Zen and the Art of Fatherhood: Lessons from a Master Dad

There is nothing to being a dad - and it takes everything you have to stay afloat in the murky yet enlightening stream every father must navigate. If this sounds like a contradiction or a brain-bashing Zen koan, welcome to the club of the fellow confused, and listen to the confessions of a father who's seen it all.
In this humorous and insightful account, Steven Lewis (a happily entrenched father of seven) mingles hilarious personal recollections from nearly thirty years of parenting with quiet reflections and quotes from admired Zen sages to capture the universal paradoxes, dilemmas, and rewards of fatherhood. While to the outside world a father of seven may appear to have the wisdom of a Zen master, to his kids he can seem as much a fool as a wise man. And to his inner self (and often to his wife) he seems like a pure fool, foolishly tripping over himself trying to play the role of a wise man. Yet in the end, he really does have some wisdom to share, and he'll show how you, too, can apply the sublime teachings of Zen to such essential paternal tasks as taming toddlers; balancing sex talks, lies, and video games; sneaking intimate moments alone with your mate; keeping your cool on your daughter's first date; surviving family vacations; and selecting the right college that is distant enough to keep your kids away on weekends.
Zen and the Art of Fatherhood is an essential guide for any man who already is a father or is about to embark on what is the most challenging and gratifying journey of his life.

Steven Lewis teaches writing and literature at Empire State College in New Paltz, New York.