“It’s fantastic.” – Good Morning Texas
“An extraordinary story. An extraordinary book.” – KVIL-FM
“Fascinating, full of humor, drama.” - Fort Worth Weekly
A meeting planner who brought Dave in to present Bad Dad says:
“I think your ‘Bad Dad’ presentation is your best. The story lends itself to your great ability to act it out. There are also so many wonderful lines that are so descriptive and are so funny. And there is a moral to the story. You made me a hero just because I invited you.”
Book Reviewer Keagan Pearson writes:
Beyond the fact that the story itself is an engaging read, Dave’s journalistic style is fluid and biting. As he bounces back and forth from the incident with his son to the stories that gained him notoriety, you get a very real sense of his tenacity and passion for writing.
You also get to see Dave come full circle as he finds himself as the story line instead of the storyteller. You get to see Dave the “dad”, who genuinely seems to be a good father…despite the fact that so many try to label him otherwise.
Honestly, I saw myself in his story…minus the media attention.
Dave also used this book to reveal a very sad truth. If you want to punish your kids for their behavior, do it when nobody else is watching. It is the world we live in, but Dave writes about it in a way that causes you to beware of it and embrace it all at once.
It’s a book that every dad should read…for the good, the bad, and the horribly intrusive.
Reader Ann Ranson says:
Whether you’re a parent or a child – I hope you’ll read this book. It took me on a journey, a roller-coaster ride of emotions. I laughed at
the absurdity of people and systems. I cried at the raw emotion and honesty that Dave shares. And my nerves were exposed as I remembered my own moments when I missed the mark of being a Good Mom.
This book can’t have been easy to write, and it’s not always easy to read. BUT, it is an important book. I hope it spawns conversations as widely spread as the social media comments that came in during the weeks of this controversial situation.
I certainly reflected on my own beliefs and behaviors and noticed my reaction to the less than civil feedback Dave received from the public. Differences of opinion are fine, in fact, they’re vital. But we don’t have to resort to name calling and hatred just because we disagree.
Most parents and children will relate to this charged story, and probably walk away with some very tasty food for thought.
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Reader Kelly Bradley of Westlake, Texas, had this to say:
I don’t know where to start except to say just how much I love your new book: Bad Dad!
Just finished it.
I learned a little more on how to let go of my own grown children (in their 40′s, for heaven’s sake!). How to accept responsibility and not blame others. How to live by your new 11th Commandment: Live Like A Camera is Catching Your Every Move! (Guess that is similar to God watching, but somehow it seem more immediate with peers, and especially critics, being aware of our actions)! We are all good people, but we have our moments….
I hope that my kids, as young parents, will take the necessary time to read this book. There are so many gems revealed; and because I have followed your career since the beginning days in Texas, I could relate to the Watauga incidents.
However, the book is so much more than that. It is truly about parenting, and family relationships. It takes a certain awareness to stop the craziness…to count to 10, or just calm yourself, or think in terms of the #11 Commandment….and your book truly brings us to that point of being aware.
Thank you for a really great read, and the great lessons. Once more, we see that good things come out of bad events in our lives. I want to buy copies for many people. Let’s start with five.
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Sondra Cochran writes the author:
Just want to tell you how much I appreciate Bad Dad. It was infuriating to read about the havoc that meddling strangers and police who have been held responsible for their unethical actions can cause. I really admire the fact that you were always honest about your feelings, fears and culpability. I, like so many other people, didn’t realize how ubiquitous and dangerous cell phones are. Lesson learned: Always be on your best behaviour because somebody might be recording. The other lesson learned is that I really must not judge things that happen between a parent and a child in public unless the child is obviously in danger. As always, you included the bits of humour that brighten your writing. You never completely lost your sense of humour though most of us would have. I am so happy that things turned out as they did and grateful that you are willing to share what was the most humiliating incident in your life to make the rest of us think before we act or judge. Good Job!
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See more reviews and press coverage here.
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