Things my son needs to know about the world

Any parent-to-be can get overwhelmed trying to prepare for the most daunting job in the world. Books are read, classes are taken, and every question is googled. But when the big day finally arrives and the baby is born, the real challenge begins. Having kids can feel like trying to drive a bulldozer through a china shop. With broken legs. Wearing a back-to-front ski mask. While drunk. The Swedish author of several internationally bestselling novels, Backman (Us against You, 2018) shares this sentiment and more in this book dedicated to his newborn son. In essays and anecdotes, he examines everything including shopping at IKEA, playing soccer, starting a band, navigating manhood, getting shot, falling in love, and learning to let go. Each chapter is filled with Backman's dry wit and brutal honesty, but behind all of the humor is real, heartfelt sentiment and poignant advice. This will make readers laugh out loud, but new fathers discovering the ups and downs of parenting will especially relate to this hilarious account of fatherhood.--Melissa Norstedt Copyright 2019 Booklist

Swedish novelist Backman (A Man Called Ove; Beartown) addresses his young son in a series of delightful, thoughtful essays on fatherhood. In "What You Need To Know About Motion-Sensitive Bathroom Lights," Backman explains how his life "revolves around the logistics of poop," and tells of a funny struggle with a shopping center baby-changing station that, he writes, "was my Vietnam." In one of the shorter anecdotes, "This Is Not Going Well. I'm Aware, " Backman contemplates explaining the birds and the bees to his son, but concludes: "I had sex with your mother. You're gonna need a few years to process this.... I really should have just told you about storks." A moving essay on "What You Need to Know About Soccer" is less about the sport and more about Backman's desire for his son to not experience the feeling of "being left out" and of his own fear that someday Backman will feel left out of his grown son's life. All of the essays are connected by Backman's belief that children should grow up "to be better than us... kinder, smarter, more humble, more generous, and more selfless than we are." Parents-especially fathers-will appreciate Backman's witty and touching lessons. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

What you need to know about motionsensitive bathroom lights WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MOTION-SENSITIVE BATHROOM LIGHTS Excerpted from Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.