictures, which are a great source of amusement for children who are yet to be able to read on their own.
(I only wonder how come I never though about it doing this when I was 10...)
Customer Reviews:
Brings the RSB into layman's terms........2007-01-01
Don't let the title scare you mothers away. "Listen My Son: St. Benedict for Fathers" brings the reader through the Rule of Saint Benedict, (RSB), by way of a brief daily reading that explains each section as it would be applicable in any parent's life today. The entire RSB is read within one year's time.
It is often said that child birth comes without any instruction manual. "Listen My Son: St. Benedict for Fathers" can be that manual.
This would make an excellent gift for a new parent.
thoughtful, helpful book.......2004-06-25
Dr. Longenecker's meditations on the rule of St. Benedict are both inpirational and pragmatic. This book offer a useful re-tooling and reapplication of these essentially monastic directives for use in family life. It makes me want to work more dilligently at being a better father and person.
Excellent initial experience with St. Benedict.......2004-01-25
My mother gave this book to all her sons (including me) for Christmas a year ago. This was my first exposure to Saint Benedict and his Rule. At that time I had very little exposure to the monastic life. As I read this book I could really begin to appreciate the devout nature of Benedict and his followers. It is clear that these men who give up their lives for Christ, these monks, truely have a calling to this vocation.
I really liked the interpretation that went along after each rule by Dr. Longenecker. This was especially valuable as I had not been experienced these teachings before. I highly reccommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about the contemplative life.
as a mother.......2002-07-15
As a mother, I was intrigued by the title of this book, and now wish that I had read it long ago, when my children were younger. The advice is age-old and not just for fathers, rather, it is inspiring for all adults, but especially parents trying to keep a family together in these chaotic days.
high marks..........2002-07-09
As any who have read an ancient work in translation will tell you, any commentary that is included can be a blinding distraction, or the most illuminating aspect of the literature. In this case, Longenecker's accompanying prose is surely the latter. Benedict's Rule is related to the work of a father with practiced ease and grace. The work is profoundly instructive.
In fact, my only gripe is with the slightly unwieldy, slightly overlong introduction. Though it should by no means be skipped, I remember feeling a little anxious to get on to St. Benedict. Very high marks though, I thoroughly recommend this book to any father, or mother for that matter.
Book Description
A suspenseful, emotionally charged real-life Sopranos: The son of New York's most notorious Mafia killer reveals the conflicted life he led being raised by a cold-blooded murderer, who was also a devoted family man, and the wrenching legacy of Mafia family life.
Al DeMeo will never forget the day in 1992 when a coworker, a fellow trader at the New York Stock Exchange, taunted him with a copy of the hot new book Murder Machine, chronicling the horrific criminal life of DeMeo's father, Roy, the head of the most deadly gang in organized crime. The moment sent DeMeo into a psychological tailspin: How could he have spent his life looking up to, and loving, a vicious killer?
For the Sins of My Father recounts the chilling rise and fall of the man who led the Gambino family's most fearsome killers and thieves, through the eyes of a son who had never known any other kind of life. Coming of age in an opulent Long Island house where money is abundant but its source is unclear, Al becomes Roy's confidant, sent to call in loans at age fourteen and gradually coming to understand his father's job description--loan shark, car thief, porn purveyor and, above all, murderer. But when Al is seventeen, Roy's body is found in the trunk of a car, a gangland slaying that places Al between federal prosecutors seeking his testimony and a mob crew determined to keep him quiet.
Desperate to abide by the father-son bond, but equally determined to escape his father's dangerous and doomed life, Al Demeo embarks on a courageous quest for the truth, reconciliation, and honor. With the implacable narrative drive of a thriller and the power of a painfully honest memoir, For the Sins of My Father presents a startling and unprecedented perspective on the underworld of organized crime, exposing for the first time the cruel legacy of a Mafia life.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Roy Demeo the Gangster AND Family Man (as told by his son Albert).......2007-08-20
Wow! If you've ever read books that involve Roy Demeo (The Ice Man, Murder Machine to name a few), you will know that his reputation is that of a ruthless, antagonistic, killer who was widely feared by many for such a reputation. However, this book is interesting in the fact that the author tell about his life with his father, Roy Demeo, as told from a son's point of view. This exposes Roy Demeo's "family Man" side, and shows how much he really did love his wife and children.
