Book Review - The Truth About Men

About the Book

Just because guys don't run through the woods in packs drumming and howling anymore, does that mean the Men's Movement is dead? And what did we learn from it anyway? In The Truth about Men (Epigraph Publishing, April, 2010) men's coach, lawyer, and author Howard J. Fox takes a look at what men have learned from the Men's Movement-and offers a handbook to help men become better husbands, fathers and income-earners, lead more balanced lives, and succeed in romance.

 

Widespread programs to prevent violence toward women, and more consciousness about equality in the workplace are byproducts of the men's movement as much as the women's, but until now, advice on everyday family matters has been all too rare. That's where The Truth about Men comes in. The book gives a succinct definition of what makes a good man-a character type that some would argue is all too rare-and Fox's definition is likely to warm female hearts, since it includes listening to the woman in his life, making commitments, taking responsibility for fathering, even keeping the romance alive in relationships. The book also outlines the steps it takes for any man to become fully adult.

The key, says Fox, is support from other men. "Women are usually in the forefront of encouraging men to be better," says Fox, "but just as men will never really understand what it's like to be a woman, only men can teach other men how to become a good man." Fox makes a convincing brief for men's weekends as the key to doing exactly that. "In a masculine environment," he explains, "we father each other, support each other-and kick each other's butts" (a welcome change for women tired of doing the same). "While we encourage men to vent old toxic emotions, we don't allow whining or blaming. We expect men to take responsibility for making better choices and living up to their potential."

The Truth About Men:

·         Defines what it takes to be a good man

·         Can help any man to become one

·         Shows how men's work saves marriages

·         Helps men define the code of honor by which they choose to live

·         Helps men to become better husbands, fathers, and wage-earners

·         Shows men the way to a happier and more fulfilled life

·         Gives inspiring personal stories of how this work changes lives

Fox, who is a successful attorney as well as a men's coach, often counsels his clients to take a small portion of the money they would have spent on a divorce and use it to attend men's weekends instead. "Many, many men end up staying in their marriages once they do some of their men's work," he reports. "I end up losing business, but I've learned that helping families is more important than profit."

The Truth About Men may be a measuring-stick for true manliness, but the book also addresses the difficulty of being a man. "So many men in our society were inadequately fathered," says Fox. "And our culture encourages us to compete rather than trust each other. When we begin to clear our grief and rage, we no longer bring those toxic emotions to our relationships. And we find the masculine support we've always needed to become the men we want to be."

If more men, encouraged by the women who love them, took The Truth About Men to heart, perhaps a good man would be easier to find.

For more information on Howard J. Fox's work, visit www.howardjfox.com.

My Take on the Book

As a man I agree with the underlying premise of this book, that we as men need male bonding to be able to be a better dad, son, husband and friend. The book was very easy to read and the lessons that the authors provides in the book comes from many years of experience. He also shares his stories with down-to-earth reality and humor. Full of great advice and resources this book is definitely one that I would recommend for all men to read.

One of the things that this book gets into is some of the stereotypes that men have been given over the years. We are taught to be to be the strong, silent type. Howard shows the emotional damage that this can cause both in relationships with spouses and children, and also at work.He suggests that men use the realtionships with other men to help them to deal with these issues.

There were some great chapters that really made me think. I really liked the role playing parts of the book as they give you concrete examples of things that you can do to be an even better man.

If this book sounds like one that you would like in your own library you can find it on Amazon!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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