• Hero

  • Becoming the Strong Father Your Children Need
  • By: Meg Meeker MD
  • Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
  • Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,161 ratings)

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Hero  By  cover art

Hero

By: Meg Meeker MD
Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
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Publisher's summary

Pediatrician and best-selling author Meg Meeker has a message: stop undervaluing fatherhood.

We live in a culture that hails motherhood as a woman's crowning achievement yet defines men first and foremost by their professional accomplishments, treating fatherhood as almost incidental - a bonus. But from her years spent as a pediatrician listening to children's needs and fears, Dr. Meeker understands just how crucial a father's role is.

Hero is a powerful affirmation of fatherhood that shows men how being a strong, active father can be their greatest triumph.

©2017 Meg Meeker (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Hero

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Worth the read

I'm not a father. Still a 22 year old single male. I just got the book because I'm curious to what a man is. I found my answer in this book. Be a leader. Not a coach but a leader. It also shows the importance of a dad. Shoutout to all the single moms out there. Listening to this book brought me back to my childhood. I was fortunate enough to have both parents. This books makes me think I can be a dad now. I'm inspired to be a teacher now.

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16 people found this helpful

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EVERY MAN NEEDS THIS

This book is packet with evidence based research on children's behaviors as it relates to their fathers involvement. I am a 28 year old male with no kids, heck I don't even have a girlfriend and I still find great value in this book. Engaged all the way to the end. Heard it recommended on the Dave Ramsey show and knew I had to have it. Great, great book for men.

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8 people found this helpful

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Conservative Christian Opinions from the 1950’s

The short: Very disappointing. Not recommended. Will return (only 3rd book out of >400 that I will be returning).

The long:
I am a 33 y.o. man, just engaged, and frequently buy books on raising children, fatherhood, marriage etc. mostly out of interest in these important relationships in our lives.

This title caught my attention because of its strong wording and the relatively positive reviews - I hoped to find practical advice about navigating the challenges of being a father that would lend insight into the nature of this role in the family (e.g. how to successfully connect with your children at different ages, how to negotiate important rites of passage etc). Reviews were positive, so I gave it a whirl.

What I found genuinely shocked me: the author basically just repeats over and over that a father is important to a family and, under no circumstances should a father not be with his family. While a relatively benign statement in isolation, the examples provided were really upsetting: she speaks of severely alcoholic, totally deadbeat dads and their wives who suffer through a very bleak life with them and claims that this is good. She describes women who are completely destroyed by their marriages to men who are at best a burden to their family and, at worst, a threat to their happiness, health and safety and claims that this environment is better for the children.

Now, to be fair, perhaps it’s true that such toxic environments are better for children than being devoid of one parent; however, Meeker does not provide *any* grounds for her claim - not *one* study to support that having a (really) terrible father is better than not having one, at all. And, of course, all research suggests the exact opposite: merely having parents isn’t enough (if this weren’t true, why would anyone buy the book? No need to try to be a better parent, just show up ... ).

It quickly became clear that her motivation for this perspective was inspired by her faith-based valuation of the sanctity of marriage. I applaud this perspective (see below), but feel she goes way too far, neglecting the health and safety of the women and children who are subject to these mediocre dads.

Anyhow, I just found it very upsetting to hear her speak of clients who came to her in very difficult situations, married to men who treated them and their children despicably, where she discouraged them from separating and seeking out a better life for themselves and their children. She described one woman in an impossible situation, who came to see her ready to leave her husband, seeking only a bit of support to take that step, whom she discouraged (and successfully dissuaded). She spoke of this as a success, even though she did mention that the woman finally left the man, years later, after suffering through an additional 10+ years without any change in behaviour from his end. She didn’t seem to be aware that she had used her authority as a physician to guilt this woman into staying in a horrible situation.

I certainly agree with her general statement: fathers are important, too. And I agree that couples in general - and *especially* parents - should try to work through difficulties in their relationships instead of throwing in the towel at the first sign of difficulty. However, I think it is professionally irresponsible to place an arbitrary value on a couple remaining together over the health and safety of women and the children.

Instead of finding a book that inspired and instructed me to be a hero, I found a book that seemed to hope I just wouldn’t be a complete deadbeat, and have some sort of minimal presence in my family’s life.

Very disappointing. Not recommended. Will return (only 3rd book out of >400 that I will be returning).

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7 people found this helpful

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Principles of Fatherhood

The author constantly weaves real stories in and out of the principles she teaches in her book. As a result the book flows very smoothly and clearly illiterates the real life application of the principles taught.

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6 people found this helpful

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Good but not great.

I bought this book for encouragement and tips on being the very best father possible. The book did a good job giving examples of different family situations and how to tackle them but was a let down in other areas. One example was “if your dad failed you or had bad habits, don’t do what your dad did”. Possibly I’m being overly critical but that seems like common sense to me. There was nothing truly eye-opening for me personally. I don’t think I would recommend it to someone unless they were really struggling with fatherhood.

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Father, you either are, or you must become a hero for your children, there is no other option.

I did like the way MD, Meg Meeker was able to further cement the role of fathers and the responsibility fathers have by considering both facts why fathers should feel that responsibility, that of irreplaceable role of fatherhood, but also the very important correlation between father and The God.

I would recommend this book specifically to all fathers, but also to mothers who need to better understand the role and responsibility of fathers.

I did listen this book with a goal of better understanding the role that fathers should play with their children. I was fortunate to read this book and I am sure it will help me reach my goal of becoming a better father and build a better and healthier family!!

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Unnecessarily religious

Great first half. Second half: too religious. Good book anyway, worth to listen. Maybe a warning about the religous content would be appreciated.

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The best book I've read on fatherhood

This has to be the best book I've ever read on fatherhood. A must-read for every father.

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Wasn't everything Dr. Meeker has to offer.

pretty good. Not as good or impactful as Strong Fathers Strong Daughters IMHO. There really is a need for the hero Dr Meeker calls dad's to be in this book, but I think she overlooked some of the outfalls that can come up. Also, her insurance that "he isn't mad at you, he's mad at himself" over and over seemed inaccurate for a lot of situations. Maybe he is mad at you because you're being a jerk, or not doing what he needs. Just buckling down on spending time with your kid won't always make things better if theres some resentment you kid is holding because you're unwilling to talk about certain issues that need to be addressed. Just my opinion, but I think she gave dad's a little too much credit for their maturity.

Sometimes, there's some kind of issue the dad will need to work on or resolve first before all this spend more time with your kids advice will be positive.

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Am glad I got this b4 I got married..

I learnt a lot and am ready to be a father and lead my family.

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3 people found this helpful