Mean Dads for a Better America: The Generous Rewards of an Old-Fashioned Childhood

by Tom Shillue

As a comedian and conservative thinker ,  whip-smart funny Tom Shillue grounds his ideas about our current culture and political climate in stories from his childhood — a portrait of growing up in 1970s America.  Growing up as one of five kids in a devout Irish Catholic family in a small town outside of Boston, Tom sincerely believes that the rough-and-tumble, rules-dominated world in which he came of age was a better America—a time and place that made him into the well-adjusted, happy, successful man he is today. In Mean Dads for a Better America , Tom reminisces about his childhood, his family, and the traditional values he cherishes. He takes us back to a time when neighbors disciplined each other’s children without fear of being sued, when kids made it to the family table for dinner, when parents’ rules were gospel, when the occasional fistfight was considered a fair way to solve a problem, and when children were free to roam, make mistakes, and experience the first tastes of independence. Tom debates, debunks, and entertains with his hilarious approach to issues of the day, tackling the issues that confound many Americans, like our hypersensitive culture and overzealous parenting. As Tom celebrates the stability of family life and the sanity of days gone by, he encourages us to hold on to our sense of humor and look back at our own lives, as we work towards creating a better future for ourselves and our kids, all while making us laugh.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Memoir, Politics, Audiobook, Biography, Autobiography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published June 5, 2017

About the author

Tom Shillue is an American stand up comedian, FOX News Host, actor and storyteller. He currently resides in the Riverdale, Bronx section of New York City with his wife, Denise.

Reviews

[Erin F]

This book was pretty good. I'm not a parent, but this book isn't really for parenting. It's about his life and growing up and having a healthy fear of your parents. I enjoyed his story because it reminded me of what my own parents' childhood must have been like. It seems like such an idealistic, albeit, wild, time to be a kid.

Though I'm from a 90's baby, I'm so thankful that I had the parents and the childhood that I had. The older I get the more thankful I am for how I was raised. growing up with 6 siblings on a farm was definitely an adventure. kids today lack so much structure and respect, and it's a direct result of society teaching us to only care about how people feel - I just wanna say that even though I didn't like being spanked at the time (who does?), I would be a terrible person if my mom didn't get the spoon every now and then.

[Kris]

I had no idea who Shillue was, but I was in the mood for a memoir and this came up.

I'm glad this remained more a memoir than a how-to or self-help book. He chats loosely through themes of his childhood: rules with parents, playing in the yard, games with friends, services at church, camps and clubs, rebellion as a teenager, first jobs, and interactions with girls.

I liked that he doesn't constantly talk about his success as an adult. This really is focused on his childhood only. He doesn't psychoanalyze his younger self, or talk about how terrible and undisciplined children are these days, or make sweeping claims about ways to solve modern problems in America. At the end there's a few sentences about life lessons he learned and he shows appreciation for his mentors and guides. That's it!

[Julie]

So, I got this for the title. It's a combination of autobiography and advice for life. Those of us who were kids in the 1970's will remember a great many of these things, even if you are a rural southern kid like me.
I loved the description of the ice cream truck, especially the red, white and blue Bomb Pop-"American children refreshed themselves by sucking on huge frozen bombs."
I am not Catholic, but have been to services there, and the description of some of the altar boy antics was really funny.
I laughed out loud at the Meat Loaf album incident and made my husband read it.
The last chapter, Be Grateful, was very good and meaningful.

[Reinhardt]

Some chapters are ridiculously hilarious. I was laughing so hard I was crying. Some chapters contain sentimental looks at growing up in the 70s. The book is filled with references so if you grew up around the same time, you'll know what he's hinting at.

The stories he tells illustrate some valuable lessons he learned growing up, but the are not preachy. For the most part, sticks to the narrative and avoids launching into sermons.

A funny and wise look at integrating traditional values in modern times.

This book would be a fantastic gift for grads.

[Mary]

Shillue wrote a very funny book about growing up in the 70's. Structure meant "go outside and play" rather than dance class, t-ball, soccer teams day care--you know, like kids today who seem to have not a minute of being what they want to be and doing what they want, unless it involves electronic devices. Some of the scenes had me laughing out loud and others had me gasping "how did we survive!?" I recommend this to anyone who grew up in that time or around that time and to anyone who can stretch their brains to wonder about their parents childhood.

