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I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, but Mother's Day has it all over Father's Day. Moms get flowers; dads get ties. Moms get taken out to dinner; dads get ties. Moms get diamonds and beautiful cards; dads . . . well, you get the idea. Maybe it's because moms get weepy and dads suppress their emotions (I know, I know --- generalizations).
This year, there are a number of titles designed to help dad feel better about himself. As we all know, there are certain things men think they know more about than anyone else. Among these are breaking in a baseball glove, building a fire, and mowing the lawn. But for us men who are embarrassed to admit out loud that we do not possess such innate knowledge, help is on the way!
 Although most people seem to associate sports with the male gender, it is in fact moms who finish ahead when it comes to sporting events. Tune in to just about any football game when the camera covers the sidelines. What do the players say? "Hi, Mom!" It's time to give Dad his due. After all, how many childhood hurts are eased by fathers playing catch with their children, tossing the ball back and forth at the end of a summer's day, talking away the cares of the world.
Paul O'Neill, the former New York Yankees star, has written a touching memoir titled ME AND MY DAD. O'Neill, known for his fiery temper, is quite sentimental when discussing his father. Chick O'Neill taught Paul and his siblings the values of fair play and trying one's best. If things don't work out today, try again tomorrow: "Dad's attitude was that it was acceptable to be hard on yourself up to a point. . ." It would seem that Paul had a hard time remembering this, taking out his frustrations on water coolers and clubhouse equipment after a poor performance on the field.
It is obvious the impact that father had on son, encouraging Paul when things weren't going well during his minor league trials or giving him a kick in the pants when it was called for.
While the Yankees were building a new dynasty in the late 1990s, Chick O'Neill's health was declining. Paul describes the difficulties in watching this once-strong man suffer. Chick died during the 1999 World Series, but Paul continued to play because, as the saying goes, "He would have wanted it that way." The season was a tough one for the Yankees in general. Scott Brosius and Luis Sojo also lost their fathers, and Joe Torre was treated for prostate cancer.
Aside from the loving tone towards family, ME AND MY DAD is your average sports bio, recalling successes and failures. Actually, given today's tell-all books, it's quite tame, which makes O'Neill's story all the more welcome.
* * * * *
 As an extension of the "fire thing" mentioned earlier, men believe they can cook outdoors better than others. GRILLING AMERICA by Rick Browne is not for the faint of heart. Actually it's more for people unafraid of heart surgery, since many of his recipes do not fall into the category of "health food." As further evidence, check out his other cholesterol-raising offering, THE FREQUENT FRYERS COOKBOOK.
Part cookbook, part travelogue, GRILLING AMERICA features all the helpful hints needed to guide the neophyte outdoor chef into the wonderful world of smoke and flames.
It must be a great life traveling around the country, attending barbeque festivals and pigging out. Browne colorfully highlights several such culinary expeditions, such as the "Tenny Lamas, Frickles and Rockies Annual World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest" in Houston, and the Annual Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland. The photos are reminiscent of snapshots of the family vacation and make even the most picayune eaters want to ditch the yogurt and celery sticks.
Of course, GRILLING AMERICA concentrates on the actual cooking aspects, with recipes for dozens of appetizers, main courses, side dishes and condiments. Browne has some very creative suggestions, especially in the last category. These ribs, salsas and sauces can make or break the meal and transform the most overlooked cuts of meat into fine eatin'.
* * * * *
 Finally, HOW TO MOW THE LAWN gives dozens of manly tips we all wish our dads had helped us with (or warned us about).
Aside from the lawn business, author Sam Martin offers suggestions about making things ("Laying a Concrete Tile Patio" and "Building a Barbeque Pit"), working, playing, and even matters of the heart.
While some of the topics could be considered tongue-in-cheek, they are nevertheless quite useful. What manly man wants to admit he doesn't know how to change a tire, or jumpstart a car, or scare off a bear? Unfortunately, the publisher must expect the reader to have perfect eyesight as well, since the type is so small.
Despite this minor flaw, HOW TO MOW THE LAWN is a handy little reference that Dad will accept with thanks and good cheer.
* * * * *
So if you're still stuck on what to get Dad, try one of these titles . . . and save the tie for his birthday.
