Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood
    Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood
    Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood
    Audiobook3 hours

    Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood

    Written by Michael Lewis

    Narrated by Dan John Miller

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    When he became a father, Michael Lewis found himself expected to feel things that he didn’t feel, and to do things that he couldn’t see the point of doing. At first this made him feel guilty, until he realized that all around him fathers were pretending to do one thing, to feel one way, when in fact they felt and did all sorts of things, then engaged in what amounted to an extended cover-up.

    Lewis decided to keep a written record of what actually happened immediately after the birth of each of his three children. This audiobook is that record. But it is also something else: maybe the funniest, most unsparing account of ordinary daily household life ever recorded, from the point of view of the man inside. The remarkable thing about this story isn’t that Lewis is so unusual. It’s that he is so typical. The only wonder is that his wife has allowed him to publish it.

    Editor's Note

    ‘Moneyball’ meets fatherhood…

    Author Michael Lewis (“Moneyball”) knows the ins and outs of sports and markets, but he had no clue how to raise a baby when his first kid was born. “Home Game” is a frank, engaging, and funny account of how Lewis grew up (and into being a father) as he bumbled his way through figuring out how to keep his children alive (and thriving).

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMay 18, 2009
    ISBN9781423389545
    Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood
    Author

    Michael Lewis

    Michael Lewis is the host of the podcast Against the Rules. He has published many New York Times bestselling books, including Liar's Poker, The Fifth Risk, Flash Boys, and The Big Short. Movie versions of The Big Short, Moneyball, and The Blind Side were all nominated for Academy Awards. He grew up in New Orleans and remains deeply interested and involved in the city but now lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife, Tabitha Soren, and their children.

    More audiobooks from Michael Lewis

    Related to Home Game

    Related audiobooks

    Personal Memoirs For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Daniela Diaries

      Oct 20, 2020

      The Daniela Diaries
      4 min read

    • Article

      Parent Opinions

      Mar 3, 2022

      Parent Opinions
      8 min read

    • Article

      My Funny, Angry Dad

      Mar 19, 2022

      My Funny, Angry Dad
      6 min read

    • Article

      Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

      Dec 11, 2023

      Out Of The Mouths Of Babes
      9 min read

    • Article

      Mind the Gap

      Feb 13, 2018

      Mind the Gap
      6 min read

    • Article

      Balancing Act: My Kids Are On Vacation Without Me. It's Lovely And Terrible

      Aug 28, 2018

      "I just read that whole thing start-to-finish," my husband marveled. It wasn't "Middlemarch." It was a Tribune column about the 1968 Democratic National Convention. But he read it, start-to-finish, on a Sunday morning, which is normally a whirlwind o

      3 min read

    • Article

      Somehow I Became Respectable

      May 21, 2019

      Somehow I Became Respectable
      4 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Sep 18, 2020

      It’s very easy to judge when you don’t have all the facts. I do feel however, in Ellen DeGeneres’ case, that her fame has gone to her head (YOU, 3 September) and she’s now learnt the bitter lesson that pride comes before a fall. She should genuinely

      4 min read

    • Article

      Henry Winkler

      Jan 8, 2024

      Henry Winkler
      6 min read

    • Article

      Sam Delaney Is At Home

      Aug 1, 2022

      My daughter wanted to have her mates over to celebrate her 15th birthday. Sure, I said. But there were some conditions (hers, not mine). She wanted her mum, her brother and me to fuck off out of it for the evening so they could have the house to them

      3 min read

    • Article

      I Confronted My School Bullies

      Jul 3, 2019

      I Confronted My School Bullies
      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Nov 6, 2020

      MY 10-YEAR-OLD grandson has been devastated at the loss of his oupa almost a year ago. One night towards the end he knocked on our door, tentatively approached our bed, climbed up and settled himself between us. He took us both by the hand and closed

      3 min read

    • Article

      Caught Out

      Oct 2, 2022

      Caught Out
      9 min read

    • Article

      Australia Reads At Home

      May 18, 2020

      Australia Reads At Home
      7 min read

    • Article

      60 Seconds That Changed My Life

      Feb 5, 2023

      DATE: December 2D, 1999, 8:15pm EVENT: Writer and broadcaster BENJAMIN LAW comes out to his mum about his sexuality. I GREW UP on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, the last mainland state in Australia to decriminalise homosexuality. That meant for a

