
"Depending on the author, the humor ranges from quiet dry wit to don't-drink-your-coffee-while-reading-because-you-will-snort-coffee-through-your-nose funny. P. J. O'Rourke's chapter on how fatherhood turns men into adults will make you chuckle. Tucker Carlson's exploration on filling your children's lives with excitement and danger will make you laugh. So will Toby Young's on bad parenting, Andrew Ferguson's on empty nests, Rob Long's on marriage, and Joseph Epstein's on being a grandparent."
"The chapters are not just about jokes. Each dispenses wisdom about some aspect of fatherhood. Any dad who had gone through "the Talk" on sex with their children will identify with the embarrassment experienced by Matt Labash. You may not be as into shared experiences in television watching with your children as James Lileks, but he reminds you of some shared experience with your children."
"Fathers who have been through the experiences related by the authors will nod in agreement. Fathers who have yet to go through some aspect of fatherhood outlined will get useful pointers. The Dadly Virtues is out in time for Father's Day. It is a book with application past Father's Day. This book is one that will resonate throughout the year." --Mark Lardas, Galveston County Daily News (June 7, 2015)
"In the best-selling 2014 book The Seven Deadly Virtues, editor Jonathan V. Last makes a case for gratitude as the best of the virtues, surpassing justice, curiosity, prudence, and all others."
--Marty Wiggins, Tyler Morning Telegraph
"What author Jonathan Last has assembled here is a distillation of what it means to be a father, told through the stories of fathers who happen to be gifted writers, as well as being absolutely hilarious. Each chapter has its share of funny war stories, but each also has some deep insights into the ups and downs of raising kids. There is timeless wisdom in these comical stories. Plus, this book has an essay by Matt Labash who many claim is the funniest writer in America these days. But don't be surprised if your eyes get misty at the closing chapter on becoming a good grandfather." --Sue Randleman, Crossville Chroncile
"What do you get when you assemble an all-star cast of writers who have collectively experienced the many terrors and triumphs of fatherhood and have lived to write about it? You end up with The Dadly Virtues: Adventures From the Worst Job You'll Ever Love. As the subtitle suggests, this book is a tongue-in-cheek portrait of the gory glory of fatherhood, containing plenty of side-splitting anecdotes and cultural critique with a dash of philosophical profundity. The editor, Jonathan Last, likens the book to 'something of a Swiss army knife: part instructional guide, part meditation, part war journal' (4) ... . As a recent inductee to the fraternity of fatherhood, I am personally weary of the many formulaic books I have seen that treat fatherhood as though it's a science to be conquered. If you're like me, you'll agree that the unfiltered and personal nature of The Dadly Virtues is its greatest strength. Last and company portray fatherhood less like a science and more like an art form in which hapless amateurs creep toward mastery through a process of trial and error. With each chapter, you'll be treated to a strikingly intimate and refreshingly witty take on the real-life rigors and joys of fatherhood... . The Dadly Virtues is a refreshing look at the time-worn institution of fatherhood. After reading it, those of you who aren't dads will wonder if you should ever become one, while those of us who are will wonder why we didn't start sooner. In the words of Last, 'If you aren't otherwise engaged in some duty that precludes it--say, the priesthood--and you have the opportunity, then you should be a father. There is nothing more vexing, exhausting, noble, or manly. It's the worst job you'll ever love' (15)... . Often side-splitting, sometimes tear-jerking, and always riveting, The Dadly Virtues will resonate with any father or father-to-be." -- Timothy Kleiser, the Gospel Coalition