ALT-2 Great Books to Give your Dad for Fathers Day
Before you go out and buy your Dad a book for Father's Day, ask yourself one simple question: Does my Dad read books?
In the frantic pace of the current age, with most of us working longer hours, it can be difficult to find the time to commit to a book. And that is even if he is an avid reader. If the extent of his reading is a leisurely browse through the sports pages of the weekend paper, then a book is probably going to be a waste of money. It will end up unread and untouched, gathering dust on a bookshelf. A subscription to his favorite magazine would be a better choice.
I'll assume though that you have asked yourself the question and answered in the affirmative. What now? Well, rather than go through the bestseller lists or the numerous lists of must-read books, you have to ask yourself a few more questions: What kind of books does my Dad read? What are his favorite things? Has he taken up any new hobbies or interests lately? If you don't know the answers to those questions, ask your mother, as you need to know the answers to make sure that you buy a book that is going to be appreciated and read. It will also ensure that you don't buy something that he already has!
Okay. You've asked the questions and you have some answers. The next step is to put them into categories:
SPORTIt is no secret that guys like sport and your Dad is no exception. Retired sports stars, and even current ones, are flooding the market with their memoirs. If your Dad has a favorite sports star, a good start would be to see if they have a memoir in print. Should this sporting great date back a few years, second hand sources like Amazon, Ebay and second hand book shops are a great source for finding that lost treasure. With current players, you may be able to score a signed copy of their book. For those with Australian Dads, "The Don" by Perry Roland is one where you can't go wrong. Beyond the simple memoir, there are also season almanacs, tour diaries, statistical summaries and club histories.
BIOGRAPHIESOne step beyond the above, expanding the memoir to other people of renown. If your Dad has a particular fondness for a historical figure and doesn't already have that person's biography, these make wonderful gifts. They also tend to be fairly weighty tomes, especially if they were politicians, which look all the more impressive. With most political biographies, once they have been out on the shelves for a couple of months, they will hit the discount racks. Bargain!
If your Dad is into music, there is a wealth of literature out there. A Pink Floyd afficianado will love Nick Mason's "Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd" or "Comfortably Numb" by Mark Blake. "According to the Rolling Stones" by Mick Jagger and "The Rolling Stones: In the Beginning" by Bent Rej and Bill Wyman area great reads for any Stones fans. It's always hard to beat a book written by someone with knowledge of the inner workings of music icons.
NON-FICTIONBeyond the pure biography, memoirs or true stories, particularly of endurance are good reads. If your Dad enjoys tales of exploration, "South: The Endurance Expedition" and "The Heart of the Antarctic" by Sir Ernest Shackleton and "The Home of the Blizzard" by Sir Douglas Mawson will give him a first hand look at the rigours of surviving in this remotest part of the world. "Papillon" and "Banco" by Henri Charriere tells the story of a young Frenchman sent for life to Devil's Island and his numerous attempts to escape. "Into the Wild" and "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer are true stories of the fine line between life and death people tread when venturing into harsh and dangerous places. "Alive" by Piers Paul Read tells the incredible tale of surivivors from a plane crash in the Andes and the horrible choice they had to make in order to survive. "The Best of Outside" features 30 essays of adventure and survival in the most challening and beautiful parts of the earth.
If your Dad has a keen interest in a hobby or activity, or a keen interest in history, particularly the Second World War, there are so many books out there that you would really need to do your homework. For example, if your Dad loves gardening and knows the ins and outs of anything botannical, a general gardening book is probably going to be next to useless. Lots of pretty pictures, yes, but he will probably know everything contained in such a generalist book. Specialize. If he loves growing large tulips, there will be a book out there that details the varieties and how to grow the perfect one. If travel is his thing, try any of Bill Bryson's books. They aren't as informative as Lonely Planet guides but they are infinitely more entertaining to read.
FICTIONWhere do I start? There is so much out there. It all boils down to genre. If Dad likes the odd James Bond flick and has read all the Ian Fleming penned adventures of this most famous character, then how about Sebastian Faulks "Devil May Care". Fans of horror will be more than happy to accept anything by the genre's master, Stephen King. His last two novels "Duma Key" and "Blaze" (as Richard Bachman) are worthy successors to such classics as "The Stand", "The Shining" and "From a Buick 8". For crime buffs, "The Monster of Florence" by Douglas Preston is a new release, although it is hard to go past "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote (in the unlikely event that Dad hasn't already read this masterpiece). I'll also throw in an Australian titles, namely "One Sunday" by Joy Dettman.
Apocalyptic movies seem to be making a come-back and the literary world is jumping on the band-wagon. Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" is an Oprah's Book Club selection, but there is nothing light and fluffy about this tale of people trying to survive and find meaning in a post-nuclear world. It is as thought provoking as its obvious shelf-mates, Nevil Shute's "On the Beach" and Jose Saramago's "Blindness" (which is due to hit the big screen soon). Of the modern classics, it is hard to go past John Steinbeck. "Grapes of Wrath" and "East of Eden" are two of his most notable works, but it is the lesser known "In Dubious Battle" that Dad might also enjoy. If times are hard now, they were doubly hard in an era when jobs were scarce and violence was the response to any appeals for better pay or working conditions. Herman Wouk's "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance" takes us through the Second World War through a fictional family interactions with key figures and events in this darkest chapter of human history.
I'll finish off with a bit of light hearted relief. I've already touched on Bill Bryson. What about a travel guide for a fictitious country? Three Australian comedians, under the Jetlag Travel Guide banner, have produced three. "Molvania: A Land untouched by Modern Dentistry" provides a hilarious journey through all that there is to laugh about in post-Soviet Eastern Europe. The jokes and sarcasm continue in "San Sombrero" and "Phaic Tan", but they aren't as funny as the original. Away from travel, or faux travel, Jonathon Tropper's "The Book of Joe" will be sure to give your Dad a laugh.
Books can make great Father's Day presents, provided your Dad enjoys reading and has the time to read. I've provided a few suggestions above, but the important thing is to ask the questions and take advantage of that most precious resource in deciding what present to buy him - your mother. Better still, if you can, take her shopping with you and get her opinion first hand on any book that you buy.
