I didn’t realize how funny Fredrik Backman could be, I mean all out hilarious. Of course, I knew he was an incredible author because I’ve read all his books. He’s genius! In this book he writes to his then infant son, about what he thinks he’ll need to know about the world, as only Backman could write. At this juncture, Backman is a new parent, totally overwhelmed with the fact that he and his wife (whom he’s head-over-heels, in love with) have produced this tiny human being. This life form that is basically a ‘poop machine’ that requires tons of stuff. He also cannot believe how in love he is with this child and feels he must provide the very best for him and the safest.
“THE SAFEST doyouhearme?!” Plus, assuming the responsibility is daunting.
“When Sims 2 came out, I stopped playing because I felt like it was too much responsibility. I’m pretty sure that’s not being “parent material.”
Acquiring all the equipment a baby needs for inside their apartment and outside called for many trips to IKEA. Anyone who has set foot in an IKEA knows the chaos of the world they are about to enter. Survival is the name of the game. Backman, knowing this first-hand, devotes an entire chapter to this challenge. I wish I can quote the entire chapter, it brought my most laugh-out-loud moments, but I’ll limit myself to one.
“You’ll learn to hate IKEA. Really. You’ll shout about missing screws and cut yourself on folded sheets of plywood and swear to devote your life to finding and killing whoever came up with the illustrated instructions for assembling this piece of crap TV stand. And then you’ll learn to love this place.”
Remember as you read this, Fredrik Backman lives in Sweden, he speaks Swedish, he bought his baby stuff at the IKEA in Stockholm, Sweden! How is there any hope for the rest of us, I ask you?!
The remainder of this book is a testament to the tenderhearted, intelligent, and honest person we know Fredrik Backman to be. There is much more to read than just the funny stuff I presented here. In the last chapter, Fredrik recounts the time he is accidentally injured and scares the breath out of his wife, then girlfriend. It’s a truly amazing story that you must read to understand the complexity of this man, a great father.
Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Fredrik Backman

Brilliant streams of conscience and words of wisdom as Backman prepares his son to face the complex and contrary world we live in. I love Backman’s style, how he expertly transfers his thoughts about fatherhood (plus those of husbandhood) onto the page. He’s got a great sense of humor. As with his last non-fiction book, “And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer”, I breezed through this one. It tugged at my heart, I chuckled often, became contemplative at times, read passages to my husband and simply couldn’t put the book down.

*will post online upon publication. GREAT story!

Things My Son Needs to Know about the World is a departure from Fredrik Bachman's usual fiction storytelling. It is a collection of short stories about his experience as a father. He writes like he is speaking to his son which I found made these stories feel personal and intimate.

There was a balance of humor and some with more depth and throughout it all, there was the rollercoaster ride of emotions we all experience as parents. I found this book to be enjoyable and easy to consume in small doses due to the short story format. Though it doesn't offer anything brand new, I found his insights relatable and it was fun to have a glimpse at the everyday family life of such a gifted storyteller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Here we go readers. Everyone who knows me knows that I LOVE Fredrick Backman. I will read absolutely anything this man writes. His new book, Things My Son Needs To Know About The World is a heartfelt read on the joys and fears of parenting. Having three sons of my own, I was instantly attracted to this book. Backman's book is essentially a letter to his newborn son in the form of short essays about what his son needs to know about life. His writing is beautifully crafted and pulled hard at my ever dangling heart strings. He essentially emptied his brain on the pages of his book with his own parenting fears, mistakes and hopes for the future. He writes of the everyday dealings with newborn poop and sleepless nights to the importance of finding your people, the benefits of being in a band and of course........soccer. His love for his son is bursting through the pages of this book. Not only does his writing offer his son unique advice and raw explanations of life thus far, it is also (most definitely) a love letter to his beautiful wife. Be prepared to laugh your face off, cry your eyes out and be left with a warm and fuzzy feeling after reading the last page of this short, but sweet book. Backman delivers another effortless read.
**This ARC was provided by Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fredrik Backman has always had my attention as an author with his down-to-earth, folksy style and his well-honed skill of putting combining amazing prose and memorable characters. In Things My Son Needs to Know about the World, he gives us a glimpse into his personal life as he writes essays and notes to his young son about things he wants his son to know as he grows up.

