As his 50th birthday dawned, Peter Dunne had a life-changing conversation with a friend and realised that, while he may not have invented the internet or found a cure for cancer, he had nonetheless fathered three remarkable and beautiful children.Inspired by that fact, he set out to leave a trail of metaphorical breadcrumbs for them, so that if they ever needed to know what their father might have had to say on a particular subject, it would be set down for them.The result is a book of letters from a father to his children, and though the stories are firmly set in a place and time, the themes and the tone are universal and timeless. From Compromise to Compassion, from Democracy to Sacrifice, THE 50 THINGS explores the social mores and morality of our time and tries to answer the eternal questions that line the path to peace of mind.
The 50 Things: Lessons for When You Feel Lost, Love Dad by Peter Dunne is published in hardback on 9 March 2017 by Trapeze Books.
In his introduction to 50 Things, Peter Dunne explains how the book came about. It was 2013 and he had just turned fifty years of age. He didn't have a 'mid-life crisis', but he did begin to measure his life, and look at what he had done, and more importantly to him, what he had not done.
He started to feel a little disappointed about life, but soon realised that being a father to three amazing children was a major achievement and when his good friend Steve urged him to 'write something great for your children'. He did, and this book is the result.
Each of Peter's fifty things has its own chapter, with a famous quote at the beginning. There is 'Tolerance' with "Bigots will not be tolerated." (Anon, graffiti), and 'Confidence@ with "If you're presenting yourself with a confidence, you can pull off pretty much anything." (Katy Perry), and possibly my favourite; 'Career' with "I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same things as 'making a life'," (Maya Angelou).
Fifty subjects, with fifty accompanying letters, some longer than others, some very short, but all to the point and an absolute joy to read. Peter Dunne's voice is warm, wise and witty. He peppers his stories with news items, from politics to philanthropy, making them relevant, and not at all sweet and sickly.
The 50 Things is a the perfect book to keep on the shelf, to pick up every now and again and read. To remind yourself when life is a bit rough, or everything seems to be going wrong, of a different way of thinking and dealing with things.
Thoughtful and helpful, a look at how we could and really should deal with the things that are thrown at us.
Peter Dunne is a Film producer and Author of #the50things to be published by @TrapezeBooks in March 2017. He lives in rural Herefordshire.
Follow him on Twitter @peterdunne
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