THE 50 THINGS

by Peter Dunne (Trapeze £8.99)

MIDDLE-AGED chaps rarely can resist the temptation to pass on their wisdom to their children and some even publish their sage advice in book form. The 18th-century nobleman Lord Chesterfield is remembered for his Letters To His Son On The Fine Art Of Becoming A Man Of The World And A Gentleman, while more recently, Roger Mortimer’s letters to his son, Dear Lupin, became a surprise bestseller.

The latest addition to the genre is Peter Dunne’s inspiring collection of 50 brief essays on navigating life, addressed to his three teenage children.

The idea for the book came as he turned 50 and his best friend urged him to ‘write something great and lasting for your kids . . . like a handbook for life’. Dunne’s thoughts on Friendship, Grief, Love and so on come bolstered with the wisdom of such timeless authorities as Aristotle and Winnie the Pooh.