"Project Dad" by Todd Cartmell

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Todd Cartmell. Project Dad: The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide for Becoming a Great Father. Revell, 2011. 221 pgs. 

Every father wants to be a great dad. We want to do what is best for our children, and be the kind of father they need so that they can flourish in life. But how do you do that? In this book Todd Cartmell, a father and child psychologist, offers his advice on how to be a great father. The subtitle, 'do-it-yourself' and all that, is designed to appeal to the part of a father that wants to build things and do it themselves. In order to do this, Cartmell urges fathers to pay attention to five areas of interaction with our children: our eyes (how we look at our children), our mouths (how we talk to our children), our hearts (how we connect with our children), our hands (how we act towards our children), and our feet (how we lead our children). He reminds us that a great father is a father who helps his children to develop their God-given gifts and potential, and be all that God has made them to be. 

In many ways my experience and opinion of this book mirrors my experience and opinion of The Irresistible Church (which I posted about yesterday). The title made me skeptical, but the description and author pulled me in to read it anyway. Further, the book was very formulaic, filled with cliches and typical structures for a book of this sort. But, Cartmell rises above these things by offering genuinely good and useful advice to fathers. He reminds fathers that they are to be fishers of the good in their children, that our words have power to build up and destroy, that our example will be followed, and that while none of us is perfect we can be great in aiding our children to grow and pointing them to God. 

Conclusion: 3.5 Stars. Conditionally Recommended. Are you a father? Can you handle a book with a title like this? Then you will be rewarded with some great ideas, advice, and reminders. 



"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Comments

lemtrac said…
Would like to help promote the book, please could you email me a link to download.

Kevin Cartmell
Cartmell and Cartmell Communications
http://www.joomla3d.co.za
1:01 PM
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