Every father has a hidden desire for his children -- to see them surpass him. How can this come about? Ken Canfield gives a three-part blueprint: First, a dad should examine his own heart. Next, he should take steps to improve the way he connects with his children. Then he should take a longer range view and plan specifically for a lifetime of involved fathering. Based on years of careful research involving thousands of dads, this book is a solid reference tool for dads. Canfield's three-part blueprint addresses:-A father's past. A father should resolve his relationship with his own father in order to effectively build a relationship with his children.-How to make a dad's house a home. Canfield explains how to build the four 'walls' or dimensions, of fathering: Involvement, Awareness, Consistency, and Nurturing -A plan for the future. From being a new father to being a grandfather, dads face challenges at each stage of their life. With the long-range perspective this book provides, fathers can anticipate and prepare for the changing situations they'll face. Canfield, president of the National Center for Fathering, argues that the true act of fathering manifests itself not in an intellectual understanding of a father's role but in a heartfelt relationship between a father and his child. Canfield insists that all fathers must understand how their own hearts have been shaped by their fathers before they may enact the elements of involvement, consistency, awareness, and nurturance characteristic of a father's heart. Happily, Canfield avoids a condemnatory and condescending tone, and his portrait of the successful father may have appeal outside the limited audience of evangelical Christianity. Recommended for public libraries. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.