Filled with warmth, humor and joyful love, Backman has given me another reason to love him. Any parent will be able to relate to this book. I found it so captivating that I read through it in one sitting, alternating between tears, laughter and shouts of "right on!"

I love this quote from Backman - "You can be whatever you want to be, but that's nowhere near as important as knowing that you can be exactly who you are."

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

*3-3.5 stars

Humorous essays written by the author to his baby son with advice for living in the world from the author's own unique perspective but is geared towards entertaining and commiserating with other often sleep-deprived parents. His thoughts reveal a great deal about who Backman is as a man, father, husband. I think it would be amusing to hear the author read these essays himself in an audio version.

Another wonderful book by Frederik Backman. Written for his firstborn son, it is a collection of things the author wants his son to know. Love, marriage, friendship and life are all reflected on as only Frederik can do.. Funny, wise and full of love, it is a treasure to read. The love he has for his family shows through on every page.

Over the last few years, Fredrik Backman has been one of my favorite authors, with Beartown, Us Against You, A Man Called Ove and And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer capturing my heart and winding up on my year-end lists of the best books I've read. So when I had the chance to get my hands on his new collection of essays, Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, I jumped on it, despite not having a child.

Once again, Backman's writing is imbued with tremendous heart, emotion, and utter charm. While he's certainly proven his ability to make his fiction utterly compelling from the very first page, this book proves his talent isn't exclusive to fiction, but you can see why his writing has made fans of so many of us.

In Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, Backman gives advice to his young son, about everything from love to finding the right friends to surviving a trip to IKEA. The essays are punctuated with humorous anecdotes of Backman's interactions with his wife, episodes where his parenting skills (and even his thinking skills) are called into question, and declarations of love for his wife and child.

"We want you to be better than us. Because if our kids don't grow up to be better than us, then what's the point of all this? We want you to be kinder, smarter, more humble, more generous, and more selfless than we are. We want to give you the very best circumstances we can possibly provide. So we follow sleeping methods and go to seminars and buy ergonomic bathtubs and push car seat salesmen up against the wall and shout 'the safest! I want THE SAFEST doyouhearme?!'"

These lessons are beautifully universal and have so much meaning. There's also a tremendous amount of humor in the book, humor derived from situations Backman has experienced, like getting a sofa for your first apartment. ("...buy your first sofa secondhand. Not from IKEA. Buy one of those brown leather monstrosities as big as the Death Star...Buy the sofa you want, not the sofa you need...Because sooner or later you'll fall in love. And from then on, every sofa you own will be one long compromise.") He provides advice to live by, all saturated in the immense love he has for his son.

I don't have children, but I found this book tremendously appealing anyway. While some of the essays are more traditionally male-centric, there is a lot of the book that would apply to daughters as well. Some chapters are funnier than others, there's a lot of talk about poop and other messes, and sometimes the essays meander a bit before circling back to the core point, but I enjoyed this.

Things My Son Needs to Know About the World will make a sweet Father's Day gift, particularly for a reasonably new father, although "older" fathers will probably enjoy this, too. I think more than one guy will wipe away a tear—perhaps only in private. I'm looking forward to Backman's next novel (perhaps another Beartown book?), but this is enough to tide me over until then.

NetGalley and Atria Books provided me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

This book will be published May 7, 2019.

Things My Son Needs to Know About the World by Fredrik Backman is a 2019 Atria publication.

I knew I loved this author for a reason!

Fredrik Backman stole my heart with “A Man Called Ove” but he has been keeping it in safekeeping ever since.

