He-Motions: Even Strong Men Struggle [Hardcover]

T. D. Jakes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 2004

T. D. Jakes has helped millions of women discover the glorious truth of who they are. His bestseller The Lady, Her Lover and Her Lord was a groundbreaking look at a woman's most important relationships-with God, with the man in her life, and with herself-and was the first step toward hope and healing for women across the nation.

Now Bishop Jakes brings his unique perspective to this revealing look into the heart and mind of a man.

Men feel the pressure of fulfilling many roles in life: husband, father, son, businessman, and leader. Now Bishop Jakes comes to their aid with this guidebook to help every man understand his own emotional inner workings, and to offer biblically inspired direction toward being the man God wants him to be.

Practical, inspirational, and refreshingly honest, He-Motions is also the ultimate source for women who seek to comprehend and care for the men in their lives. It will help them decode men's often-baffling behavior and will offer eye-opening insights that will bring greater intimacy and healing to their relationships.

He-Motions will bring clarity and hope to men and help them strengthen their relationships with themselves, with the women in their lives, and ultimately, with their God. It is the book that millions of men and women have been waiting for.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dallas-based preacher Jakes's breakout book, Woman, Thou Art Loosed, established his unique brand of self-help literature saturated with biblical stories. In this new book, bound for bestsellerdoom, he turns his attention to "a man's relationships," using the many-sided King David as his starting point. Jakes is by no means the first writer to troll David's story for insights into masculinity, but he brings an inimitable combination of street smarts and worldly panache to the task. He also draws on the stories of countless men who have come to him for advice on coping with success and failure, sex and love, and relating to their fathers and sons. His recollections of his own struggles, especially a moving section about the death of his father when Jakes was 16, balance his religious, ambitious prose with an uncommon transparency. The quality of the writing falters in the second half, as Jakes expounds rather conventionally on the arenas of power, money and sex—the "PMS" he says can sabotage a marriage. Indeed, unmarried men may find this book off-putting, so strong is Jakes's assumption that family is the center of masculine identity. But his distinctly unmacho vision of fatherhood, friendship and lifelong marital romance will be appreciated by men who embrace his call to be "men in motion, trying to move toward what God wants us to be."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Jakes follows Woman, Thou Art Loosed! (1994) with a book aimed at aiding men reclaiming their lives from the stereotypes about masculinity, which dictate that men show no emotions. Through intimate personal stories of his own journey to develop as a pastor, husband, and father, Jakes encourages men to delve into the emotional and spiritual aspects of themselves. He uses Bible stories to illustrate how men struggle in their spiritual development, and he explores how our culture discourages men from revealing their inner emotions; how emotionally distant fathers pass along the inclination to their sons; and the cost to men who are unable to develop closer relationships with friends, women, and children. Jakes offers practical advice on how men can improve communication with those who are important in their lives. The book is divided into sections that advise taking inventory and making improvements in relationship with self, time (stages of life), father, other men, women, children, and God. Each section includes questions as exercises for men and women to promote greater self-awareness. Vernon Ford
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (July 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399151966
• ISBN-13: 978-0399151965
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

T. D. Jakes is the CEO of TDJ Enterprises, LLP; founder and senior pastor of The Potter's House of Dallas, Inc., which has over 30,000 members; and the author of the New York Times bestselling Making Great Decisions and Reposition Yourself. Time magazine and CNN referred to him as "America's Best Preacher." His TV show, The Potter's Touch, reaches 67 million households per month. He has been the host of national radio and television broadcasts and is regularly featured on the highly rated Dr. Phil show. He lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife, five children, and two grandchildren.

Visit T. D. Jakes online at www.tdjakes.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for men and women, October 13, 2004

By 

C. Stephans - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: He-Motions: Even Strong Men Struggle (Hardcover)

A recent Dallas Morning News column profiling T.D. Jakes quoted a University of Houston sociology professor saying that Jakes is "incredible in how he's able to diagnose people's pain. He has an uncanny ability to put a finger on the human condition." Jakes' new book He-Motions illustrates the verity of the professor's statement. In He-Motions, Jakes nails the issues and challenges Christian men face today in trying to fulfill their many roles and pursue their dreams.

Jakes writes from his heart and soul as a pastor, father, husband and entrepreneur. In the opening pages, he describes his motivation for writing: "I want to share what I've learned. I want to cut through so much of the junk imposed on men today and talk heart to heart about what it means to be a man, not in some touchy-feely group hug kind of way but in an honest, soul-bearing way, which also respects men and honors the women who love them and whom they love."

Jakes thoroughly succeeds in fulfilling his desire for this book. Not only does he address male readers, but he also targets female readers who hope to gain insights about men. Jakes' no-holds barred writing offers refreshing candor for those wanting an honest assessment of who they are and where they are in life.

Jakes writes about his childhood, his ministry, his family and his ups and downs in life-always tying stories to life lessons for readers. It does not take the reader long to discern that Jakes possesses a vast breadth of wisdom and understanding about the inner workings of men in our culture.

Jakes writes that "a man must value himself." He-Motions can help readers make great strides in finding value in themselves-regardless of their circumstances. He encourages men to refuse to become discouraged but to keep moving toward their destiny while simultaneously enjoying the splendid moments of life's journey.

The book is written as if Jakes is in the room having a one-on-one talk with the reader. If it was in fact such a talk, it would surely involve laughing, weeping, praying and dreaming. One such example of the conversational style is when Jakes writes about balancing family and career.

He writes, "I'm here to tell you that if you don't contain your work life and segregate it from your home life, then your career will consume the marriage like a campfire blazing outside of its circle of rocks and roaring into a life-threatening forest fire."

There is not an area of discussion where Jakes lets men off the hook. He writes authoritatively about power, money and sex. In the financial arena, Jakes commands readers, "Stop asking God to bless an area where you refuse to obey His Word for your life."

In one relationship area after another, Jakes' writing leads the reader to self-examination, awareness, forgiveness and improvement. His writing on subjects such as a man's relationships with his father, children, wife, other men, time, money and God is honest and down to earth. It is also practical, as are the questions for men and women at the end of each chapter.

Throughout the book, Jakes references the life of David to shed light on the above relationships from a Biblical perspective.

Jakes encourages readers that "someone needs to know who you are and where you are at all times in your walk and life." This book could be an effective tool to use in a discussion or accountability group to help people grow stronger relationships. I encourage men and women to take advantage of the wisdom and insights Jakes shares in this book.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's About Time, December 16, 2004

By 

Pamela Perry (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: He-Motions: Even Strong Men Struggle (Hardcover)

Real honesty, real answers, a real man! I loved this book and my husband enjoyed even more. This is a real breakthrough book. Even if you don't read a lot, you won't be able to put this one down. There's a king inside waiting to get out of every man, this book unlocks the door.

Pam Perry, columnist/freelance writer
www.MinistryMarketingSolutions.com

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dynamic, Insightful Book...A Must Have for Every Man, July 29, 2004

By 

Elder Bobby Foreman (Bowie, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: He-Motions: Even Strong Men Struggle (Hardcover)

Bishop Jakes does an excellent job of delving into the minds of men. He speaks to our struggles and the daily challenges faced in our homes, at work, and in the church. Every man should read this book!