Being a Dad Is Weird audiobook

Amusing and light hearted memoir about being a parent and being parented. As the author is from my hometown and was in the same class as my brother in high school, there is an added pleasant nostalgia. With my current stress about the world in general, this book offered a nice respite.

Thanks to Goodreads for the ARC. I would rate in 4.5 stars so I'm rounding up. Being a Dad is Weird was a fast, enjoyable read on the beauty and weirdness of parenting and being parented.

Ben Falcone, the husband of actress Melissa McCarthy, writes this charming and witty book recounting his experiences about and with his father, Steve Falcone. Using his upbringing as a backdrop for his own experiences bringing up his two daughters, Falcone tells us, in entertaining anecdotal fashion, that fatherhood is all about humor, love and kindness.In her foreword, Melissa McCarthy lets us know that her husband’s greatest attributes are his “gentle kindness and supreme weirdness.” All of Ben’s anecdotes about his father, from the boisterous gatherings with a close-knit group of friends to his whacky road trips with Steve, reflect these qualities in himself as well. Yet, by Ben’s own admission, he is “nothing like his dad, yet very much like him.” The existence of this dichotomy and his need to examine it against his own parenting style, are two reasons he felt compelled to write this book. Two of the most important lessons that Ben learned from his father about parenting are not to sweat the small stuff (which he found was easier said than done) and that material things are not nearly as important as just enjoying good health and good times with your kids. He says that his father “only cares that everyone is healthy and having a good time and truly believes that the rest of life is gravy.”I think the most relevant takeaway from this book is that, as a parent, there is no substitute for just “being there for your child.” I think that if more people would heed this advice in today’s society of kids falling victim to bullying in schools and the growing number of latchkey kids, there just might be happier homes with well-adjusted kids.

4.5/5. This was very funny and I really enjoyed learning more about Ben Falcone. This was short and sweet. He is very relatable and fun. I loved that the audiobook has the people he is talking about speaking. The only downside to the audiobook is the photos he describes so I checked out the ebook as well so I could follow along.

Good read; certainly made me think about how I responded to my kids as they were growing up. They’re all great but as parents; we worry that we could have/should have handled things differently. Lovely stories throughout.

This is sweet and if you live in Southern Illinois he really loves on it too. It’s a love story for Carbondale!

Enjoyable quick read.

I received this as an ARC through goodreads giveaways. I'm not a Dad or son but this was a great read & I'm making my boyfriend read it next. Often memoirs by funny people tend to disappoint me but not this one! I was literally lol'ing. The balance between humor, storytelling & heart was on point. Thank you Ben Falcone & your Dad for sharing your beautiful relationship!

I won an ARC in a Goodreads giveaway.A nice, quick read. Funny, touching memories, mostly of Ben and his dad. Some laugh out loud moments. A really heartfelt tribute to his father.

a review of Ben Falcone's Being a Dad is Weird What an amazing mirror! Ben Falcone shows us his dad, while mirroring his own quest to be the weird dad for his children. Weird is often good---it is certainly different.Being raised with a father who swears (been there---"Just hear it, don't say it") and one whom we fear at times but also find hysterical. Laughing, loving and sharing. Ben shares his story of growing up in a house where his mother was the main bread winner for most years of his early childhood and where his father was Mister Mom. Then his dad becomes a professor of English at a local community college and his world turns upside down in a good way. I saw through Ben's eyes reflections of my childhood, and I find that after reading this book, I longed to be the father I never got to be. There are some who may say his parents' methods may not be proper in raising a child (the drinking, swearing etc.) But look how Ben and his brother Flynn turned out. Pretty successful and happy. And Ben makes sure that we understand that beneath the chaotic facade, his dad was a most generous, caring and loving father. This book is about more than just the father aspect. This is about trust that when advice is given by a parent, it is probably a good idea to follow it. The parent has been there and done that and has much more wisdom than for which we give credit. It is also about letting the children be responsible for their own growing up. Letting them make their own mistakes and learning from them. Sometimes parents need to be in the background, and only come forward in the most expansive crises. I grew up in a similar household and during a time when, as Ben alludes to, we played outside till dark, went to the park by ourselves at five years old, and at times seemed to be raising ourselves. But Ben makes it clear. His folks were always there for him and his brother, just as he plans on always being there for his daughters. There is much humor in this book but it is not forced. He is not trying to be funny, he just is. The natural humor shines through. And most of us can relate to parts of or most of this book. He also talks about a Catholic priest who was very competitive when it came to playing sports. Beware of priests when it comes to basketball or as I found out years ago, tennis. I played tennis with my own "Father Carl." If I was not careful and did not play my best, my own Father Carl would wipe the court with me and then say, "Bless you, son." In this book we get an intimate look into the life of a producer, director, actor and just plain funny guy. But what I like most about Ben's writing is that he deflects most of the praise and attention to his father. He alludes to things he has picked up along the way that help him raise his own children. But he gives the main credit to his parents. And the love he feels for both are reflected strongly in this very engaging story. I wouldn't be at all surprised if many years down the road, one of Ben's daughters might end up writing a very similar book about her father. This is a quick but very poignant read. I found I did not want to put it down until I reached the end, and even then, I wanted more pages.jacob erin-cilberto (author of Rewrites and Second Chances)

