The Little Red Book of Dad's Wisdom

By Nick Lyons and Tony Lyons

A collection of more than 270 memorable quotations about the relationships between fathers and their sons and daughterssome wise, some thoughtful, and some downright hilarious. The musings, advice, and observations inside are drawn from famous writers, politicians, actors, comedians, athletes, businessmen, and philosophers. Complete with a new foreword by Nick and Tony Lyons, The Little Red Book of Dad's Wisdom is the perfect Father’s Dayor any daygift for dad.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Release date: May 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781626368811

Book preview

PART ONE

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On Becoming a Father

We wanted you so badly. We loved you before we saw you.

—PETER CAREY, A LETTER TO OUR SON, THE CRANTA BOOK OF THE FAMILY (1995)

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Some dads liken the impending birth of a child to the beginning of a great journey.

—MARCUS JACOB GOLDMAN, THE JOY OF FATHERHOOD (2000)

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A baby is God’s opinion that life should go on.

—CARL SANDBURG

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For fathers-to-be, pregnancy also serves as a time of profound transition: nine months of mental, emotional, material, perhaps physical, and almost certainly financial preparation to become a father.

—KEVIN OSBORN, THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO FATHERHOOD (2000)

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Arrange for paternity leave.

—ANNIE PIGEON, DAD’S LITTLE INSTRUCTION BOOK (1995)

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Many of us are not ready to be fathers when a child comes.

—JOHN L. HART, BECOMING A FATHER (1998)

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I don’t know any parents that look into the eyes of a newborn baby and say, How can we screw this kid up?

—RUSSELL BISHOP

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I felt something impossible for me to explain in words. Then when they took her away, it hit me. I got scared all over again and began to feel giddy. Then it came to me—I was a father.

—NAT KING COLE

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When Charles first saw our child Mary, he said all the proper things for a new father. He looked upon the poor little red thing and blurted, She’s more beautiful than the Brooklyn Bridge.

—HELEN HAYES

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If you ever become a father, I think the strangest and strongest sensation of your life will be hearing for the first time the thin cry of your child.

—LAFCADIO HEARN (1850–1904)

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. . . when my son looks up at me and breaks into his wonderful toothless smile, my eyes fill up and I know that having him is the best thing I will ever