Amazon Reader Favorable Review
From Book Reviewer
William Bennett has offered this text out of concern for the trouble that man is in today. Heroism is lacking in contemporary venues of entertainment & literature. The author uses stories & essays of both historical & contemporary figures to help shape boys into men.
This book is broken down into six sections including Man in War, Man at Work, Man in Play, Competition, and Leisure, Man in the Polis, Man with Woman and Children, and Man in Prayer and Reflection.
The text is portioned to be read & pondered daily. This reviewer believes that Bennett has created a tool worth owning and using to train, shape & grow boys into men. The author hits the nail on the head in many available essays.
Disclosure of Material Connection
I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Amazon Reader Critical Review
From Erik Timmons
I have two little girls, and I’m not what some people refer to as a “man’s man.” Don’t get me wrong, I like to shoot things and play sports, but I haven’t ever been someone who prides himself on being “MANLY.”
So, when I had the opportunity to review this Book of Man by William J. Bennett (thank you, Booksneeze), I wanted to see his perspective on being a man so that I could compare that to who I am.
Bennett sums up being a man as the same virtues that define military service, “Order, Loyalty & Service” (location 689 on Kindle). He says that the highest virtues of a man’s soul are “Honor, Fortitude, Service & Sacrifice” (Location 817 on Kindle). I would completely agree if these things were better defined in the book.
He gives outstanding examples throughout the book that seem to illustrate these virtues, but the issue I take is that the examples seem to be in settings of extraordinary situations. How often am I at war? How often am I in a September 11th-type situation or playing in an Indiana State Championship game? If you don’t know, not very often.
I love that the book compiles a truckload of stories about men, how they handle certain situations, and how their Virtues pull them up through any situation. Still, I was disappointed that there wasn’t more time spent dissecting the scenarios and pointing out why Manly Men ruled these scenarios.
BookSneeze® has provided me with a complimentary advanced reading copy of this book for review.
Click here to see the two most important virtues for stepdads.