--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan (RonKaplanNJ@comcast.net)
Looking for more ideas? Below are additional titles to help make your shopping excursion less stressful. And don't forget to check out the list of Suspense/Thriller hardcovers in our Best of Summer feature, as well as our recent golf feature, a roundup of baseball books, and a celebration of the New York Yankees Centennial.
DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HISTORY
Kenneth C. Davis
HarperCollins
History
ISBN: 0060083816
In a completely revised, expanded and updated edition of The New York Times bestseller, Kenneth C. Davis covers new topics such as Bill Clinton's impeachment, the 2000 Presidential Election and the events that led to September 11. He also updates and expands on long-standing American controversies and examines some of America's hottest social and political issues. For more information about Kenneth C. Davis and his Don't Know Much series, go to DontKnowMuch.com.
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THE FIFTH ANGEL
Tim Green
Warner Books
Thriller
ISBN: 0446530859
Jack Ruskin, a well-respected lawyer in New York, must deal with the brutal and horrific attack his teenage daughter endured at the hands of a sexual predator. His rage builds and he resolves to take matters into his own hands, but how far will he go to ensure that justice is served?
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THE FOURTH PERIMETER
Tim Green
Warner Books
Suspense
ISBN: 0446612510
Former Secret Service agent Kurt Ford is reeling from the death of his son and refuses to accept the government's contention that he committed suicide. Ford soon discovers the individual who could be responsible for his death --- it's the President of the United States and Ford is determined to get revenge.
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THE HIDDEN LIFE OF FRANK OTTO
Carol Ann Lee
William Morrow & Co.
Biography
ISBN: 0060520825
Carol Ann Lee presents a moving portrait of Anne Franks's father, the man who helped publish his daughter's diary and who struggled for years to cope with her unspeakable death.
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KEEPING WATCH
Laurie R. King
Bantam
Psychological Thriller
ISBN: 0553801910
For twenty-five years, Vietnam veteran Allen Carmichael has been rescuing children from abusive parents and placing them in loving homes. However, he is now ready to take on his final case --- a case that could destroy him.
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NO REGRETS: Last Chance for a Father and Son
Barry Neil Kaufman
New World Library
Memoir
ISBN: 1932073027
Twenty-five years before his father's cancer was diagnosed, Barry ("Bears") Neil Kaufman's young son faced a diagnosis of incurable autism. Bears and his wife Samahria rejected the prognosis and created a program that rescued their son, Raun, from life in an institution, enabling him to become an extraordinarily intelligent, extroverted and gifted teacher and lecturer. When Bears received a phone call from his father in which Abe Kaufman revealed that he had been diagnosed with invasive cancer, he seized the opportunity not only to help but also to reach out and heal the decades-long discordant relationship between them.
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PARTS UNKNOWN
Kevin Brennan
William Morrow & Co.
Fiction
ISBN: 0060012765
Kevin Brennan's beautifully rendered debut novel focuses on a man's decision to abandon the life he currently leads in order to revisit the town, the family and the memories he deserted many years before.
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POSITIVELY FIFTH STREET: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker
James McManus
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Current Events
ISBN: 0374236488
James McManus was sent to Las Vegas by a magazine to cover the World Series of Poker in 2000 and the murder of its host; while there, he decided to enter and play in the tournament himself. What McManus has written here is a riveting and often hilarious account of his progress through the tournament.
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THE SINISTER PIG
Tony Hillerman
HarperCollins
Suspense
ISBN: 006019443X
Sergeant Jim Chee is investigating the mysterious death of a stranger found at the edge of the vast Jicarella Apache natural gas field. Though the Navajo Tribal Police have jurisdiction, the FBI quickly moves in and classifies the incident as a hunting accident. Chee, however, is nowhere close to being satisfied with this ruling.
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THE WHITE ROAD
John Connolly
Atria Books
Thriller
ISBN: 0743456386
After years of suffering tremendous pain and guilt over the murders of his wife and daughter, private detective Charlie Parker has finally found some measure of peace. But when he agrees to assist his old friend in defending a young black man accused of rape and murder, little does Parker know that he is about to enter a living nightmare.
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