Sample chapters
Geist Magazine published early versions of chapters 1-3 in issue 95 in 2014. For me, this wasn't just early exposure (5 years early...), it was proof-of-concept. I hadn't discussed the format with anybody and wasn't completely sure it would work. But Geist was eager to run the stories and I received positive feedback from readers, so I decided to continue. You can read these early drafts here.
Here are some more samples for your reading enjoyment. You can adjust your browser window narrower to make it look more like a book...
Lesson 9 — Put Some Money Aside For A Rainy Day
Lesson 19 — Clean Your Room
Lesson 25 —It's Weird Not To Be Weird
Lesson 33 — Rock The Boat
Lesson 43 — It Is Better To Fail In Originality Than To Succeed In Imitation
Lesson 53 — He Who Dares, Wins
Lesson 66 — These Are The Good Old Days
Lesson 70 — For Where Your Treasure Is, There Will Your Heart Be Also
Lesson 91 — Consider The Past And You Shall Know The Future
Reviews
“Cartoonist Yung (Stay as you are.) has had a number of jobs in his life, including a position as a toy store clerk, which undoubtedly inspired some of his amusing observations here. He offers 101 short lessons (or nonlessons as it were) on parenting mined from his own experiences. All at once sardonic, bitter, smart, tender, and heartbreaking, they chronicle episodes that have influenced his own parenting, from the death of his father at a young age to his crumbling marriage and a series of unsatisfying jobs. Often entertaining (his OCD Q-tip usage ponderings or thoughts on the disappointment of Twinkies as an adult) and wisdom-filled (contemplations on kids’ insights into their parents and the desire for life to be more like a video game, in which the “save game” option provides unlimited do-overs), each lesson is based on an oft-repeated proverb, such as “it’s the thought that counts” and “a rolling stone gathers no moss,” which Yung then spins on its head. VERDICT: As Yung describes how learning these sayings both complicated and shaped his life, readers will appreciate the caustic wit that makes this book impossible to put down.” — Library Journal
“As a useful guidebook, his Lessons falls somewhere between Spock, Dr. Spock and Dr. Seuss for young 21st Century families.” — The Columbia Journal
“Those of us who loved his comic zine are pretty interested to know: how did fatherhood change Brad Yung? Well, he's still dark and funny and painfully honest, but he's got more things to say than hours in the day to draw. He still has a gift for making it palatable, though. You'll pop back the small pieces of advice like popcorn, and only gradually register the tangy death and regret that flavour it.” — Jim Munroe, author of Sword Of My Mouth
“Brad Yung has written a gift for his children, and for all readers of his book about life, relationships and parenthood. His stories are poignant, thoughtful, frequently funny, and literal proof that it's never too late to teach anyone about everything.” — Robin Esrock, author of The Great Global Bucket List
“These lessons of fatherhood are written as they should be, with the skill of a sage and the imagination of a devious child who refused to conform, refused to give up on the life of the imagination and instead made it his mission to pierce holes in not only what we’ve been told is the correct way to raise children but what we’ve been told is the correct way to view the world.” — from the Foreword by Brad Cran, Vancouver Poet Laureate Emeritus