This is Backman’s first non-fiction book, a series of essays about parenting that nearly anyone who has children, no matter what age they are now, or cared for them, can relate to. His musings are laugh out loud funny, chronicling the insanity an infant can spawn on two reasonably well- adjusted adults. The mistakes, the fears, the special moments between father and son, and the future hopes and dreams for his child are all beautifully captured in this book.

The snicker bar recipe won me over early in the book because Backman apparently feels the same way I do about a certain over rated actor. (Still chuckling and feeling so totally vindicated)

All gushing aside, though, there were times when I thought the author rambled, almost illogically, about things that didn’t seem to have much of a connection to parenthood. It only happened once or twice, but when it did, all I could do was shake my head and move on the next essay.

Other than that, I can’t tell you how much fun this book is. Not only that, it is so poignant and bittersweet, just like Backman’s fictional work.

While this book may hit home for newer parents in a more ‘in the moment’ way, even if your children are older, or like me, grown and carving out their own lives, this book will bring back a lot of memories. You may develop a lump in your throat or a swipe a tear from your eye, because Backman reminds all of us to take pleasure in all the small treasures of life, to focus on what is truly important, to admit our human frailties, and most importantly, to see the humor in it all.

If you love Backman – you don't want to miss this one!

In typical Backman style, the author adds wit to the trials of parenting. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Although the tone was really different from what I was expecting, it was quite enjoyable. It's very funny and touching and tender, like one would expect from this author; it was the writing style that was different from his fiction, less refined, fragmented. Even though I've loved everything by this author, I know almost nothing about him. The little bits he talked about himself in this book made me very curious and I will eagerly await the day he puts out a silly-titled memoir. He is a better person than me.

Fredrick Backman writes about things that I'm normally not interested in, like hockey, and raising sons. But that's what makes Mr. Backman so talented, because he can take a subject that is completely foreign to a reader like me and write about it in a way that is entertaining, poignant, humorous, and insightful. His writing connects with readers like no one else can.

I like the honest parenting insights. There’s an expectation in our society that parenting is a life enhancing, happy experience. No one talks about the hard stuff and social media portrays it as all fun and smiles. Mr. Backman gets real about parenting, poop & crap (lots of it), and all of the ups and downs of raising a child.

The writing is casual, conversational, and less formal than his novels. The tone is relaxed, playful, at times crass, flippant, and occasionally rambling. But, I loved all of the nuggets of wisdom that he shares. We can all learn from them.

This is a quick read that I finished in a few hours. It's the perfect gift for Father's Day or a soon-to-be new mom or dad, written in Fredrick Backman's signature style that will make you laugh, cry, and feel every emotion in between.

4 Stars
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In this book, we have a collection of thoughts, anecdotes, and advice from Backman to his newborn son. With his ability to use words precisely and pointedly, Backman pulls at the heart strings of readers-- whether you are a parent pr not.
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What I Loved: Backman's writing as always is top notch-- for me at least most of the time. When it's on and flowing it really is perfect. I've seen lots of reviews talking about how this is about how a father loves his son. And I totally agree. But to me it is so much more. It is about a father who loves his son and wants him to be better than his father. Backman talks about being humble, being kind to others, knowing oneself and your own needs, and his deep love for his wife. He wants his son to do or be all of these things and it truly is lovely.
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What I Did Not Love: Some of the stories went to deep into random thoughts. loved the WWE as a kid, but the Kane/Undertaker thing was a bit too dragged out.I could say this for the airport story as well.
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Again, I really loved most of this book, but some just dragged on a bit. Highly recommend for people with kids or even people who just love Backman!

A sweet read as a new dad looks to teach his son about life, love and living the world. Fans of Fredrick Backman's other work will enjoy his tone and humor. At times I laughed out loud, then turn the page to tear up.

This would be a great gift for a new dad, but also just a great book to read, whether you are a parent or not.

