Good Talk, Dad

April 7, 2014
Conceived after Bill let the world know he had Parkinson’s disease, this work is meant to show Bill’s grandkids and Willie’s kids the unique relationship and friendship between father and son. Written in a call-and-response style that is reminiscent of the way people used to write letters, the structure allows each Geist, both of whom are New York Times bestselling authors, to tell his own side of family stories that include everything from love and parenting to careers, sports, and cars. Kicking off with chapters about the birds and the bees, summer camp, and fishing, this dual-memoir starts off slowly and predictably. Thankfully, as the pages turn, the tales become more personal and with more humor, insight, and cheeky advice for guys of all ages. While known for his wry sense of humor, Bill is best in his more serious stories about his time spent in Vietnam and dealing (or not dealing) with his disease, while Willie shines in the lighter moments, especially his essay, originally published on Grantland.com, about taking his four-year-old daughter to a Columbia University football game. Though these days both Geists are TV hosts/journalists by trade, prose suits them equally well, allowing each to be more off-color and more in-depth in their storytelling. This is a fun read sure to be much-talked about during the Father’s Day season.

May 15, 2014
Two veteran raconteurs face off to cover over four decades of family myths and legends.Co-host of NBC's Today 9 a.m. hour and MSNBC's Morning Joe, Willie Geist (American Freak Show: The Completely Fabricated Stories of Our New National Treasures, 2010, etc.) joins his father, columnist and TV journalist Bill Geist (Way Off the Road: Discovering the Peculiar Charms of Small Town America, 2007, etc.) in canonizing both great and not-so-great moments in parenting and coming-of-age. The authors banter back and forth in their discussions of everything from a nonexistent father-son sex talk to Willie's summer camp to coaching Little League. Then there are the tales of underage drinking, how to cook up a fake ID, the family's Elvis cult and an uncle's/brother's pharmacopeia perfectly timed for special events. As in most families, there is one car handed down through the generations, in this case, a Jeep CJ-7. The authors interleave the chapters with sidebars entitled "Geist Date in History" that highlight small events that bear marking-e.g., the day Willie met Donald Trump. Willie also includes a previously published story about taking his daughter to a Columbia University football game. The Geist family, the authors note, often perform rites of passage late, so this book is a chance "to cover our father-son bases retroactively." It's clear most of these stories have been told countless times; they're practiced and well-paced. However, new material about Bill's Vietnam tour and his battle with Parkinson's disease contain further revelations and have not been polished over the family dinner table. A strong father-son relationship shines through.Heavy on bad-boy behavior and sports, the book should come with a six-pack of cheap beer. A quick read that is not for everyone.

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