You’ll Wish Your Dad Said Sh*t Like This: Sh*t My Dad Says

So, last week I told you guys that eventually I’d review a book geared toward readers over the age of 15. What I forgot to mention was that just because it’s a “grown-up” book doesn’t mean it has to be mature (you should be happy you even got this much—I never realized before I wrote this post how few adult books I actually read). So, here’s my review of Justin Halpern’s Sh*t My Dad Says.

Now, why will you wish your dad said shit like this? Well, besides giving you the material for a hugely successful twitter feed and a book that’ll make you tons of money, your dad would also be hilarious. But what can you get out of this book besides a mild case of dad envy?

You’ll certainly get a lot of laughs. After all, Halpern wouldn’t have been able to sell so many books had the shit his dad said not been funny. I was constantly cracking up while reading this book—from just a small snicker, to laughing so hard I had to put the book down and hold my stomach until I could catch my breath. Seriously, if you read this book in front of people who haven’t they’re going to think you’re a crazy person—I can almost promise that you will be turning pages, completely engrossed and periodically breaking into fits of giggles.

But still, why should you buy and read the book instead of the twitter feed? What makes it any better than cruising the web for funny quotes and pictures? For starters, the book is a nice casual read. Halpern isn’t the next Shakespeare, but then again for a book like this you wouldn’t want him to be. The writing is comfortable, and the book is a casual read. Plus, the funny gene didn’t stop with Halpern senior—Justin’s picked up a knack for funny from his dad.

And honestly this is a lot more than just amusing quotes. It’s a memoir that chronicles the relationship between a father and a son. What makes it such a great and memorable relationship to read about is the fact that it’s not some horrible negative relationship (because really, I’ve read and lived enough of those) but it’s not dad-of-the-year picture-perfect. Sam Halpern doesn’t personify the perfect “dad” character. But he does love his son—and this reminds the reader how important a parent’s love is even when it doesn’t come in a pretty package.

On another note the book is relatable for younger adults because it shows Halpern’s own experience with becoming an adult. He deals with a struggle for success both in his personal and professional life and his story is punctuated by cracks from his dad. And, even while his dad is being hysterical, his words also hold grains (and pebbles, and boulders) of truth.

Through the funny remarks that Halpern shares with us, we learn, as he did from his father, important things about life. When he says something like, "That woman was sexy. . . . Out of your league? Son, let women figure out why they won't screw you. Don't do it for them," he points out the importance of confidence and going after what you want without second guessing yourself—if you always judge yourself negatively you don’t give others the chance to judge you positively. When he utters the words, “You sure do like to tailgate people…Right because it’s real important you show up to the nothing you have to do on time,” he tells us the importance of patience, especially while driving. And when he says, “Do people your age not know how to comb their hair? It looks like two squirrels crawled on their heads and started fucking,” well…it’s just plain funny.

So what’s the verdict? Well, you should definitely read Sh*t My Dad Says, if you haven’t already (yes, I know I’m a little late in reviewing it, but cut me some slack—I just started this blog). It’s a fun read and it’s great to reread or even just flip through for a pick-me-up now and then. So I, personally, will be keeping this book on my shelf.