Good Dads Are Made, Not Born': Author Challenges Fathers With Powerful & Convicting Message

For years, Gregory M. Slayton, a former ambassador to Bermuda under President George W. Bush, has had a fascination with fatherhood -- one that has led him across to globe to intensely study the ways in which fathers from different cultures interact with their children and families.

In his new book, "Be a Better Dad Today," Slayton provides tools, tips and plenty more -- all gathered from the author's exploration of fatherhood on five continents over a span of 25 years.

Slayton's reasons for focusing on the subject are best described through an official summary of the book, which reads, in part:

[The author] grew up in a difficult family environment even before his father abandoned his family. The last time he spoke with his father, Gregory was in the hospital and close to death. His dad cut short the conversation, promising to call back shortly. For 25 years, he never did. His father died in 2007, alone and in great pain. As Professor Slayton writes “he was the saddest man I have ever known.” This book seeks to help each of its readers to be the best Fathers they can be…and overcome whatever issues they may have inherited or grown up with.

He expounded upon his motivation for writing the book in an exclusive interview with The Blaze. His father, as stated, inadvertently fueled his passion for the subject. In addition to his dad's role, he also mentioned his faith as a guiding factor. After becoming a Christian in college, Slayton realized that he wanted to build a family, but that his past examples didn't offer him a viable blueprint to follow.

"I realized I wanted to try and have a family myself. I knew little about being a good dad," Slayton said, going on to explain his foray into the academic examination of fatherhood. "I [then] studied fatherhood around the world on five continents."

Years later, Slayton, with four kids of his own, has answered many of the questions he once had through "Be a Better Dad Today." The book offers up lessons that anyone -- a father to be or a parent with adult children -- can use to better fulfill his role. With the current state of affairs concerning fatherhood in America, the book couldn't come at a more perfect time.

"American Fathers the best and the worst in the world. There is a higher percentage of U.S. fathers who are more uninvolved with children than ever  before," Stayton contends.

While he explained that about a quarter of American dads are either absent or ineffective in their children's lives, the majority of fathers are actively involved with their children. Either way, Slayton believes that everyone can benefit from reading the book.

"Good dads are made, not born," he told The Blaze, as he encouraged each and every father to examine their placement, leadership and effectiveness in their family structures.

One of the most fascinating elements of Slayton's research is the continuity that exists among dads, regardless of culture and geographic location. It was on his international exploration that the author first starting thinking about 10 universal tools (called the "Ten Basic Fatherhood Tools" in his book) that can be used to help fathers improve.