Customer Reviews

The Maxims of Manhood: 100 Rules Every Real Man Must Live By

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'm a woman, and a writer, so I get skeptical when I see books about "what it is to be a man." However:

I picked up Maxims and found it to be not only funny and well-written, but also edgy, intelligent and honest. Wilser offers the right combination of tongue-in-cheek fun and well-placed bawdiness, so that every once in a while, a hunk of solid, good advice cuts through the humor. Oddly enough, the book has also given me a disarming, affectionate understanding for all the lost dudes I know who are trying to grow up. It's an entertaining, compelling read, and I think it's ruined me for other man books.

When I was reading this in the bookstore I was laughing so loud I had to apologize to the people around me. Great book! I'm shocked that a reveiwer criticized this book based on unsound advice for manhood. The author stated from the get go that it was not his intention to write a book about "being a man" and he further said that the no man should be buying a book about being a man. If you felt this book was a waste of time than that's your fault for not heeding his warning.

This book is hysterical.

Its a lighthearted gag on life as a male. At times its sincere and respectful, discussing chivalry and manners in the modern day, and at other times, its hilarious, going through the manners for a one-night stand.

I started read and didn't put it down till I finished the book.

My interest in this book was sparked by a quest to find a simple, humorous and self-deprecating book about the "man's world". While there are several book titles available that piqued my interest; I chose "The Maxims of Manhood: 100 Rules Every Real Man Must Live By" primarily because it covered a wide range of topics and more importantly, the simple, structured format of the book: a finite and tangible list of items (maxims) organized by subject matter ... simple enough. I found the book to be an amusing, light and relaxing read ... with the added bonus of being thought-provoking at times.

Although some may be turned-off by the title in that it seems to be aimed at a less-than-mature audience, the book is applicable to any man (or woman) who wants to get a kick out of the ridiculous and even ritualistic code of the stereotypical male "world" where life centers around women, sports, women, acting like an idiot, sports, women, beer, work and steak (in that order).

Each maxim is given its own "chapter" that is broken down into three simple parts: the definition/description of the maxim, a scenario that incorporates the maxim and acceptable situations where the maxim is "allowed" to be violated. The 100 maxims listed cover pretty much everything ... from "manly" computer etiquette to properly ordering a steak to shaving. Among the tips on how not to be a complete Neanderthal, the book is peppered with practical advice like how to chug a beer, but knowing when not to (this one appears to be aimed at the immediate post-college crowd) and a handy approach to those wonderful people you work with ("kicking up and kissing down"). The wide range of topics covered in this book virtually guarantees that the male reader will: realize he has violated some or several maxims in his adult life, see an alternative point of view on some issues, laugh ... and even learn a thing or two.

No, this book is not intended to serve as a serious guidebook to achieving manhood ... as if there is such a thing. But it may generate some critical thinking on a few topics that some of us (guys) might not have even considered important ... or then again, laugh at how ridiculous it is that we even purchase books instructing us on how to be a man.

I've recently gotten into books like this, and I haven't been disappointed by this one. I would like to remind the readers (as another review already stated) that most of these types of books exist primarily for HUMOR, not for being polite and politically correct.

The one problem I had with the book (I had the Kindle Edition) was the extreme amount of typos/formatting errors in it. It's easy to overlook a few here and there, but when every time a new "maxim" is presented, al lthe wo rdsl ook lik ethis for the first paragraph, it's rather distracting.

Then again, I haven't seen anyone else mention that, so maybe it's an isolated problem.

All in all, great read, worth the dough.

As the author says we men do this without knowing. May be in our genes. But he adds some humorous flair that makes easy reading. Women should be issued a copy before marriage!

This was a great read fron to back...a lot of what the author says are words to live by. Get this if you are a man or know a man...its that good.

This book has a lot of funny "rules" that men should live by. Most of them are funny, some are more serious. Each rule is short, so there are plenty of places that you can stop and not be in the middle of a good part. I highly recommend this book for any men, of any age.

As a woman I was curious to see how much of a "Rule Book For Men" I would agree with... and I couldn't put it down. Laughing aloud in my room alone, sending text message excerpts to my guy friends - and I'm buying these for all the guys in my life. Jeff's delivery makes all the Rules a hundred times more comical, but there is a truth to every single one. This book should become a quoted reference tool in every circle of friends.

While I can't say that I agree with every maxim the author puts forth (a choice between a pink (er, light red (see maxim #2)) diaper bag and a messenger-style diaper bag (maxim #8) is no choice at all), I can say I had quite a bit of fun reading this funny, fast-paced take on what it means to be a man today.

The infrequent diagrams fall into the "waste of space" category, but the rest of this light-hearted book is well thought out, well written, and well worth your time. I found myself chuckling out loud to at least every other maxim and, at roughly 10 cents a maxim (at Amazon's price), you're not going to find a better value for your entertainment dollar out there.

As a bonus, I can remember at least 7 times my wife had to ask me what was so funny while I read this next to her, and anything that makes you laugh while mystifying the spouse gets 5 stars in my book.