Modern Manhood [Kindle Edition]

A deeper, but humorous, philosophy based look at the afflictions of manhood ranging from jobs, to parenthood, to love. To simply say thought-provoking would be an understatement. It will make you take a deeper look into the lives of the people around you, as well as your own.

By David Fleming offering his take to us in an essay, it opens up a lot of room for the reader to agree or disagree with his opinion. It invites discussion, if you read this(which you should), I recommend that you have your friends read it as well, because this is a topic that you will want to discuss and debate.

The only reason that this didn't get 5 stars is because I wanted to see more. David Fleming's essay, Modern Manhood, is dominated by the 'Corporate Man', and although some may argue that men can be broken down to the same wants and needs (consciously or subconsciously) I feel that there are vast variables that could have been looked at, adding a broader spectrum of the male from different backgrounds and situated in different career paths would have been much appreciated.

But, with that said, I love anything that allows me to get a deeper look into someones mind and that is what David Fleming allows us. He ties in some theories from Freud and Jung that fit perfectly with the flow of David Fleming's written words. Some may be daunted by the strong philosophy, but rest assured that David explains it in perfect 'plain' English, with humor scattered throughout, allowing non-philosophy minded people(such as me) to understand and enjoy. This is a must read, for all ages, all genders.

Rating this essay is difficult because there are parts that were challenging for me personally to read and then there are parts which really had me contemplating my life, the evolution of roles and dating, how choices in relationships have determined the path of my life and finally how to avoid the mistakes of the past and make better choices going forward.

A lot to digest? No, not really. This was a good read for me. Anything that makes me apply what I am reading to what I do and see in real life is a very positive experience.

So 3 stars if you can't get past some of the Freud discussion. He does interlace some humor and examples so that you can better understand its modern application. Some of this reads a little like a textbook and it doesn't have to in order to reach the reader. A few more laughs would help. If you are like me, you may need to take notes (to better understand), or just skim this part(to grab the main idea). I promise, it is definitely worth reading through even if you gloss over this part.

5 stars for making me think about the intricacies of finding out what men and women really want in life, some theories on how that is determined, and finally do we really say or know what our answer means when asked, "what are you looking for in a man/woman?" What would your answer be? It may not be the same after reading this. I certainly would not ever say, "a man who makes me laugh" again. (Yes, ladies, how many of you said that?!!) As a female, this essay made me question the signals and responses I have sent to men over the years. You know, the choices made and how the results may or may not have been what I anticipated. What the heck did I really want and what could I expect with the answers I gave??? The impact of those choices can be far reaching, beyond the individual and well into the immediate family and community.

My favorite part, by far, was on visualization and how that can be used in your life to improve the decisions you make and the results you seek. I wish someone had introduced this concept to me when I was in my early 20s. What would my life be like now? It's a powerful concept, and it works.

Finally, it's worth reading whether you are a modern man or woman and, overall, a 4 star read.

A humorous essay on the mysteries of modern male / female coupling, the author starts with a witty and thought provoking chapter one. Unfortunately, chapter two reads like a psychology dissertation and the fun ends in a Freud Oedepus thicket, a tangle of psycho algorithms with too few chuckles. Further chapters remind of the opening chapter's brilliance but fall short.

I am intrigued by this author's unconventional logic and great writing style enough to give one of his other books a try.