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35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An action plan for the future, 30 Dec 2003
The mens movement has received some bad press in the last few years. In this inspiring book, Steve Biddulph shows how vital and relevant the movement is to the future of all men, and to the future of the planet as a whole.Biddulph lays out a clear path for men to follow that will lead them to greater understanding of themselves and their journey through life. In 'Seven Steps to Manhood', he offers a blueprint for improvement: Fixing it with your father, Meeting your partner on equal terms, Engaging actively with your kids, and so on. He then goes in to more detail on each idea, one chapter at a time. The chapters are flushed out with real life stories, quotes from mens groups, myths and legends, humour and tragedy. He quickly establishes that he is not anti-feminist, rather that feminism on its own is not enough. You cannot liberate half of human beings. Most women, he argues, welcome a mens movement because women like the saner, happier and more involved men that it produces. His main argument rests on the fact that boys in modern industrial society hardly see their dads. Boys are brought up at home by their mothers, or at kindergarten and primary school by women. Even well-meaning fathers often play only minor roles in the young man's life. As a result, boys grow up with few good role models and little strong male guidance. They base their image of men on Hollywood heroes and pop icons, with disastrous results. Boys need proper fathering and male mentoring, and this needs to continue as they move into life, work and fathering of their own. If you're a man between the ages of 18 and 80, this book may well give you some perspective on the challenges you face in life, and some of the places to find help when life becomes difficult. And women will probably find it intersting, too.
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by Steve Biddulph
by Adele Faber; Elaine Mazlish
