Fathers and Sons

Review Summary: Fathers and Sons profiles 30 fathers and sons (and occasionally grandfathers and grandsons, as well) plus describes Mr. Richissin and Mr. Graham's relationships with their fathers. The examples look at the famous and the unknown, the heroic and the fallen, the typical and the unusual, and the traditional and the nontraditional relationships. These connections are exposed in the context of both soaring success and tragic loss . . . and everything in between. What speaks loudest is that the sons want to be connected to the fathers, regardless of how the relationship started out. Most dads will get ideas for how to be there for their sons in more ways.Review: This book is greatly enriched by emphasizing both photography and family relationships. Each exposition enhances the other. The expressions and body language of the pairs say a lot about their connections that an essay could not.Fathers and sons who feel estranged from each other will find this book most valuable. They will see that there is always a way to start again, and they will eventually be welcomed. The book will also be valuable to those who are about to face a family crisis, like an illness, death, or divorce. The examples here will give you ideas and courage for dealing with the inevitable in constructive, emotionally enriching ways. In the introduction, Mr. Richissin indicates that he asked the men and boys for candor. He seems to have been pretty successful in that way. A number of the men describe what had to have been the most painful moments in their relationships. That made the book more meaningful.Regardless of your interests, you will probably find fathers and sons whose occupations will be relevant to you. There are a number of sports star families including the McEnroes, Alomars, Mannings, Nicklauses, Graves, Lindroses, Pettys, and Esiasons. You also have performers like the Elliotts and Gebels. Journalists and authors are represented by the Keillors, Schapps, and the Wallaces. Business families are represented by the Mondavis. Politicians are represented by the Lockes.The stories of ordinary families are moving also. You don't have to be a celebrity or father one to be an inspiring father. Some did it even through their hobbies. The most touching story for me was about the Aycocks. Knowing that his grandson needed a kidney transplant to survive, grandfather Charlie insisted on being the donor. Going into surgery together and recoving forged an even closer bond than would otherwise have existed. I was also powerfully moved by Mike Wallace's description of having a sense that something was wrong with his son, Peter, and catching the next plane to look for him in France. Mr. Wallace found Peter's body at the bottom of a 150 foot cliff. The Lindroses inspired me by their strong desire to make choices that were good for the family in every circumstance. The courage of the Farrell-Forsteins in sharing their nontraditional family impres

It's hard to capture those things that make the relationships between fathers and sons unique. This book is a well written and facinating acount of some of the most celebrated and well-known father and son teams along with some 'ordinary Joes' and their sons. The book is divided into stories of individual families of fathers and sons with photographs of each.The book is very beautifully photographed in black and white, with interesting shots of the subjects. I got it as a gift for my father-in-law, and it is an impressive-looking book, which will be noticed on a coffee table or in an office waiting room. It has newsmen Mike and Chris Wallace on the front cover and quarterback Boomer Essiason and his son on the back. It was fun to show it to friends and ask them to guess if they recognized the photos of famous father/son teams in the candid settings shown in the book. I thought it made a pretty impressive looking gift that had a little personal touch, because it describes things that have gone right and wrong in some famous and not-so-famous father and son relationships. Overall, I would highly recommend it as a nice looking book that provides some thought-provoking stories about what a father/son relationship is and can become.