OK, so this book is proudly a throwback to the qualities the world admired in a man decades back. Good! Maybe the world is ready for more John Wayne and less Johnny Depp. Although, I think Depp can be a fine actor, he isn't the kind of male icon Wayne was. Despite decades of reculturalization and de-manning, the fact is that men do want to be men. In older times, they learned how to be men from, drum roll please ... other men. Mothers teach their boys a lot of wonderful values and life lessons, but there are things men need to learn from men despite what some women say about men, fish, and bicycles.
This book is divided into six parts:
1) Survivor - you learn about what to do out in nature if you need start a fire, if you are threatened by animals, if you need water, if you are injured, and much more.
2) Provider - You learn about rifles, hand guns, hunting, dressing deer, and fishing.
3) Athlete - How to throw a baseball, shoot a basketball, boxing basics, throwing a forward pass, the golf swing, soccer, some track and field, and climbing.
4) Hero - Codes of honor and conduct from the Texas Rangers, the Marine Corps (a small typo on page 115 show's that perfect editorial skills isn't necessarily needed by a true man - they have the possessive of the Marine Corps and Marine Corp's). the Bushido Virtues, a guide to running with the bulls in Pamplona, how to put out a fire, standing up for justice, how to ford a stream, help someone being electrocuted, how to fight wild animals, and much more.
5) Gentleman - this section seems dated to me. I don't are a fig about cigars, pipes, wine, whisky, or mixed drinks, but maybe you do. That information is here. You also learn how to pick out candy, buy flowers, tie a Windsor knot and a bow tie, and some steps on playing winning poker (good luck with that!).
6) Philosopher - You see a true man is a thinker, too. The author talks about the four cardinal virtues: wisdom, justice, courage, moderation (you know, from Plato). You also get a tour of the Ten Commandments, Buddhism's Eight Precepts, Taosim's Ten Precepts, Ben Franklins 13 rules of Improvement, and more. There is also an article on the "10 Most Many Deaths of All Time.
The appendices tell you how to continue your manly education. For example, the author provides a list of 100 movies you should see.
Each section is nicely illustrated and has side articles about historic men who exemplified the principles being discussed in that chapter. I also want to comment on the nicely sturdy construction of the book. It will stand up to repeated use and that is appropriate for this book because you will want to refer to it again and again and give go through it with your boys.
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI