Thursday, March 21, 2013

Manvotionals: Book Review



WHAT MAKES A MAN A MAN?

Today's culture makes it difficult to define what true manliness looks like anymore. Commercials on the television are putting out ads with well dressed men, tall and handsome to promote a cologne titled "Man Up". Is this really what "manning up" is all about? The smell? Is the man who spends hours at the office and never sees his family the definition of real manhood? The position? Is the man who constantly works out hard in the gym, but won't stand to love his wife the definition of manhood? The exterior?

SO WHAT MAKES A MAN A MAN?

According to Brett and Kate McKay, the authors of Manvotionals and founders of the popular men's book and website The Art of Manliness, manliness lies in the 7 Manly Virtues. They are:


MANLINESS - COURAGE - INDUSTRY - RESOLUTION 
SELF RELIANCE - DISCIPLINE - HONOR

I enjoyed reading this book over the last few months. It is very different from the other books I have read in the past, but in a good way. Reviving the lost art of true manliness means going back to the era or time frame when manliness was at it's peak, the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The book is packed with various book quotes, speeches, poems and stories from all different makes of men. Some included are Theodore Roosevelt, General Douglas MacArthur, Henry Van Dyke, Winston Churchill and many more.

With such variety of resources in the book , it was hard at times to focus on certain stories or quotes. Whether it be the time frame or accent of the written language, it would get hard to understand what was even being discussed. Although this was only a few times, I would simply skip over the read and get into the next article. Overall, the articles and categories were very well selected. Some of the chapters or articles spoke to me much louder than others and I would think the same would happen to you on your journey through the book. The chapter or virtue I enjoyed reading about the most was "Resolution". 

Ultimately, manliness lies in the interior, the core, the character of a man. The timeless lessons taught and told in this book have helped me better understand what I'm doing right or what I need to change in my life moving forward. Even if some of the information is over 100 years old. They got it right, and I want to do the same. Unless you have the time to find and go through actual old books, there is no where else you'll find this kind of information all in one place.

So are your ready to find out what makes a man a man?

Learn the art. Change your life. And become a man!

Have you already read this book? If so, share your thoughts in the comments below.

3 comments:

  1. Haven't read the book, much as I'd love to, but the website has been a revelation!

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    1. Thanks for sharing. That's very true. The website provides a solid amount of information as well.

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  2. "Ultimately, manliness lies in the interior, the core, the character of a man" Amen! Indeed! Great blogspot!

    Check out this great video by StepOutTime that discusses the reason why Men Have Failed Women http://stepouttime.com/the-reason-men-have-failed-women.html/

    God Bless.

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