Before I became a cop, I thought poverty, racism, bad neighborhoods and substandardschools were the reasons young men failed to succeed in life. Then I joined the policedepartment, hit the streets and immediately got mugged by reality: I was wrong, the mediawere wrong, my professors were wrong and the politicians were wrong. Why? From my firstday on the job I was meeting young men from the poorest of homes in the worst of neighborhoods who were honest, intelligent, respectful and destined for future success. I alsomet just as many young men who were born into wealthy homes, in wonderful neighborhoods,who had no respect for their parents, abused alcohol and drugs, were opportunisticthieves, and ended up in the back seat of my patrol car on a regular basis.It didn’t take long before I discovered that it was the fathers—yes, the fathers; theywere the single most important factor in determining the future success or failure of theirsons. What can you do to become a good dad, or maybe even a great dad? Teach yourson. Teach him valuable life lessons about faith, honesty, love, courage and other importantvirtues. Teach him about God, teach him about Angels and teach him about you.
Bullying is reaching epidemic proportions and sexual predators are targeting our children in alarming numbers. This book is a must read for dads who want to teach their sons the skills and strategies necessary to protect themselves from becoming helpless victims.
—Phyllis Kuehnl-Walters, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist
Ostrander has unique life experiences, incredible passion and a strong Christian faith. This combination has given him great wisdom that fathers everywhere can benefit from.
—William Gastfield Jr., M.S. Counseling Psychology
A great book for fathers of any age who want their sons to become good men, good fathers and good husbands.
—Sheriff Kenneth Lansing, Tompkins County Sheriff, Ithaca, N.Y.
Curtis Ostrander has the unique perspective of one who has seen the best and worst of humanity. His time on the street taught him many life lessons for men that he artfully shares. Our Christian duty as Fathers to lead and teach our young sons will bear fruit for generations.
—Randall A. Liberty, Warden, Maine State Prison; Sheriff, Kennebec County (retired); Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army (retired)
The breakdown of leadership and authority in our culture has derived from the breakdown of parental responsibility in the home, particularly that of the Dad. Ostrander calls us to biblical stewardship in preparing our sons for a world that seeks to fill the parental void with ruinous devotion to self. Nothing could be more important to the life of the confessing Church than this book and its teachings.
—Rev. Stan Moody, Ph.D.; Senior Pastor, Columbia Street Baptist Church, Bangor, ME; Founder and President, Columbia Street Project
Curtis S. Ostrander holds a B.S. degree in Public Administration from the State University of New York. He is also a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy, Quantico, Virginia. During his almost 30 years of police service Curtis served as a patrol officer, detective, swat team leader, and Chief of Police. He was later employed by Cornell University where he served as Vice President for Risk Management and Public Safety.