Once criticism of the book is that it has a slow start. The first few chapters are slow and a little boring, but it gets better from there.
There's a flip side to every coin.......2007-08-01
After have read Murder Machine I came over The Since of my father by accident after surfing the net...I think it's a wonderful book by Albert, that gives you the insight from a sons perspective of a mob hitman.
Murder Machine was great, but how much did they acctually "spice up" the stories??? I thought "the sins of my father" was a fantastic book, very interesting and hearthwarming. If you like me enjoy mob-books, have a big heart and haven't read this one: buy it. Don't mind the people who gives it a low rating, they were expecting Lucky Luke or something.
Great book Albert De Meo. May your father R.I.P.
Albert Demeo.......2007-07-20
We see the life of a gangster through the eyes of a young boy. A young boy who adores his father and will do anything to please him. He is slowly introduced into the workings of the Mafia. The older he gets, the more tradegy his life encounters. Very well written. My only regret was that there were not enough photos in this book.
Poor.......2007-05-19
Getting a book published merely because your daddy was a gangster is a bit of crime. Me buying it and toiling through the amateurish prose even more of a crime.
don't bother.......2007-05-07
The kid doesn't know anything about his father other then what the police knew. you can find a lot better book about Demeo
Book Description
In this eloquent first-person account of a family drama that changed the face of American business, the man who transformed IBM into the world's largest computer company reflects on his lifelong partnership with his father--and how their management style and shared dedication to excellence united to create a unique corporate culture that became the blueprint for the entire technology boom.
In the course of sixty years Thomas J. Watson Sr. and his son, Thomas J. Watson Jr., together built the international colossus that is IBM. This is their story: a riveting and revealing account of two men who loved each other--and fought each other--with a terrible fierceness.
But along with the story of a father and son, this is IBM's story too. It chronicles the management insights that shaped its course and its unique corporate culture, the style that made Thomas Watson Sr. one of America's most charismatic bosses, and the daring decisions by Thomas Watson Jr. that transformed IBM into the world's largest computing company. One of the greatest business-success stories of all time,
Father, Son & Co. is a moving lesson for fathers who dream for their children, as well as a testament to American ingenuity and values, told in a disarmingly frank and eloquent voice.
Promising to remain an important business reference as we move into the next century, FATHER, SON & CO. takes a look at the management insight that helped to shape IBM's course and unique corporate culture. It looks at Watson, Sr., one of America's most charismatic bosses, and Watson, Jr., who spurred IBM into the computer age.
Ten years after its original publication, FATHER, SON & CO. remains a uniquely honest book. Watson's willingness to write about the loving but ferociously combative relationship he had with his father and the turbulent battles behind some of IBM's most far-reaching decisions gives readers rare insights into the realities of leadership. -->
Customer Reviews:
A warm tale behind a cold company.......2005-09-06
Indeed a truly heart-warming, rivetting story. One of the best - possibly the best - bios that I have ever read. This is a story about IBM, the big blue corporate monolith. Yet in its core, this is really the story of a Son, a father and the relationship between them. Once into the pages of the book, you will soon realise that IBM is just a necessary but incidental backdrop to a father-son relationship..It's a book that talks of a strict yet loving father, and a son working his way up to gain his father's approval and affection. A very humane tale, devoid of any overt management jargon or mantra that seems to be the norm in most bios by business leaders, it is a surprise that nobody has thought of making a movie out of this story.
Touching. Warmly recommend to everyone.
Where Destiny Takes You.......2005-06-22
This is not a story that I had really expected to enjoy; I found this book in a hostel in Europe, and with nothing in English to read I gladly snapped it up. Father, Son & Co wound up being a very interesting and enjoyable book, and even though it is more than 15 years old now, it still gives tremendous insights into the rise of IBM and the evolution of the computer. Within two generations of the Watson family, business advanced from the Robber Barons of the 19th century to the big corporations of the 20th, and during this same period the computer advanced from punch-card machines into the electronic machines we use today. It is hard to look at a PC and see a direct connection to horse-and-buggy days, but that is the story Thomas Watson and Peter Petre tell.
