Great books for great dads

A way to shows dads and husbands how much we appreciate them.

Mary Cooney | Jun 16 2016 | comment

With Father’s Day around the corner, many of us are wondering how we can show our dads and husbands how much we appreciate them. Here are soem excellent books the dads in your life might enjoy.

On fatherhood and family life

Father, the Family Protector ( indispensable)

All of James Stenson’s books on parenting are worth reading. This one affirms the indispensable and irreplaceable role of the father and gives dads practical advice on how they can live out that role with confidence and success.

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters *Available in Audio

Pediatrician Meg Meeker gives compelling evidence that a father’s relationship with his daughter is paramount to her emotional well-being and self-confidence. From infancy and through childhood, daughters need the attention, protection, and love of their fathers. They especially need their fathers during the emotional teenage years when they sometimes seem to push their dads away. This book is more than a wake up call for dads. It’s a practical guide for fathers on how to raise strong, resilient daughters.

Love in the Little Things

Renowned Catholic author/editor of more than thirty books, Mike Aquilina is also a homeschooling father of six. Here he shares stories from his family — some humorous, some inspiring, but all insightful and pointing to a way of joyful family life. Scott Hahn writes, “I wish I could have read this book when I was a young dad.” Buy it for your husband and then savor the stories yourself.

For the Businessman, Manager, or Entrepreneur

Good to Great *Available in Audio

Based on an in-depth analysis of twenty-eight stellar companies, Jim Collins lays out the key factors that makes a company great. His findings are both surprising and highly encouraging. We listened to this on audio during a nine-hour drive. My husband was fascinated, and it kept him wide awake. He continues to talk about it. An outstanding book, this will be of great interest for entrepreneurs, managers, and those who want to improve their workplace.

The Pope and the CEO *Available in Audio

“John Paul II showed me what real leadership looks like. He modeled for me how to pursue our God-given potential. Not coincidentally, this also makes us and those around us better employees, more capable of and more willing to work hard at building a stronger company. That’s something that makes both good human sense and good business sense.”

In this book Andreas Widmer shares the lessons he learned while serving St. Pope John Paul II in the Swiss Guard. Full of lively anecdotes about St. Pope John Paul II, this book will motivate and inspire businessmen and managers to virtuous leadership.

Essentialism *Available in Audio

This one is for the stressed out super-dad, the father who is overworked and pulled in multiple directions. Motivational speaker Greg McKeown shows us how to recognize what is truly important, simplify our lives, do less better, and to say “no” to anything that is unessential.

For the dad who loves sports and/or is a coach

Less Than a Minute to Go *Available in Audio

Here is another fantastic book written by a homeschooling father. All-American athlete with a Ph.D in sports psychology, Dr. Bill Thierfelder was a private coach to several world-renowned professional athletes. He shares his experiences on how he helped these athletes achieve peak performances. He also shows how sports can uplift the human spirit and bring out the best in people. This is a great read for Dads who want to help their children become better athletes. My husband is hooked on this one.

Mary Cooney is a homeschooling mother of give and former pianist living in Maryland. She blogs at Mercy for Marthas, where a complete version of this list can be found.

Today's exclusive story is an interview with America's most prominent bioethics journalist, Wesley J. Smith. He has been writing about euthanasia, assisted suicide and other controversial issues for more than 20 years. He's well-informed, outspoken and clear-headed. His recent book, Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine, is well worth reading.

It's also Father's Day this weekend, at least in North America. Check out Mary Cooney's suggestions of great books for Dad and Barbara Kay's powerful reminder that kids desperately need their fathers.