Customer Reviews

The Pocket Dangerous Book for Boys: Things to Do

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is ideal as a "thinking of you" gift for that boy on your list. But for an actual birthday or holiday, you may want to buy the larger, more comprehensive The Dangerous Book for Boys or the equally amazing The Big Book of Boy Stuff.

This pocket book is composed mostly of the activities included in its source book, with perhaps 25% new material (like the Garden Rocket). Like the original, it is attractively designed, and more importantly, it's well-bound, so it can stand up to the wear and tear it should encounter as it's used as a field guide.

most of the things in here take time to do, and you might not finish most of them, such as "Making a Bow and Arrow", or "Building a Treehouse".But the games, coin tricks, and tying knots are worth trying. I sometimes find that it is more fun to read this book than to do them. I give this book 5 stars

This pocket book is perfect for my boys ages 8 and 10. They have enjoyed reading and learning little tricks and ideas.

That's a fair question if you already have or plan to get The Dangerous Book for Boys because 21 of the items in this book are also found in the big red book.

The 8 following items are the only ones unique to this book:

Page 1, descriptions of several simple family "Games": Who Am I?, Memory Games, Handshake Puzzle, Cheat, Beggar-My-Neighbor, Crossing the River, Questions, Hesitation/Deviation or Repetition, The Yes/No Game, Word Association, Blow Football, Penny-up-the-Wall (penny pitching), Fast Draw, and a list of recommended board games.
Page 56, "Two Quick Things to Do", making an Acorn Spinner (top) and making a Stress Ball.
Page 85, "Making a Quill Pen".
Page 121, making a compressed air propelled "Bottle Rocket".
Page 125, "Papier-Mache".
Page 145, "Conkers", a game involving battling with dried chestnuts that was in the British edition but left out of the American edition.
Page 153, "Making Candles".
Page 169, making "Catapults" (slingshots).

In addition many of the items have different illustrations, and the "Fishing" item has some additional information, presumably from the British original.

You expect an author to defend his own work, but I've never seen it done better than Conn Iggulden does in Amazon's own official editorial review and interview posted right on the big red book's page:

"I think we've become aware that the whole 'health and safety' overprotective culture isn't doing our sons any favors. Boys need to learn about risk. They need to fall off things occasionally, or--and this is the important bit--they'll take worse risks on their own. If we do away with challenging playgrounds and cancel school trips for fear of being sued, we don't end up with safer boys--we end up with them walking on train tracks. In the long run, it's not safe at all to keep our boys in the house with a PlayStation. It's not good for their health or their safety."

That's it in a nutshell. As some reviewers have had the (there's no other word for it) stupidity to complain about, there's NOTHING in this book that's REALLY dangerous unless you go about it stupidly or carelessly. For example you cannot put someone's eye out with a slingshot unless you, stupidly or carelessly, aim it at them (or yourself) first.

Those interested in further books in this series or in the companion series for girls are directed here: The Pocket Dangerous Book for Boys: Things to Know, The Dangerous Book for Boys Yearbook, The Dangerous Book of Heroes, The Daring Book for Girls, The Pocket Daring Book for Girls: Things to Do, The Pocket Daring Book for Girls: Wisdom & Wonder, and The Double-Daring Book for Girls.

Not that dangerous boys need ideas for "things to do," but believe it or not, this book is perfect for them! We bought the Pocket instead of original (over) size because it lends itself to backyard and outdoor travel...

Wonderful book for our 8 year old grandson, who is reading it, wanting to share the things to do with his dad

i have my share of divorced mothers with young boys and the fathers extend there time as a chore. the boys want to be good men and have nothing but working through the parent stuff - i have given this book to those boys. i can not/will not be there when they need guidance on simple things (knots, fishing...). this little book works will (even gets them to read). the large red book of the same topic - has some items that some parents may not embrace (i.e. how to kill, cook, skin a rabbit) and cost. and what boy does not want a book with dangerous in the title.

This book is great for getting boys away from the tv and computer and out doing mischief like they should!

This book, and its larger parent, give a bunch of great ideas for things to do with your son.

I gave this book to my new grandson. It's sure to keep my son busy introducing his son, my grandson, to all those great, slightly edgy projects that charm children and make parents slightly apprehensive...