      3 min read

    • Article

      60 Seconds That Changed My Life

      Feb 5, 2023

      DATE: December 2D, 1999, 8:15pm EVENT: Writer and broadcaster BENJAMIN LAW comes out to his mum about his sexuality. I GREW UP on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, the last mainland state in Australia to decriminalise homosexuality. That meant for a

      3 min read

    • Article

      Table Talk

      Sep 1, 2023

      Table Talk
      10 min read

    • Article

      Where the HEART IS

      Dec 20, 2022

      Where the HEART IS
      4 min read

    • Article

      Cool Dads: Tough Times Edition

      Jul 3, 2022

      Cool Dads: Tough Times Edition
      7 min read

    • Article

      Virginia Ironside

      Nov 16, 2022

      Q I'm sure you'll think I'm ridiculous: I'm a 70-year-oldwoman and I'm starting to wonder if I might not be gay. I did get married and had two children whom I adore, but I've always felt an outsider. I've always had very close friendships with women

      3 min read

    • Article

      My First Pet

      Feb 2, 2020

      My First Pet
      9 min read

    • Article

      What Older Dads Know

      Mar 7, 2023

      What Older Dads Know
      6 min read

    • Article

      Balls To It!

      Dec 12, 2023

      Balls To It!
      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Home Game

    4/5

    137 ratings12 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      Let's see, what did I learn from this book?

      1. Fathers feel like they are not as important in childrearing as the mother.
      2. Small children enjoy using foul language, without understanding its social repercussions.
      3. Vasectomies don't always "take".
      4. Having kids means accepting long periods of sleep deprivation.

      Overall, a quick and entertaining read, but I certainly think this was written for dads. I am not a dad.
    • 5/5
      As of writing this review, I am just over a month away from becoming a father myself, and Michael Lewis' first-person account is more relevant than ever for me. If I weren't frequently bursting out laughing, I would be thoroughly unnerved by his experience. I sincerely hope he's mostly joking. This is an event I've looked forward to for most of my life even though I know the trail is fraught with countless unknowns and sleepless nights.
    • 2/5
      This really didn't do it for me I'm afraid.I have less of a problem with the author, whom I can tell from this book is obviously talented and a capable fellow. My problem lies with the subject matter.I love my kids, I am a family man. However I couldn't give too hoots about Mr Lewis's, and nothing in this book made me care. They overcome no adversity, live quite privilaged lives in the richest state of the richest country in the world.Yes, kids say funny things. yes kids do funny things but yours are not unique Mr Lewis. I'm sure every parent can think of a dozen more interesting stories to fill a book with.Please fair reader, instead of spending the 2-3 hours required in reading this book, go and play with your own kids or your nieces, nephews, cousins etc- you'll have a heck of a lot more fun.
    • 4/5
      I laughed my butt off. Plus, he is a great writer. Win-win!
    • 4/5
      Teaser: If you have a weak mind, are unable to turn off your "I am sooo offended brain cells", wear polyester shorts, have plastic on your furniture, and just can't bear to see a naughty word, skip this review.

      Take 1: My wife and I are listening to this while driving up into Minnesota on vacation (mixed in with some of my favorite old Booknotes shows with Brian Lamb -- the guy is the best, bar none, interviewer around -- when she nods off.) She's not nodding off because of the book because it has had us laughing our heads off.

      There are so many funny scenes, it's hard to pick a favorite, but I think the funniest was when, Dixie, his 3-year-old daughter runs to the defense of her 6 year-old sister who is being bothered by some older boys in the childrens' pool while Lewis is right next door in the adult wading area keeping an eye on things. "You teasing boys, you motherfucking assholes," she screams at them in his loudest voice, whereupon, the mother of one of the boys yells at her son for teaching bad words to the little girl. Lewis meanwhile, is imitating an alligator in the pool, only his eyes and ears showing. Not his kid. Priceless.

