Fathers Day, Buzz Bissinger
Fathers Day, Buzz Bissinger
2 Rating(s)
List: $25.99 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $12.99

Father's Day
A Journey into the Mind and Heart of My Extraordinary Son

Author: Buzz Bissinger

Narrator: Buzz Bissinger

Unabridged: 8 hr 55 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/15/2012


Synopsis

Acclaimed Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger shares the moving and uplifting tale of his cross-country journey with his adult savant son who suffered brain damage at birth.

Buzz Bissinger’s twin sons were born three minutes—and a world—apart. Gerry, the older one, is a graduate student preparing to become a teacher. His brother Zach has spent his life attending special schools. He’ll never drive a car, or kiss a girl, or live by himself. He is challenged by serious intellectual deficits but also blessed with rare talents: an astonishing memory, a dazzling knack for navigation, and a reflexive honesty, which can make him both socially awkward and surprisingly wise.
     One summer night, Buzz and Zach hit the road to revisit all the places they have lived together during Zach’s twenty-four years. Zach revels in his memories, and Buzz hopes this journey into their shared past will bring them closer and reveal to him the mysterious workings of his son’s mind and heart.
     As father and son follow a pinball’s path from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, they see the best and worst of America and each other. Ultimately, their trip bestows a new and uplifting wisdom on Buzz, as he comes to realize that Zach’s worldview, as exotic as it is, has a sturdy logic of its own, a logic that deserves the greatest respect. And with the help of Zach’s twin, Buzz learns an even more vital lesson about Zach: character transcends intellect. And we come to see Zach as he truly is—patient, fearless, perceptive, and kind.

About Buzz Bissinger

Buzz Bissinger is among the nation’s most honored and distinguished writers. A native of New York City, Buzz is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the Livingston Award, the American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award, and the National Headliners Award, among others. He was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. He is the author of the highly acclaimed nonfiction books Friday Night Lights, A Prayer for the City, and Three Nights in August.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Cynthia on June 06, 2012

This is the kind of book I would normally devour. Unfortunately, I didn't respond that way to this book. While I appreciate how incredibly tough it must be for the author to have a son with significant brain issues (particularly since this son has a "normal" twin brother), the author comes across as......more

Goodreads review by Suzy on September 29, 2014

Definitely worth a read. I found this book on my mom's shelf, one of dozens of books given to her by a dear bookish friend. Basically this friend (who recently passed away) would show up for lunch dates with a paper bag full of "books you have to read". It was overwhelming to my mom, so she would al......more

Goodreads review by Overrated Parenting on May 31, 2012

Back in the 1970's Buzz Bissinger, best known for the book Friday Night Lights, watched as his twin boys were born 13.5 weeks early and three minutes and three ounces apart. And although it doesn't seem like it should, those three minutes and three ounces made all the difference to you younger twin,......more

Goodreads review by Kasa on November 10, 2015

Buzz Bissinger was blessed with being the father of twins, and some would say cursed since Zack, the younger by 3 minutes, was brain damaged at birth. But these are special people, and despite splitting from his wife shortly after this traumatic event, Bissinger shared fully in his sons' development......more

Goodreads review by Laura on December 30, 2013

Buzz Bissinger is not the easiest guy to like (see twitter rants) or always the most stable (see also shopping addiction article in GQ) but one thing is for certain, he is an honest parent, fallible and flawed. This book gave me a sense of greater understanding of what some of the parents I've worke......more