So You Call Yourself A Man [Paperback]

Carl Weber (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A raucous "desperate husbands" story line—co-starring crazy baby mamas, shady churchgoers and various deranged personalities—ups the conflict quotient significantly in Weber's latest (Baby Mamma Drama, The Preacher's Son, etc.). In signature Weber style, alternating first-person chapters follow the troubled, Catch-22 lives of best-of-friends trio James Robinson, Brent Williams and Sonny Harrison. Within the first five pages, James's marriage is in jeopardy when Michelle, an ex-flame (and Trent's former girlfriend from Player Haters), reappears with a love child that she claims is his. Gorgeous Brent is a devout Christian who marries a big woman with a big heart, but ends up in a fiery love affair with a respected church member—one that calls more than his marriage into question. And after getting a Dear John letter from his wife, who unexpectedly takes off with their children, Sonny reconnects with an ex-, but wife Jessica's reasons for leaving, when they come out, may put all of his relationships in doubt. While some plot points are contrived, major revelations and an eye-raising twist will make even seen-it-all fans gasp. And the drama doesn't end but plants the seeds for Weber's next, The First Lady. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Dafina (December 27, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758207190
• ISBN-13: 978-0758207197
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (194 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #933,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Carl Weber is a New York Times and #1 Essence® bestselling novelist.

In addition to his writing, Weber is the founder and publisher of Urban Books and in 2005, he was named Blackboard's Publisher of the Year. He is the owner of the Urban Knowledge chain of book stores and a past recipient of Blackboard's Bookseller of the Year award.

Weber graduated from Virginia State University and holds an MBA in marketing from the University of Virginia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Do You Ever Really Know Your Friends?, January 3, 2006

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: So You Call Yourself a Man (Hardcover)

Carl Weber's latest installment, SO YOU CALL YOURSELF A MAN, highlights the friendship and the woes of three friends: James, Sonny and Brent. Set in New York City, specifically Queens, the friendship and the relationships in which they find themselves are tantamount to drama, drama and more drama.

James, a happily married man and father of two, one day receives a telephone call, which will change the life he knows forever. Sonny, married also, arrives in New York from Seattle to look for a job with the hopes of relocating back to his hometown. While in town, Sonny receives news, which will also change his life and send him over the edge. Finally there is Brent, a saved man studying to become a Deacon in his church. By all accounts Brent is the finest of the bunch and as a result has the members of his church trying to sabotage his impending wedding.

Sounds like a typical drama-filled read, right? SO YOU CALL YOURSELF A MAN is filled with shocking revelations which is trademark Carl Weber. From The Preacher's Son, also by Weber, is the reappearance of Bishop T. K. Wilson and his wife Charlene. Although their roles are secondary, they are necessary components who assist in making the book sizzle, and from the looks of it another book is on the horizon utilizing some of the same characters.

SO YOU CALL YOURSELF A MAN, though unpredictable, showcases great dialogue throughout. The spouses, fiancés and family members also add captivating and heartfelt emotions that are vivid, graphic and oh so understandable. Carl Weber has managed to entertain us again with the trials and tribulations of a set of friends within his native New York. A neat and tidy ending, no! A satisfying read, yes!

Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Desperate Measures, January 27, 2006

By 

Marian E. "www.bettmarr.com" (Central Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: So You Call Yourself a Man (Hardcover)

Having grown up together comes as no comfort to central characters; James Robinson, Brent Williams, and Sonny Harrison as they face the troubles they have created in their own lives. James tries to hide a secret that he is all too aware will eventually be exposed. How can he keep his dirty little secret for just a little longer when at any moment his web of lies will unravel?

Brent looking forward to everything in his prefect bride-to-be, and a recently saved Christian, sincerely puts his best foot forward. But wouldn't you know the devil is hard at work and the question becomes will Brent succumb to Satan's dark susurrations and take the low road, committing a dastardly injustice in the process or will he realize all he needs to arm himself within his struggle is, Matthew 23:16?

While away in a desperate job search, Sonny's wife unrepentantly leaves him. Settling in New York and reunited with his friends, Sonny quickly shakes this minor setback. Determined to have a happy family life, he hopes that he will find all that he seeks in his new love interest, former high school sweetheart, Tiffany Boyd and her children. Will true happiness come at a price too high for all involved?

I am certain that I would not be alone in saying that Mr. Weber has mastered what he does. Unlike some Urban writers, Mr. Weber does not overwhelm his characters with dilemma upon dilemma. Never once did I wonder why a character had not leapt from a cliff or at the least suffered some sort of stress related meltdown.
This story moves quickly and by page fifty, I felt as if the central characters were old friends that I assumed I knew well. As always, it is never good to assume. `So You Call Yourself A Man,' contains clever yet plausible twists that led me in one direction in my thinking when all of time and without a clue the story was heading elsewhere. I really enjoyed not being able to second-guess the outcome of any of the given situations. `So You Call Yourself A Man,' also contains an element of suspense that compelled me to skip ahead, but of course, I could not and besides I did not want to miss a single word. Even for those who do not generally read this genre, I would recommend this title. It is the standard by which Urban fiction writers should gauge their work.

APOOO BookClub

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard Pressed to Find an Author as Great as Carl Weber, January 15, 2006

By 

Black Men In America.com Reviewers - See all my reviews

This review is from: So You Call Yourself a Man (Hardcover)

I am hard pressed to find an author as great as Carl Weber. In his latest novel entitled So You Call Yourself A Man, Carl uses Brent, James and Sonny to portray three of the most common personality traits in black men. Brent is engaged to a woman he loves deeply while his friends, James and Sonny are happily married to their beautiful wives. These men have the ideal lives or so we are led to believe. As the novel goes on, however, it provides emphasis on the famous saying "everything is not as it seems." A shock comes to the reader when secrets are revealed that were far from expected. Some advice from the wise: Pay attention to every detail for if you blink, you might miss one of the many surprising twists.

Ashlee Lewis
Black Men In America.com Midwest Reviewer