I was offered an advanced readers copy in exchange for a review by NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Even though this collection of essays is chock full of nuggets of wisdom, it is not the wistful, poignant novel that you may be expecting. It's a laugh out loud, spill my wine and pee my pants kind of read. These stories will most definitely resonate with parents far and wide, and yet-to-be and childless folks alike will be thoroughly entertained by Backman’s stories. Backman has such a down to earth style of writing that is easy to relate to. If you’re in need of a light read and many laughs, read this gem. You’ll be rewarded with hearty laughter and a smile in your heart as well!

This ARC was provided by Atria books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

You should know that I am a huge fan of Fredrik Backman. I have read and loved all of his books. When I saw his new book, “Things My Son Needs to Know about the World” was on NetGalley I had to request it.

Backman’s writing style is very unique and this book is no exception. It’s funny in the best ways but also is relatable to your everyday life. I loved these short anticodes. If you’re looking for a sweet read, this is the one for you.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Atria Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

this book is written in such a wonderful way! truly like he's leaving a how-to for navigating life for his son. It was funny and included snippets ranging from IKEA to starting a band. I found myself laughing out loud!

There were things I don't agree with as a parent that he voiced but that's his opinion. I don't agree with the hands-off method. That children should navigate themselves through life. I think parents are to guide their children in the way they should go and children should learn from their elders who are wiser and have experience navigating life. That's where the 4/5 comes in for me.

Thank you to #NetGalley #AtriaBooks for my free e-copy of #ThingsMySonNeedstoKnowAbouttheWorld by Fredrik Backman in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Things My Son Needs to Know About the World is a collection of humorous and poignant essays Backman wrote to teach his son about life. Essays range from short and light (how to beat Monkey Island 3) to poignant and deep (why a dad might hold onto his son’s hand just a little too tight). Underlying it all are thoughtful themes including those of unconditional love, a desperate desire to not fail at fatherhood, falling in love, and friendship.

Are you a Backman fan?! *Full disclosure: Although I have my favorites, I read everything Backman and appreciate his creative, magical sentence crafting, risk taking style. I’m on board the Backman Band Wagon and committed to reading every word he writes. I was especially thrilled to receive an advanced reader copy of Things My Son Needs to Know About the World.

I have read the majority of Backman’s published work and journeyed with him as we traveled the paths of loss (And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer); competition, passion, assault, and intolerance (Beartown, Us Against You); the important things in life (The Deal of a Lifetime); lovable and mature quirky characters (A Man Called Ove, Britt-Marie Was Here); and a tender grandmother/granddaughter relationship (My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry).

In this essay collection, stand up comedy meets poignancy in an easy reading stream of consciousness format. It is delightful and entertaining reading experience to be inside the mind of Backman and see life from his perspective. I appreciate Backman’s characterizations, humor, creativity, honesty, transparency, and his ability to craft perfect phrases. One of my favorite topics is the sports chapter because I’ve experienced how the love of a sport is passed from father to son in my own family. I’ve seen the importance, the bonding, and the life lessons. I also appreciated the last chapter in which Backman details his traumatic brush with death and lingering anxiety. Overall, this book is humorous, insightful, creative, and appropriately poignant. You will laugh and cry.

Recommended for fans of Backman’s writing, for readers who love humor and personal essays, for parents, and for those who appreciate creative and thoughtful writing. For readers choosing the book because of the title, my reading experience is that the book is less poignant than the title might suggest.

Review posted on blog 4/12/19

Things My Son Needs to Know about the World was a welcome departure from the genres that I normally read. A great little pick me up that I read in a short amount of time one evening. I seriously just love Fredrik Backman and I can say this little book (his first non-fiction) offering us a glimpse into the workings of his everyday mind was not a let down. I laughed so hard with tears steaming down my face about some of his tales of parenthood. The scenes put me back into those newborns days giving me a chuckle at the crazy it was.

Although this is not one of my favorites it was still a fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for my advanced copy.

This book is a departure from Backman's fiction and not the book for me. It's a collection of short chapters of writings about parenting written to his son. I think it's supposed to be humorous, though I didn't find it so. To me it felt scattered and rambling. I expect it to be popular at my library though, simply due to name recognition.