      Another great episode is his camping outing with his older daughter at an amusement park where they serve a great meal for the kids, probably the only one any of the dad's had ever seen their kids eat without them whining or crying: hamburgers, chips, soda, and doughnuts. Of course, she wants her dad's sleeping bag and wants to exchange. Should be no problem except her's is 4 feet long. And it's necessary to wake dad up every 30 minutes to ask a question. And then the "fucking" birds start singing at 6 in the morning just as they drift off to sleep. Classic

      Take 2 tomorrow. Finished the book shortly after leaving. If you have children, you will love this book. If not, too bad. Besides being quite funny, it has it very poignant moments. He makes a distinction between the almost instant bonding with the mother. Fathers bond more slowly, but he notes that you really never love someone until you have to care for it. The classic example was his newborn son, third child, who developed RSV (look it up) and had to spend time in the hospital to regain his strength to breath (it's a respiratory virus.) Lewis was finally so upset with the interruptions from staff to just check on his kid, waking him up and disturbing him that he barricaded the door, did the aspirations himself and checked the monitors. When a student doctor slipped in while he was in the bathroom, Lewis peremptorily threw him out. "Can't I just check him?" was the plaintive query. "No, get out." was Lewis' response. Great scene. His child got better faster too.

      I remember something happening with my daughter reminiscent of Lewis' experience. We found a book not long ago with "I hate Dad, he is so mean," carboned on the cover. My daughter, enamored of carbon paper had inadvertently permanently enshrined her feelings at that moment. Lewis' daughter did something similar, writing "Dad is so mean." But she forgot she had done it a week later.

      Lots of fun to listen to with your spouse. Oh yes, the description of getting the vasectomy is classic too. As is the one where he thinks his daughter has reported to her teachers that Dad has a small penis. Very funny.
    • 3/5
      Too many stereotypical stories about exaggerated modern parenting. One nice lesson: One learns to love a baby by helping it with everything, even if the baby does not know you personally. A bit boring.
    • 4/5
      I'm not really sure why I read this. I'm not a father, and it seems increasingly likely that I'll never be one. I've liked Lewis' previous writing (although I've only read Moneyball, The Big Short, and a few of his articles), so maybe I was just hoping for a fresh take on a somewhat stale genre.

      Instead, Lewis provides exactly what you might expect: a collection of humorous vignettes about a dumb father (a la Homer Simpson), his precocious kids, and his put-upon wife. It's certainly amusing and sweet, but the closest it gets to any particularly fresh insight is his suggestion that we're in a middle era of fatherhood, transitioning away from fathers who had nothing to do with child-rearing to some platonic ideal of fatherhood (ETA unknown).

      The book was clearly thrown together somewhat haphazardly, collected from random notes and blog entries. On the plus side, this probably contributes to the book's fast pace, but also leaves it feeling unfinished. He repeats a couple jokes and lacks any consistent narrative thread.

      Essentially, if it were longer I would have liked it a lot less, but it's hard to find too much fault with this quick, albeit unambitious, read.
    • 4/5
      I read this right after reading a mom's memoir, so it was a totally interesting change of perspective. Sweet and self effacing, a good read. Taken from his journals after the birth of each of his three children. Would make a nice gift for and expectant dad. He is very involved in his kid's lives, but we all know that dads deal with things way differently than moms. A great perspective.
    • 5/5
      Michael Lewis wrote The Blind Side about the life of Baltimore Raven's player Michael Oher. I happened to see this book, Home Game, at the library and recognized Lewis' name. It was a small book and I figured that it would be a quick read. WOW!!! It's a hilarious take on his first few years of fatherhood with some very funny stories thrown in about his younger daughter when she was three years old. This is a great book to take along with you when you know that you'll have a few minutes to read. Each chapter is its own story, so you can spend little bits of time reading. Enjoy!
    • 4/5
      I'm about to become a father and so far these are the most honest words about fatherhood that I've encountered (at least they feel that way since I don't know for sure yet). Michael writes about the misery that comes with being a father while revealing, in a very raw and witty way, how satisfying it also is.
    • 4/5
      By turns amusing and honest, Mr. Lewis gives us a glimpse of his experiences in becoming a father. Along the way he shares feelings that many of us parents have, but hesitate to acknowledge. He also reveals some important truths about how we become parents - precisely by going through those "yucky" moments caring for our children, we develop that elusive bond and bottomless love. Quick read.
    • 4/5
      This was a collection of essays, several of which I had already read online. Gets 4 stars because I still love his writing, and because the topic of new parenthood is fun for me right now.