The fatherless black family is a problem that increases in proportion each year as generations of black children grow up without an adult male in the home. This work presents a personal examination of black fatherhood. This tale of black men tells the stories of extraordinary men who strive to become something they have never known.

Guides prospective fathers in parenting from pregnancy to the third year, providing advice for practical and emotional challenges, pinpointing developmental milestones, and detailing the role of a father in a child's life.

Fatherhood is a journey of transformation and is without a doubt a life-changing experience. "Becoming a Dad" is for a new father who desires to become more invested with his child, his marriage, his life, and his life story.

A father models for his daughter how women should be treated, how men should act, and how a man shows healthy love and affection toward a woman. And, perhaps most importantly, he sets the standard for how his daughter feels she deserves to be treated by men. Rick Johnson shows men how to develop the close relationships with their daughters that they both need and crave.

Within weeks of getting pregnant, Kelly Crull's wife had a stack of parenting books waiting on his nightstand, complete with neat, hand-written bookmarks telling him which chapters he needed to read. In nine months, he had learned everything about his wife giving birth, becoming a mother, and how he could support her. What he wanted and couldn't find was a book by a normal guy telling him about becoming a dad. The last thing he needed was more expert advice, a ten-step plan or fancy pie charts. He just wanted someone to give it to him straight, "What was parenting going to be like for him?" Becoming Dad is the book he wanted and couldn't find.

It’s never too late to be a better father Jim Daly, president and CEO of Focus on the Family, is an expert in fatherhood—in part because his own "fathers" failed him so badly. His biological dad was an alcoholic. His stepfather deserted him. His foster father accused Jim of trying to kill him. All were out of Jim's life by the time he turned 13. Isn’t it odd—and reminiscent of the hand of God—that the director of the leading organization on family turned out to be a guy whose own background as a kid and son were pretty messed up? Or could it be that successful parenting is discovered not in the perfect, peaceful household but in the midst of battles and messy situations, where God must constantly be called to the scene? That is the mystery unraveled in this book. Using his own expertise, humor, and inexhaustible wealth of stories, Jim will show you that God can make you a good dad, a great dad, in spite of the way you’ve grown up and in spite of the mistakes you’ve made. Maybe even because of them. It’s not about becoming a perfect father. It’s about trying to become a better father, each and every day. It's about building relationships with your children through love, grace, patience, and fun—and helping them grow into the men and women they’re meant to be.

The fatherless black family is a problem that grows to bigger proportions every year as generations of black children grow up without an adult male in their homes. As this dire pattern grows worse, what can men do who hope to break it, when there are so few models and so little guidance in their own homes and communities? Where can they learn to “become Dad?” When Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Pitts—who himself grew up with an abusive father whose absences came as a relief—interviewed dozens of men across the country, he found both discouragement and hope, as well as deep insights into his own roles as son and father. An unflinching investigation, both personal and journalistic, of black fatherhood in America, this is the best, most pivotal book on this profoundly important issue.

THE STORY OF FATHERHOOD AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A FATHER TODAY, BASED ON A DECADE-LONG STUDY OF NEW AND EXPECTANT FATHERS. Becoming a father is one of most common but also one of the most profoundly life-altering experiences a man can have. It is up there with puberty, falling in love and experiencing your first loss. Fifty years ago a father’s role was assumed to be clear: he went to work; he provided the pay cheque; and he acted as a disciplinarian when he got home. But today a father’s role is much more fluid and complex. Dr Anna Machin has spent the past decade working with new and expectant fathers, studying the experiences of fathers and the questions fathers have: ‘Will fatherhood change me?’, ‘How do other men fulfil the role?’, ‘How can I help my child grow into a healthy, happy adult?’. In The Life of Dad, Dr Machin draws on her research and the latest findings in genetics, neuroscience and psychology to tell the story of fatherhood. She will show the extraordinary physiological changes a man undergoes when he becomes a father, investigate how a man’s genes can influence what sort of father he will be, and will show how a dad makes a unique contribution to his child’s life, helping to foster independence of mind and spirit. Throughout the book, readers will encounter the voices of real dads, expectant and established, as well as fascinating insights into fatherhood from across the globe. The Life of Dad throws out the old stereotypes of fatherhood in an entertaining and informative journey through the role of dad – helping you decide what sort of father you want to be. ‘A tour-de-force exploration of the forgotten half of the parenthood business. Essential reading for every expectant dad … and mum.’ – Robin Dunbar, professor of evolutionary psychology, University of Oxford

A thoughtful and "utterly mind-blowing" exploration of fatherhood and masculinity in the 21st century (New York Times). There are hundreds of books on parenting, and with good reason—becoming a parent is scary, difficult, and life-changing. But when it comes to books about parenting identity, rather than the nuts and bolts of raising children, nearly all are about what it's like to be a mother. Drawing on research in sociology, economics, philosophy, gender studies, and the author's own experiences, Father Figure sets out to fill that gap. It's an exploration of the psychology of fatherhood from an archetypal perspective as well as a cultural history that challenges familiar assumptions about the origins of so-called traditional parenting roles. What paradoxes and contradictions are inherent in our common understanding of dads? Might it be time to rethink some aspects of fatherhood? Gender norms are changing, and old economic models are facing disruption. As a result, parenthood and family life are undergoing an existential transformation. And yet, the narratives and images of dads available to us are wholly inadequate for this transition. Victorian and Industrial Age tropes about fathers not only dominate the media, but also contour most people's lived experience. Father Figure offers a badly needed update to our collective understanding of fatherhood—and masculinity in general. It teaches dads how to embrace the joys of fathering while guiding them toward an image of manliness for the modern world.

The twenty-five stories inside are ten minute explorations into the lives of people struggling with humanity, quick glimpses into extraordinary worlds that leave lasting impressions...a little boy must wish the wrong wish to save his own life...a philanthropist comes clean about her fantastic past...an old woman uses her dying moments to see her estranged son...a grandson tragically learns the value of his namesake...a servant girl wins a noble boy's heart through uncommon kindness...a teenage boy comes out and brings the quarterback with him...a woman's plans for the last day of her life go wonderfully awry...a family nearly dies when old man winter loses his way...a tiny girl named Mouse savors the last moments of her fragile freedom...a king exacts final revenge on his wicked son...