Things My Son Needs to Know About the World

In his first nonfiction book, Fredrik Backman uses all of his literary skills while penning a book-length letter to his son. By combining humorous parenting anecdotes with memories of his life before becoming a parent, Backman blends days past and the present and future in his signature style. His whimsical writing in his novels touches readers hearts, and the effect is just as charming and heartfelt in his latest book Things My Son Needs to Know about the World.

I want to apologize, he begins the book, listing a variety of parenting blunders like buying a minivan and wearing shorts. Despite the young age of his son at the time of the books writingbarely a toddler and an only child thenBackman doesnt hesitate to call the situation for what it is. He ends his introduction by saying, I want you to remember that it was you who started it.

From there Backman shares with his son his love for many things, including the British soccer team Manchester United, bacon (in all forms and quantities,) and his wife. He also doesnt hesitate to get right into the middle of topics such as how other parents might view him and parenting as a whole. In one chapter, Backman writes:

[I]ts not easy as it looks, this whole being-a-parent thing, you know? I do the best I can. I do actually try to be attentive. Sensitive. Empathetic. I get just as heated up over the scandals around the swine flu vaccine and the lack of qualified teachers and all that other stuff, the fact that there was some kind of poison or something in the walls of your preschool and that we had to be super careful to remember something when we did something or whatever it was. Im doing the best I can! Its just that I have a lot to think about.

In another chapter, Backman shares advice on eating before attending a party. He gives his recipe for his pre-eating hot dog, his favorite item to consume before he and his wife go to a social gathering. The hot dog consists, among other things, of two chorizo sausages, bacon, and cheese. Backman says, I call it the LOreal Sausage. Because Im worth it.

Between the humorous one-liners, however, Backman affirms for his son (and his readers) just how much he adores his family. Parenting might be the stack of wood that needs to be chopped, but family is the cozy fire inside a chalet with a warm blanket and hot cocoa. Backman writes in a way his fans will recognize; stories and thoughts take a saunter around the block before looping back to the main point. In the hands of a less masterful writer, this approach would turn into a disaster. From Backmans pen, the gentle method will keep readers engaged until the last page of this slim volume and make them wish hed written more, for both his son and them.

Anyone who is a parent will certainly appreciate Backmans frankness about his insecurities. Anyone wanting to read a well-written memoir should put this on the top of their reading list. I recommend readers Binge Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman.

As far as I’m concerned, ANYTHING Fredrik Backman writes deserves a minimum of 5 Stars! Ever since I read A Man Called Ove, Mr Backman has been my favorite author (and I am an avid and diversified reader). Proud to say, every book Mr Backman has published has a place of distinction in my home library – and it is my intent to continue that tradition for as long he continues to publish and as I possibly can.

“I want you to always remember that you can become whatever you want to become, but that’s nowhere near as important as knowing you can be exactly who you are.”

This is a letter Fredik Backman wrote to his son. A fairly short book about all the most important lessons he has to teach his son, like what it means to be a man, hoping that his son will love soccer just as much as he does, what it means when he hugs his son tight. So many lessons, and letting us know that things are not always as they seem. Like, “no one, in the history of the world, had an argument in IKEA that is really about IKEA.”

This was laugh out loud fun, and it was also touching and hard hitting. Backman took simple life happenings and everyday experiences and turned them into meaningful and wide reaching lessons that were both profound and beautiful.

I am not a parent, but I still found these lessons applicable to my life and how I see things. This was so beautiful and I absolutely loved it.

Maybe its because it was translated, but this book is EXTREMELY repetitive. The best way I can describe it is, its like when you were writing a college term paper and had 7 of 10 pages written and just started slightly repeating what you already wrote, in just a slightly different way.

It is a decent read, but feel like the format is much better suited as an audio book.

Fredrick Backman never fails to amaze me. Now he presents a mini-autobiography in words to his son. Thank you, Mr. Backman, for your words, many of which I relate to when I think of my own daughter.

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