Author: Justin Halpern

“Basic principles of being a man: you get up, shower, shave, brush your teeth, go to work, come home, do what you have to do, then go to bed. Life isn’t that complicated.”

That’s a direct quote from my dad growing up and while I always thought his sayings were memorable, Halpern’s dad takes it to a new plane of existence.

The book, which had its genesis in a bunch of tweets, attempts to encapsulate the relationship between a father and a son. While it veers towards the hilarious side, it was obvious the two loved each other.

At the heart of it, Halpern’s dad is every dad without a filter and like every loving parent, it’s obvious he’s doing the best he can. These off-handed moments are just the ones that stick out (and make for good media).

After all, when we think of our own parents, what do we remember?
Them getting up every morning, working to put food on the table and supporting us in our extra-curriculars?

We acknowledge them, appreciate them, but don’t consider them memorable.

It’s the conversations, the gatherings, the car rides, the dinner table comments and the attempts to be handy at tasks out of their league.

This book doesn’t stretch itself thin and its length perfectly encapsulates the message. It’s a fun afternoon read for those wanting a glimpse into the viral Twitter sensation.