Big Russ and Me by Tim Russert

Tim Russert's book about his relationship with and lessons learned from his father is a book that it is easy to enjoy. Russert was an extremely likable person and his affection for his father and his Buffalo roots shines through every page. We see Russert growing up in the fifties, coming of age in the sixties, and entering politics with Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the seventies. Later in the eighties he joins NBC news and eventually becomes the host of Meet the Press. Always surprised by his success, saying he had a face for radio for example, Russert tells us of his strong faith from Catholic schools, his Jesuit education and later the thrill of meeting the Pope.

Of course reading the book now is bittersweet, when Russert died a couple of years ago it was a shock to his family, colleagues, friends and fans. Still this book serves as a paean to the life he and his father led and the roots of love and life passed onto his son Luke.

Reading this book makes you wish you personally knew Russert. The truth is most of us do. We know people who do the right thing, treat people the right way, and respect and revere their family and their roots. Russert is the famous person who you feel like you know. By being famous and being that person perhaps his best legacy is to teach us to be ourselves and be our best being ourselves.

And we will never forget the white erase board.