[Cara Bristol]

Comedian Tom Shillue recounts growing up in the 1970s with 1950s values. Dad was the head of the household and a man to be feared. Mom stayed home and instilled moral values. It was the kind of childhood that kids don't have anymore: free and unscheduled. Kids played in streets and ruled the neighborhood.

Anyone who was a kid in the 50s, 60s, or 70s will find humor and nostalgia in this book. It just might may you long for the good old days.

[Chris]

Totally enjoyed this book. I had a similar kind of childhood and could really relate to the attitudes and experiences of the author. A fun walk down memory lane and a wonderful, incisive view of how to incorporate traditional values into modern family life. Moving, funny, and great from beginning to end!

[Denise B]

I loved this book! As a child of the 70’s, I remembered everything Tom talks about. But even if you didn’t grow up in that time period, it is still very entertaining. One of my favorite parts was the altar boy story, but they’re all great, and it’s hard to pick a favorite. Very funny and brings back lots of memories.

[Deborah Granay]

Tom must have been my neighbor

As I read this book, it seemed so familiar to my childhood upbringing. Fond memories. Solid parenting lead to responsible adulthood while letting the young Tom find his own way and discover the world around him. Well done Mr. and Mrs. Shillue.

[Victoria]

Really good! I would recommend this book to all parents of young and old. They need to see what parenting is supposed to be instead of trying to be the "friend."

I relived similar memories though I'm female and much older than Tom :).

[blondshell]

Great Story


I bought this for my husband for Father's Day. Then bought the Kindle version for myself. Loved the story and the wisdom.

[Rachel]

Laughed out loud many times while reading. Shillue is hilarious and very relatable.

[Marianne Wills]

Great book. It brought back a lot of memories. It had a lot of laughs.

[Lois]

Excellent read...and somewhat of a travel back in time for me.

[Chuck Neumann]

Comic Tom Shillue believes the way he was raised in the 70's by parents who held to the ideals of the 50's was the way to go, and raising our children today in the same manner would make for a better America. In the book he discusses how he raised his kids, and how they show common sense that most adults today don't have. Most of the book, though, is Shillue recalling his childhood years. Going to Red Sox baseball games, serving as an altar boy, being a Boy Scout, dealing with school, playing Dungeons and Dragons and being aware of girls are some of the subjects he discusses. While young Tom sometimes questions his parents rules and would try to get around them, he always knew his rather strict parents had his best interests at heart. His relationship with his father is a topic that runs throughout the story. The book is a fun read, his childhood adventures as well as his views on raising children are quite interesting.

[Reza Amiri Praramadhan]

Looking at the title on first glance, I thought this would be a book on parenting, thus I kept my expectations low. However, those expectations were soon to be dashed. An autobiography on the author’s old-school upbringing, he extols values of his childhood as espoused by his scary, no-nonsense dad and laissez-faire, enterprising mom, and also how he came to grip with adolescence, getting to know the fairer sex, finding jobs in showbiz, and so on, even though the way that he lived was deemed to be ‘politically correct’ by today’s standards. Reading the book, I can feel that the world in the past was rough, but in the same way more idyllic than today, where people had less things to be concerned. A good, light-hearted book about coming of age, and certainly the type of parenting I wish to do in the future.

[Delores]

Admittedly I only read the pages from the free sample and I started zoning out when weapons or something were mentioned. I fell asleep and woke up wondering if I could find the book in the library. I was sad it wasn't available in my county but I'll find a copy read the whole thing eventually.

I started watching FOX News at night to keep me somewhat awake during my job.

One night, when Shillue showed up in the moving box of pictures, I said "Hey, I instantly like that guy." We're probably related by blood on my mom's side of the family because whenever I have a reaction like that to people, that's usually the reason. I think it's an Irish thing.

Anyway. World Greatest Book. Don't be cheap like me. Go buy it! I think he's probably got kids to feed and a wife. He's funny and a pretty solid dude which is why I started tuning in and watching Fox News more and more. Sanity.

[Lori]

I was a goodreads giveaway winner of this book. Tom Shillue writes about his childhood growing up in Massachusetts in the 1970s and 80s. He grew up the fourth of five children in a strict Catholic family. These were the days before electronics set in so he grew up in a childhood where they played outside with the neighborhood kids. He writes about being an altar boy in church, and going to the roller rink. dating his first girl He writes about wanting to be a stand up comic and eventually singing In a barbershop quartet. There are many other chapters about him growing up in the 70s and 80s. those who grew up during this time may like to read this book. It is well written and a fun read.