BEING A DAD IS WEIRD by Ben Falcone has the misfortune of being read by me shortly after I finished reading a top selling Italian book on this very subject. That book was SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AND KISSES FOR BREAKFAST. But BEING A DAD... differs from that first book in that this is more the story of a son looking back at his relationship with his parents, especially his dad, and reevaluating it from the perspective of being a father himself. Mr. Falcone takes us back to his youth in Carbondale, Illinois and his family as they laughed and loved themselves through bad times and good. While they didn't have much money to start, his parents always provided for him and his brother. When his dad became a professor at Southern Illinois University, things got better financially, but they still maintained the aura of a happy, joyous family. Mr. Falcone was blessed with parents who loved each other and their kids, always managed to find the bright spots along the way and had great friends who loved them and were loved in return. His is a childhood sprinkled liberally with happy memories, even when vacations didn't turn out like they were planned, or cars were little more than wishes of transportation strung together with bailing wire and bondo. While he talks about his own life with his wife and two daughters, there is little revealed about their family life compared to that which came before. Mr. Falcone does manage to draw lessons from the past and comes to a greater understanding of just how good a parent his dad was and is, and the difficult road it is to raise your own children. This is a light, airy read about adulthood, coming to terms with your past, and making the best future you can for the ones you love.

I absolutely loved reading this book! Ben Falcone writes much how his father speaks, with wit and charm that is undeniable—he just might not be as loud as Steve. Any casual reader could enjoy his tales of childhood and his own parenting experience, but as someone who grew up through the same decades just a few miles down the road, I felt right at home with his family’s stories.If you ever read your reviews, Ben, know that I believe you captured your father perfectly! He was my absolute favorite English teacher! Reading this collection makes me hopeful that someday there will be more. Whether they’re more tales of your family and friends or characters like “Vincent DeFrank”, know that this reader is eagerly awaiting the next volume!Now I have to debate how carefully to guard this book. I want to run out and loan it to all my friends who are parents or who just like reading fun stories, but I don’t want to let go of the memories I feel like I’ve shared with the Falcone‘s and that connection to my own seemingly distant college years.

Thanks to Goodreads for the free ARC of this book. I apologize, I didn't even know who Ben Falcone was before reading this book. He is a writer, director and comedian who is married to Melissa McCarthy. This book was hilarious. I love the cover photo of a young Ben and his father. He reflects upon his own childhood to provide some much needed advice for parents. Please note that there is language in this book and it is not for the faint of heart. See the chapter in which he describes his father's gym shorts! 'Leprechaun traps'-love this idea! And thanks for sharing your mother's chili con queso recipe! I have to try it. It was very cool reading that Ben and I went to high school the same time-we are the same age! Ben and Melissa seem like very real, down to earth parents. This is refreshing. I laughed so hard reading this book. What a funny family! Wonderful and practical advice. P.S. I want to meet your father, Ben!

This was an intimate look at fatherhood by Ben Falcone, whose wife is actress Melissa McCarthy. He is also a writer/director of The Boss and Tammy shows that also start McCarthy.He is currently a father of two daughters and shares his insights about raising his own kids as well as his own childhood.I was interested in his upbringing since he was raised in Southern Illinois, which is near the St. Louis area and I’ve been to many of these towns and places and what life is like growing up in the Midwest. Overall I think he did a good job sharing ways to make life better for your kids and how his dad’s take in life made his childhood that much better.I enjoyed the book and recommend it for anyone wanting to gain some advice on fatherhood and what you can do for your kids to help them along in their lives.