A Gift to my Children

When I was a boy, my father often pulled me aside to convey lessons intended to build what we generally refer to as "character". Often his advice was very simple — work hard, think for yourself, do right by others — but I believe those lessons provided the foundation for everything that has followed in my life. Now that I'm a dad myself, I wanted to put them down in one place, with examples of my own experiences, as a guide to life, adventure, and investing, both for my young daughters and for anyone seeking success in his or her chosen field.I hope that parents will be inspired to give this book to their children, and vice versa, as many of the lessons that I have learned apply not just to young people but to all adults—for example, question everything, never follow the crowd, and beware of boys! What a lovely, lovely book! Though I've read all you've written, this one really touched me. It is, of course, a love letter to your daughters, which is not only a wonderful, meaningful thing to do, but it was filled with exactly the kind of advice all fathers should give. Your new book will stay on my shelf for a long, long time, and I'll be giving it to my own kids to read. --Nicholas Sparks, author of The Notebook, Dear John, and The Last Song