Six Lessons for Six Sons: An Extraordinary Father, a Simple Formula for Success

by David Clow and Joe Massengale

Book Overview

Part inspiring memoir, part practical manual for building a fulfilling life, Six Lessons for Six Sons shares the important virtues that self-made man and entrepreneur Massengale taught his sons.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307238105
• ISBN13: 9780307238108
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Harmony
• Length: 290 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.9" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Best book I've ever read

Wow! I just finished this book & am amazed at the example Joe Massengale has lived by. If you're looking for a book on parenting & how to live your life, this is it. Character, determination, focus, love, confidence... what else can you say. Joe Massengale leads his life by example & instills all of the above qualities in his children. I would encourage any parent or anyone looking for a blueprint on how they should live their life to the fullest to read this book.

Satisfying in surprising ways

As the father of two sons, ages 14 and 11, I found the book to be very inspiring, uplifting, and valuable. The authors deliver beautifully on the title's promise to tell a powerful story about how a father succeeded in raising six successful sons and the back cover's promise to articulate the ways in which the qualities of confidence, fortitude, pride, persistence, fearlessness, and focus are important for a successful life. But beyond that, the way the book is organized and the excellent writing gave the experience a depth of richness that was much greater than I anticipated and more pleasure than I could have felt justified in expecting.

Add this to your toolbox for parenting!

We can all learn from Massengale. Each of us has our own story; our own past,our own struggles. What makes Joe's story special is how he transcended incredible adversity all the while teaching his children these invaluable lessons.

A Must Read for Every Parent

Six Lessons for Six Sons, written by Joe Massengale and David Clow provides a enlightening approach to providing your children with important gifts to guide them through life. The authors have identified the gifts that help individuals believe in themselves and develop the strength to deal with the inevitable setbacks we all experience, and rise above them. This book is extremely well written, unpretentious, and presents, in a simple straight forward way, six qualities that lay down a foundation for living a rich, admirable and principled life. Massengale and Clow do an outstanding job of presenting these lessons in a way that should inspire fathers (and mothers too) to look at the art of raising children to be productive members of society. It stands head and shoulders above all of the self help books on the market today. The six lessons are ones that I wish I had in raising my own sons. Kevin J. Lyons, Ph.D. Editor, Journal of Allied Health

YO OPRAH, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Joe Massengale is a remarkable man who's led an extraordinary rags-to-riches-to-rags-back-to-riches life...from fearing for his own poverty-stricken life in the days of lynchings, to working his way up to owning his own race horses in Hollywood. His biography alone would make an inspiring, thoroughly readable book -- but having it woven through such valuable lessons, and memorable object lessons, all in service of passing on hard-earned down-to-earth wisdom on something as crucial as character-development...well it makes this book all the more important. And how refreshing to have a "good for you" book that's so well-written! David Clow not only writes elegantly, but knows how to get out of Joe Massengale's way to let his subject's own distinctive voice come through clearly. That Joe Massengale happens to be African-American makes me wonder why Oprah Winfrey hasn't devoted an hour to him yet, but let me hasten to add - his lessons are UNIVERSALLY relevant. You do NOT have to be any particular color to "get" this wisdom, nor to need it. Turning children into responsible adults is the hardest and most important job in the world, no matter your color, age, station in life...or gender. Yes, I'm saying even moms can get something valuable from ths book. So could kids, single adults, you name it - anyone with an interest in the being, and shaping, productive, respected members of society. Only perfect people need not learn these lessons, and if you think you're perfect you need this book more than anyone! Need I mention, as I glance at the calendar, that this would make a HECK of a Father's Day gift?