Book Review: Father Knows Less

The concept behind this book was intriguing.  Author Wendell Jamieson took the questions of his young son (and other children) and sought the answers from experts.  I found this book while searching for books about raising sons.  Although it wasn't directly about the parenting process, I thought it might be interesting to read the questions of young boys and figured that some of them might be questions my own sons might ask.

Sadly, I wasn't impressed with this book.  The jacket promised "hilarious questions and answers" and "a heartwarming exploration of that childlike curiosity that lives within us all."  Initially, the questions were interesting: "Why is the highway so loud? Why is the sky blue? How far up can my balloon go before it pops?"  It was, indeed, full of the kinds of questions my boys tend to ask, like: "What would hurt more- getting run over by a car or getting stung by a jellyfish?" and "Why do your hands and feet get wrinkly in the tub, and not the rest of you?"  And there was even a question I've asked: "Why is noon p.m. instead of a.m., since it has been a.m. right up to twelve o'clock?"  But there were also questions which seemed unnecessary, like "Is George Bush evil?" and "What is porn?" and "What does 'sexy' mean?" and "Do large animals need help to have sex?"

Plus, it just seemed like the book was trying, unsuccessfully, to be funny.  I found myself wishing it had been written by Bill Bryson, who could have pulled off the "funny" aspect.  Still, I kept reading, didn't I?  So, I suppose it had some pull to it.  The personal essay introductions to the questions were easy reading and interesting enough to keep my attention.  But, my overall response to the book was just "meh."