After Tim Russert published memories of his dad in Big Russ and Me, he received an overwhelming response from other men and women wanting to tell of their own memories, good or bad, of their fathers. Wisdom of our Fathers is the result of those letters he received. Many are heartwarming, filled with wonderful memories of a hardworking father who took the time to invest in his children’s lives. Letter after letter revolve around one central and all-important theme to each writer – the fact that each one’s father created meaningful moments, not by the things he bought them, but simply by being there for them.

Each letter conveys the love that the authors have for their dads and, as a father myself, makes me want to ensure that no matter what happens, that I create special memories for my children. As some stories tell, some fathers didn’t even know that something seemingly so insignificant that they did could have such an impact on his children.

Perhaps the only negative point is, oddly enough, Russert’s contributions before each letter. The letters would certainly do well on their own, and Russert’s comments came across as his simply wanting to add his $0.02 to each. While I’m sure they were intended to introduce and summarize the story that followed, it really only distracted from the story itself.

In a time where fathers are constantly being portrayed on television as bumbling idiots, this book sheds light on what true fatherhood means. ( )

Russert died unexpectedly in 2008. He was eulogized admiringly by many journalists for his "impartial" handling of the news, especially the presidential campaign. He was the primary witness in the perjury trial against "Scooter" Libby in 2007, although basically it was a conflict of whose memory was more accurate.

After Big Russ and Me was such a success so many people wrote in to Tim about their fathers and this book, and the CD with Tim reading the words both are a treasure! With Tim Russert taken from us so soon, his words on the CD are comforting and treasured! ( )

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