[Matty]

Mean Dads For A Better America is a hilarious and profoundly truthful book. Author Tom Shillue highlights what it was like growing up in a different time when parents were parents, households still taught values and respect, and children were allowed to be just kids.
It seems in these tumultuous times of political correctness, everyone being overly offended about everything, core values slipping to the way side, entitlement running rampant, and the joke that is our public school system, that this is a truth that should be heard far and wide by everyone.
This is my honest review in exchange for winning this book through Goodreads giveaway.

[Floyd Larck]

I have never seen Mr. Shillue doing his act but this book was funny. At first he mentioned his political leanings and I almost put the book down as I was looking for another "you're wrong - I'm right" kind of book. The book wound up being a very well-written autobiography. Funny as all get out in some parts. Other parts broke back recollections of my own life during those years. Pretty clean, a few swear words but used in the right context. His Dad must be someone to know as he is tough and funny without being a bear about it.

[Janet K]

This was such a fun book for me to read. It is a look back at the author's childhood in the 70s and 80s, how he was raised and the environment he came from. I could totally relate. For real. I grew up in the same town around the same time as the author. This book was a walk down memory lane of my childhood, reminding me of some really fun times, places and people in my early life. Tom Shillue is a great story teller.

[Danielle W]

This book was terrible. I picked it up because he is described as a comedian and what I assumed was the argument was interesting. The book had not one laugh and it wasn't really about what the title suggested. It was a play by play of his childhood (without focusing on any theme of an old fashioned childhood) that would be interesting to maybe him, his mom, and the people who are mentioned. I was hurrying to finish it, and not in a good way.

[Theresa Smith]

Thank you for this book won on Goodreads Giveaway! I was unfamiliar with this author but admire his ability to share stories. The book is not preachy but teaches through family life. The author shares his childhood when families worked together, prayed together and laughed together. I enjoyed his memories and also am impressed by the moral wisdom weaved in his storytelling. I encourage others to read his book and to give their own families such memories.

[Robert Devine]

A mundane, coming-of-age autobiography that only briefly touches on "mean dads" and fatherhood; rather, book is full of self-centered nostalgia (with few funny moments), and author doesn't make any meaningful effort to reflect or explain why "old-fashioned" 1950's Catholic/white/hypermasculine/middle-class values are superior; he just states it as fact (I guess using the success he has found in his life as proof?). I'm clearly not the target audience for this book

[Anne-Marie Kirchner]

Loved, loved and lived! Reading this was a reminder of so much of my childhood. Brought to my memory situations I had long forgotten, not the same but just made my mind remember something my parents did, playing in the neighborhood, the times that made a huge impact and you grew up a bit.
I love Tom Shillue everytime I run across something he is doing. This book is one to keep and reread when you need some nostalgia.

[Beverly]

This book was a big reminder of my childhood. My dad was not like this dad, but my small town was and I laughed at many of the situations the author found himself in. There is of course, some sadness in the book, as in real life. It was a good book to read after a year of reading all the Poldark books.

[Vera Wilson]

Won a copy of this. The author grew up in the 70 's and thru this book, he took us back to a time when family values were lots different than now. Then most families were 2 parent families, sad to say lots kids raised by single parents now.

If you enjoy a visit to the past, should enjoy reading.

[Gabby Rumplebottom]

Tom is my hero which is why I'm spending 2026 searching for a guy just like Tom Shillue to marry. He's not always the best storyteller but he's still really cool and solid. Send guys like Tom Shillue my way in 2026, because I can't deal with all these infantilized drunks anymore. Oh, and I'm sure the book is great. I didn't read it though. I mean, I get the concept.

[Ronald]

I enjoyed this book. Very realistic of being raised in the 1970’s. Some of which is called abusive today but now funny when you look back on it, like being tied to a tree in the back yard to keep a three year old from running out in the street. Shillings is today a panel on a late night comedy talk show.

[Jeff]

I could relate to the book. He grew up in the 70s with 50s values, I grew up in the 60s with 50s values. Fun book to read. Another book of the same type is Bob Greene's " Be True To Your School." I loved that book.

Read either, read both