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Big Shoes: In Celebration of Dads and Fatherhood
Bestselling author and beloved Today show personality Al Roker teams up with his celebrity friends to share personal thoughts, stories, and reflections on fathers and fatherhood in this inspiring collection. Contributors Matt Lauer, Katie Couric, Bradley Whitford, Kelly Ripa, Kris Kristofferson, Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), Jon Stewart, Billie Jean King, Conan O'Brien - and many more.
- GenresNonfiction
229 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 9, 2021
Originally, I gave this book, "Big Shoes: The Celebration of Dads and Fatherhood" to my own Father for as an Easter gift. The book, published in 2005, was written by Al Roker and the interviews were conducted by Amy Rennert.
Without fail, all of the sons and daughters interviewed for this book wrote glowingly about their fathers and how their presence or absence shaped their lives. The notion on character was mentioned constantly. However, character isn't something that you learn but something that you do - whether someone is looking or not. Ann Curry said it best when she wrote about the lesson that she learned from her father. "What matters in the end is what kind of person you were. Did you do your best, did you love enough, were you presented with a chance to do good, did you take it? That's ultimately the life I strive for, and it's all because of my father."
Unfortunately, now in 2021, it is telling that many of the men interviewed for this book have led duplicative lives and their characters have not mirrored the shining examples that they extolled about their own fathers. The years have revealed lapses of character by Matt Lauer, Andrew Cuomo and, of course, Donald J. Trump. The aforementioned men were unveiled and their personal lives are tales of deception, dishonesty and lack of moral character. All of these privileged white men committed acts, among other things, involving sexual misconduct, harassment and allegations of rape against their female co-workers, employees and subordinates. Would their children write glowingly about their lives too? I doubt it.
Without fail, all of the sons and daughters interviewed for this book wrote glowingly about their fathers and how their presence or absence shaped their lives. The notion on character was mentioned constantly. However, character isn't something that you learn but something that you do - whether someone is looking or not. Ann Curry said it best when she wrote about the lesson that she learned from her father. "What matters in the end is what kind of person you were. Did you do your best, did you love enough, were you presented with a chance to do good, did you take it? That's ultimately the life I strive for, and it's all because of my father."
Unfortunately, now in 2021, it is telling that many of the men interviewed for this book have led duplicative lives and their characters have not mirrored the shining examples that they extolled about their own fathers. The years have revealed lapses of character by Matt Lauer, Andrew Cuomo and, of course, Donald J. Trump. The aforementioned men were unveiled and their personal lives are tales of deception, dishonesty and lack of moral character. All of these privileged white men committed acts, among other things, involving sexual misconduct, harassment and allegations of rape against their female co-workers, employees and subordinates. Would their children write glowingly about their lives too? I doubt it.
June 20, 2019
Some interesting essays. One really short and ungood one. But book is mostly fine.
August 9, 2020
It’s cute but dated Very dated. Matt Lauer, for example. And Trump wrote a tiny few paragraphs
September 12, 2017
Some of the stories were still valid 13 years later but a dated groupings of stories
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews