bbckprpl's review against another edition
2.0
I guess 2.5 stars, if I had to figure it out - somewhere between 'it was OK,' and 'I liked it'. There were some parts I did like - "I don't think I've followed a single piece of guidance that was given to me by someone who was lecturing; nothing that started with "Let me tell you something" or "You need to listen to this" has ever sunk in very deep. All the good stuff has come in conversation, usually with people who were simply passing along their own experiences." - and some double standard-y, too traditional for the way my mind actually works stuff that brought the rest of it down, in my opinion.
opalthegembookreviews's review against another edition
5.0
To my mom, who became both parents instead of one and who always gave me everything I ever needed and more, and to my dad, the other half of my heart who I miss and love to the moon and back, I know you're listening, this is for you.
Every couple of years since the age of about 10 I would receive a copy of Boys Will Put You on a Pedestal (So They Can Look Up Your Skirt): A Dad's Advice for Daughters by Philip Van Munching, To the point I now have at least 3 sitting on my shelf, all of them from my lovely mother who believed in me and my abilities so hard she wanted to teach me every lesson she could pass on as well as others, I had yet to experience in life.
Looking back I'd like to think she used something she calls "Mother's Intuition" for exactly this moment down the road where I'd be now - 22 Years old almost 23, looking down at what would be my dad's 53rd birthday - feeling lost, feeling confused, feeling sad and feeling hurt all of it weighing me down. Desperately in need of a hug and advice only a mother with a father's absent wisdom could fix in the midst of all the emotional chaos, I thought of the book.
Well Mom…It only took me 11 years of growth, hardship, loss and 3 copies to finally sit down and read it.
The day before my now passed (I don't like the word deceased) father's birthday I sat down on my closet floor and pulled out our book…reading the inscribed message you wrote for me - Christmas 2010 that seems not very long ago, though looking at it now it feels far away. That night I brought it to bed and I started to read.
When I told you I was finally after all these years actually going to read the book your only response was: I believe books come to us when we need them the most - once again mom, you were right books do come to us when we need them most.
Halfway through my reading I decided to send you a text and share my thoughts here they are:
To Mom: "Okay, I'm about halfway through the famous book now and the first few things I can say is wow, why didn't I listen to you 11 years ago and read it the first time and then maybe many other times because a lot of these lessons and things I didn't know at that time, I came to do in life anyways (laughs), The second thing is of course this book would be your favorite book it even references Meatloaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Lights (aka my mother's all-time favorite song) (laughs) but the final thing I have to say about it so far is I think if I didn't read it now I wouldn't be able to look back on those moments as I do now, nor would I understand the references as I do now. So maybe, just maybe it was meant for me now and not then, but either way you did me a huge service by making sure I read it one way or the other - I love you and thank you for leading and guiding me to have my best life."
If you take anything from what I just wrote, take this - Life is short, lessons are hard but a mother's advice is the most important thing she can pass onto you even if she's doing it from a father's perspective. I love you both and once again - thank you.
Every couple of years since the age of about 10 I would receive a copy of Boys Will Put You on a Pedestal (So They Can Look Up Your Skirt): A Dad's Advice for Daughters by Philip Van Munching, To the point I now have at least 3 sitting on my shelf, all of them from my lovely mother who believed in me and my abilities so hard she wanted to teach me every lesson she could pass on as well as others, I had yet to experience in life.
Looking back I'd like to think she used something she calls "Mother's Intuition" for exactly this moment down the road where I'd be now - 22 Years old almost 23, looking down at what would be my dad's 53rd birthday - feeling lost, feeling confused, feeling sad and feeling hurt all of it weighing me down. Desperately in need of a hug and advice only a mother with a father's absent wisdom could fix in the midst of all the emotional chaos, I thought of the book.
Well Mom…It only took me 11 years of growth, hardship, loss and 3 copies to finally sit down and read it.
The day before my now passed (I don't like the word deceased) father's birthday I sat down on my closet floor and pulled out our book…reading the inscribed message you wrote for me - Christmas 2010 that seems not very long ago, though looking at it now it feels far away. That night I brought it to bed and I started to read.
When I told you I was finally after all these years actually going to read the book your only response was: I believe books come to us when we need them the most - once again mom, you were right books do come to us when we need them most.
Halfway through my reading I decided to send you a text and share my thoughts here they are:
To Mom: "Okay, I'm about halfway through the famous book now and the first few things I can say is wow, why didn't I listen to you 11 years ago and read it the first time and then maybe many other times because a lot of these lessons and things I didn't know at that time, I came to do in life anyways (laughs), The second thing is of course this book would be your favorite book it even references Meatloaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Lights (aka my mother's all-time favorite song) (laughs) but the final thing I have to say about it so far is I think if I didn't read it now I wouldn't be able to look back on those moments as I do now, nor would I understand the references as I do now. So maybe, just maybe it was meant for me now and not then, but either way you did me a huge service by making sure I read it one way or the other - I love you and thank you for leading and guiding me to have my best life."
If you take anything from what I just wrote, take this - Life is short, lessons are hard but a mother's advice is the most important thing she can pass onto you even if she's doing it from a father's perspective. I love you both and once again - thank you.
jakekilroy's review against another edition
3.0
What started off as an earnest attempt at helping his daughters through life became kind of a preachy self-righteous musings at times. I get that his demographic is his daughters, but he's also using the nostalgic parent angle. I get that this is supposed to be Chicken Soup for the Cautious Parent's Soul, but he makes everything seem black and white, which is less than reasonable or fair to his daughters. All premarital sex, tattoos and swear words are bad. He even complains that Eddie Murphy let him down in a live performance by swearing. This dude is why Dr. Phil is taken at his word. He's a humorist for people without an edge. He has many moments of thoughtful observations of life and how to make it through successfully. In those regards, he's terrific. But then he says God is his own proof and people don't know how to love and whatever the fuck ever, every dopey mother at Walmart probably bought this for her daughter instead of telling them about the real world. He's a talented storyteller. I just wish he was less forcibly vanilla and had some confetti sprinkles in there.
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