Into the deep charge of raising men, comes The Book of Man, latest work of William J. Bennett, a man known for his compilations of encouraging literature selections. Whereas his prior books were mainly for families, this speaks to the heart of boys and men everywhere in America, calling forth the highest elements of their character. His preface states that these “readings define what a man should be, how he should live and the things to which he should aspire.” Sections are dedicated to the Man in war, work, sports & leisure, the polis, with women and children, in prayer and reflection, and even in death. Throughout, the tone is encouraging, the examples thought-provoking. I read this as a mother, desiring the best for my ‘men-in-training’, but also as a member of a culture bent on disparaging males in the media. I found this refreshing, uplifting, and a resource to bring into my training time (daily life!). Reading this made the character of an admirable man clearer, the goal of my training better defined. Particularly, I enjoyed the inclusions of current admirable men of our culture in each section.
I recommend this book highly, for general reading, as an adjunct to parental training, and an encouraging gift for growing young men (of any age, really). My thanks to Mr. Bennett, for his deep work into a topic that needs further exploration.
I was grateful to receive an advance copy of this book for my unbiased review, for Booksneeze, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Further resources:
Related articles
- Why Men are in Trouble – CNN.com (craigsturm.wordpress.com)
- Graphing Manliness (artofmanliness.com)
- It’s time for men to man up – By: William J. Bennett (livesharp.org)
- The cowboy in crisis, or male anxiety in American politics | Victoria Bekiempis (guardian.co.uk)
- Book Review: Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett (blogcritics.org)
