Rules for My Unborn Son - Hardcover

Lamond, Walker

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312608950 ISBN 13: 9780312608958

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2009

Synopsis

RULES FOR MY UNBORN SON is a collection of traditional, humorous, and urbane fatherly advice for boys. From the sartorial ("If you are tempted to wear a cowboy hat, resist") to the practical ("Keep a copy of your letters. It makes it easier for your biographer") to even a couple of sure-fire hangover cures ("There is no better remedy than a dip in the ocean"), the book of rules and accompanying quotations is quite simply an instruction manual for becoming a Good Man - industrious, thoughtful, charming, and of course, well-dressed.

Hip and witty with a decidedly traditionalist flavor, RULES FOR MY UNBORN SON is meant to evoke simpler times when Father knew best and a suitable answer to "Why?" was "Because I said so."

About this title

Review:

Book Description Rules for My Unborn Son is a collection of traditional, humorous, and urbane fatherly advice for boys. From the sartorial ("If you are tempted to wear a cowboy hat, resist") to the practical ("Keep a copy of your letters. It makes it easier for your biographer") to sure-fire hangover cures ("There is no better remedy than a dip in the ocean"), the book of rules and accompanying quotations is quite simply an instruction manual for becoming a good man--industrious, thoughtful, charming, and of course, well-dressed. Hip and witty with a decidedly traditionalist flavor, Rules for My Unborn Son is meant to evoke simpler times when Father knew best and a suitable answer to "Why?" was "Because I said so."

A Look Inside Walker Lamond's Rulebook
(click on any image to enlarge)

From the Author:

Boys need rules. No Spitting. No Swimming. No Fighting. We don't always like them, but for the most part, they are necessary. Rules keep us safe, eliminate uncertainty, and encourage harmonious social interaction. Yield to Pedestrians. Black Tie Required. They are the simplest and most effective way to pass down tried and true institutional knowledge from one generation to the next. In short, rules are GOOD!
But somewhere along the way, rules got a bad name. People wanted freedom. Authority was questioned, rules were broken, dress codes banished! Rules were seen as antiquated obstacles to individualism and progress. Barbers were ignored, ties packed away. And the game of life suddenly got a bit sloppier, more uncertain, and even a bit less fun.  
This small book began simply as a way to preserve the lessons my father taught me, and perhaps add my spin on what makes a Good Man. I hoped to have a son of my own one day, so I thought it best to write it all down before the mayhem of actual fatherhood made me too soft or too sanctimonious, and most importantly, before my own childhood was too distant in the rearview mirror. It would be a father-to-be's promise to his future son "To get some things straight before I get old and uncool."
Of course, the list needed a bit of updating. My dad could fold a mean pocketsquare, but he didn't have much to offer on Internet etiquette. But as the list grew, what struck me was how many of my father's rules stood up unchanged--even for a recovering hipster living in New York.  Rules for my Unborn Son was a set of instructions for being a good man and a good father as much as it was as a rulebook for my future son. 
My father and I are not the first men to attempt to define and defend the qualities that make up the modern gentleman.  In the book I acknowledge the influences of some very fine men who have offered wise and practical advice through the ages either through their words (Benjamin Franklin, Buckminster Fuller, Mark Twain) or their example (Fred Astaire, Jack Kennedy, David Bowie). Some of the advice the reader may have heard before. And I should hope so, as many of the rules are distillations of some universal lessons in ethics and etiquette.  I have made efforts to cull the classics from the outmoded.  Not all that is old is good. However, what I hope makes Rules for My Unborn Son unique is the inclusion of lessons drawn from my own experiences--the good, the bad, and the ugly. The rules included herein may evoke from the reader a hearty endorsement or a spirited objection. Or perhaps inspire a sentimental journey back into the reader's own childhood.  And maybe, for a particular kind of discerning young parent, Rules for My Unborn Son will be just what it says it is--a good old-fashioned book of rules for you and your family.    I hope it proves useful.  

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0312608950
• ISBN 13: 9780312608958
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224