Manual to Manhood by Jonathan Catherman (book review)
I have two sons I'm raising to become men so choosing "Manual to Manhood" by Jonathan Catherman was a no-brainer for me. Besides, I wanted to learn how to tie a tie. Just kidding - we've learned this from YouTube.
The skills described in "Manual to Manhood" are ones almost everyone needs to know: how to wash your hands, care for your feet, interview for a job, resign from a job, clean a bathroom, hang a picture, fold a shirt, behave during a traffic stop. I enjoyed learning (or at least reading, since I haven't put this information to the test quite yet) about these items.
I only had two criticisms for this book. One is that there aren't enough pictures. Most young men that I know are not going to read this book cover to cover, and especially with there being so few pictures. Some of these steps needed pictures - how to shake hands, how to shave or wash your hands properly. How to tie a tie had pictures but they were pretty small. Men are visual learners for the most part so this would come in handy in a "Manual to Manhood."
My other criticism is that Catherman makes it seem (intentional or not?) like the experts he quotes actually wrote the sections they are quoted in. I can't find this to be true one way or another but I have a suspicion that it's false. My evidence is that Catherman quotes Dave Ramsey in the Wealth and Money Management portion of his book but one of the subtitles you learn about is "How to Manage a Credit Card Account."If you've taken any Dave Ramsey class, you know he would NOT have written this. Ramsey firmly believes that you do not need a credit card and encourages people to cut theirs up.
This book had some good information (How to Turn Off a Toilet Water Line - something I truly did not know) and I'm sure some boys will pick it up, but I just don't think it's visual enough for most male readers. I got my husband a copy of a DIY book with LOTS of pictures for one Christmas and I don't think he's opened it more than once (when he got it).
Disclaimer: I received this book in order to write an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The skills described in "Manual to Manhood" are ones almost everyone needs to know: how to wash your hands, care for your feet, interview for a job, resign from a job, clean a bathroom, hang a picture, fold a shirt, behave during a traffic stop. I enjoyed learning (or at least reading, since I haven't put this information to the test quite yet) about these items.
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| image from Amazon |
I only had two criticisms for this book. One is that there aren't enough pictures. Most young men that I know are not going to read this book cover to cover, and especially with there being so few pictures. Some of these steps needed pictures - how to shake hands, how to shave or wash your hands properly. How to tie a tie had pictures but they were pretty small. Men are visual learners for the most part so this would come in handy in a "Manual to Manhood."
My other criticism is that Catherman makes it seem (intentional or not?) like the experts he quotes actually wrote the sections they are quoted in. I can't find this to be true one way or another but I have a suspicion that it's false. My evidence is that Catherman quotes Dave Ramsey in the Wealth and Money Management portion of his book but one of the subtitles you learn about is "How to Manage a Credit Card Account."If you've taken any Dave Ramsey class, you know he would NOT have written this. Ramsey firmly believes that you do not need a credit card and encourages people to cut theirs up.
This book had some good information (How to Turn Off a Toilet Water Line - something I truly did not know) and I'm sure some boys will pick it up, but I just don't think it's visual enough for most male readers. I got my husband a copy of a DIY book with LOTS of pictures for one Christmas and I don't think he's opened it more than once (when he got it).
Disclaimer: I received this book in order to write an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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