A huge swath of American history is encompassed within this book; major events are witnessed and lived out by Watson and his family. But Watson also shows how family relationships have changed over the last hundred years by comparing his relationship with his father and siblings to those of his own children. Those older among us empathize with Watson completely-we took for granted, even thrived, within familial relationships that probably would not be tolerated today. But Watson also shows how primogeniture aids the affluent whether the offspring are gifted or not. To his credit, Watson admits this and does not set himself up as any more special than anyone else. He (and curiously his father as well) is rare in American business: he is a liberal and believes he owes something to his country. Would that this sentiment was felt more widely in the higher levels of business, government, and society.
Readable portrait of an IT empire.......2003-01-13
It is always interesting to read what sons have to write about their fathers. Thomas J. Watson Jr.'s book is no exception to this rule. Although in many ways the book is a business biography, the relationship between the two men creeps in between the lines (almost more than you could imagine that the author had intended it to). Watson Jr. was clearly influenced by his iconic father, both for better and for worse. The book is a lot about how that influence (and the escape from that influence) shaped the company that is IBM today.
Obviously the company has gone through many changes since this book has written-- Gerstner, downsizing, eBusiness, Business Consulting Services, etc. But still, it is remarkable how much of the culture is recognizable back to the very earliest days.
I have a special interest in the subject matter, so it is hard for me to say how fascinating someone without an IBM attachment would find the book. If you do have that special interest in IBM history, however, it is an interesting book and well executed.
A somewhat interesting and fairly candid account of IBM.......2002-11-18
Although not exactly riveting, this book does provide an interesting and readable history of IBM from the view of Thomas Watson Jr. who took over control of IBM after his father, Thomas Watson Sr.. Although much has happened to IBM since then (the job cuts, the internet boom, etc.), this is a fascinating glimpse at the evolution of big blue and the culture it once had.
The Watsons did not start IBM but they did oversee its growth into "Big Blue". Some of the anecdotes are quite memorable, the strict sales "uniform" (including sock suspenders), the refining and gentrifiying of the sales staff & executives, Thomas Sr. teaching his son to clean-up the bathroom on the train, the high-flyer told to forgo his tenant problems by Watson Sr.. It seems all tycoons and corporations have some skeletons in their cupboards and IBM is no exception. According to the book, Thomas Sr. and other senior executives at IBM started a business buying up old IBM equipment so prevent a second-hand market developing that would eat into IBM's market. It almost landed the Thomas Sr. and his colleagues in prison. Watson Sr. spent a great deal of time developing himself and his people to become refined, gentlemen with values and priorities. In these sad days of scum CEOs & executives, duplicitous companies, corrupt accountants & lawyers and valueless company "books" (Enron, WorldComm, Tyco, Merrill-Lynch, Arthur-Anderson, Martha Stewart,...) the incident may seem like grist to the mill but at that time it must have been a huge blow to the man and the company. A decent book if you have an interest in IBM or the history of the computer business.
better than a novel.......2002-01-09
This book tells one of the most fascinating, indeed rivetting, stories that I have ever read. It is about the building of one of the great American businesses of the 20C, but also much much more: it is about the conflict of an extraordinarily hard-driving father and his talented though psychologically burdened and rebellious son. From the beginning, they were at eachothers' throats and never relented in their conflict, even when it became evident that the son's genius surpassed that of his father to build an empire that can only be compared to the accomplishments of the first two Caesars, Julius and Augustus. The book also covers a good deal of American business history from the great depression to the beginning of the stagnation of the 1970s and early 1980s. Thus, it can be read on numerous levels.
There are so many insights in it that it will bear re-reading for a long time to come. Watson Jr. was acutely aware of the cost of success and was brutally honest about his own failings as a manager and family man. I find myself remembering scenes in that book, running them in my mind as examples from which to learn.
Warmly recommended.
Books:
- Man and His Symbols
- Mechanics of Materials
- Michel Foucault (Core Cultural Theorists series)
- Minds behind the Brain: A History of the Pioneers and Their Discoveries
- Museum of Lost Wonder
- Music Theory for Guitarists: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask
- Naming and Necessity
- NeuroTheology: Brain, Science, Spirituality, Religious Experience
- Next
- Nineteen Minutes: A Novel
Books Index
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