The Way of Men

Simplified, Jack Donovan's book can be distilled down to two major points. The first half of the book explores the difference between being a good man and being good at being a man. When the circle of civilization is small, it is more important to be good at being a man and it is from these origins that manhood--in its most essential form--is derived. The author identifies four virtues that have defined masculinity and helped human civilization survive from its beginnings. Yes, he essentializes masculinity but whether or not you agree with the mutability of gender, it is hard to disagree with Donovan's argument that it is primarily men and their adoption of these virtues the world over that society has survived to the point that it has. The Way of Men has, historically, been the way of the gang and it is thanks to men and the "us versus them" outlook that has allowed us to thrive. While it is preferable to have good men, that "goodness" is for naught if men cannot implement violence in a way that allows them to master the world inside and outside of their circle.

The latter chapters examine the motives of the ones who seek to redefine masculinity. This part of the book does get quite a bit more heated with language meant to inflame, but it is no thinly-veiled personal attack Donovan's intellectual enemies. Instead it is a call to action--a sort of window into our world of pointless modernity. The Bonobo Masturbation society as he calls it (and the title of the best chapter of the book) points out the fact that feminism's end-game (a movement that has been ironically co-opted by rich men) is primarily to make men and women replaceable cogs in a well-oiled and ultimately uncaring economic machine. In a feminized world, men have little to look forward to as society is stripped of challenge. At most, your future is filled with cheap sex and second-hand masculinity in the form of video games and sporting events. This Brave New World is fairly painless but offers little else other than implicit (or, worse, explicit) obedience to a corporatist and dehumanizing nation-state. I think Jack would agree with this sardonic quote from Dan Roodt: "The destiny of man is to be a shopper. Everything else is Nazism."

If you don't believe the postmodern screed about the mutability of gender, this book will be your kick in the pants and inspire you to retake your rightful place in human endeavors. If you are of the feminist persuasion, read The Way of Men if only to show some intellectual honesty. Your "tolerance" will be served by entertaining the opposing viewpoint for a few pages and you'd be hard-pressed to find a more frank or straight-forward look at what it means to be a man.

I give this book five stars, though later in the book I find the authors conclusions flawed and a bit too reactive for my taste.

Lets start with the many strengths of this book. It is an examination of masculinity throughout history, and from before recorded history. He says that the four attributes of masculinity that are cross cultural are strength, courage, mastery and honor. He relates all these to hunter gatherer groups and gangs, and examines them in an amoral context - they are neither good or bad, they just are. And to a real degree he is correct, and I agree that we all have the drive to possess and exhibit these traits, to some extent , still within us. I also agree with him that as a society, there are not many outlets for finding and developing these within ourselves.

His focus on manliness, what it means, and how these traits were valued for longer than we have been civilized means that some of these truths are uncomfortable. As he says, he is looking at how to be good at being a man not how to be a good man or a good person. I think that recognizing these instinctual drives will help someone recognize political rhetoric and advertising that appeals to them on an emotional level, and also help us as men to begin to explore our connections to the vital, primitive parts of ourselves, and do so in a way that give us control of these drives and allows the power they unleash to enhance how we live.

Where he goes off the rails, in my opinion, is, as I said above, his re activity. Referring to secret cabals of managers, feminists and corporations that actively conspire to rob us of our masculinity puts far more direction and . malignancy to social forces than they deserve, and indicates a bit of paranoia. While there may be some small truth to it, I think these forces arise more because of our instincts to acquire and be comfortable than because of some secret masterminds operating in the background in a coherent manner.

His emphasis on honor in warrior groups like the Samurai, Christian knights, mobsters and gangs is on point, but he misses something vital. First, the code of the knights and samurai was rarely actually lived up to by them. Secondly, such codes are often used as tools for manipulation in gangs. Many mobsters including Greg Scarpa and Whitey Bulger, , talked the talk, but also were paid informants for the FBI. Many gang leaders use the "no snitching" code to get lower level members to take the fall for them. While he did discuss competition within groups, he never mentioned that aspect of it.

However, this book is a MUST read for men. My advice is, when you disagree or agree with him, check your emotions. Find real reasons to discount his later arguments. Don't let cultural conditioning or easy dismissals rob you of the chance to exercise your mind a bit, or throw out the absolutely useful truths in it because he takes them in a different direction. It takes courage and mastery (two of traits he mentions) to develop your own conclusions, and that is what a real man would do anyway. I like to think that the author would agree with me on that.

Great, short book.. Talks about the difference between being a good man (moral virtues: doing the right things) and being good at being a man (tactical or martial virtues: strength, courage, mastery, honor).

I've heard men say that in order to be a respected, good man, you must also be good at being a man. I believe that to be true. No one fully respects a nice, frail guy who looks weak or a nice, fat guy who is terribly out of shape because he has no apparent strength, courage, mastery or honor (backbone) behind him.

Recommended for all men.

I think this is must for men existing in todays world. Long gone are the days of our Fathers and Grandfathers. Masculinity has taken a backseat to entitlement and technology and doing things easy. Quantity rules over quality. This book reignites the feelings we all have been suppressing for all too long.

Main thrust of book is that men's natural inclination is to operate in gangs. Gangs can operate for good or for evil, so he uses the word "gang" without the negativity we have come to associate with our normal usage of the word. Civilized society removes a lot of the impetus for men to form gangs, but the inclination is still there and once a society starts to crumble, men return to their natural form of organization, gangs.

This book should be handed to every boy and every man. You want to know if you will like the book or not? It's simple.

If you are a feminist who thinks masculinity is bad, then you will hate this book.

If you are a regular dude who doesn't spend his time hating men and masculinity, this book will change your life. Period.

Book arrived in good condition, my copy isn't pristine anymore, but that's because I dropped it in the ocean on vacation... The author is pretty opinionated but I enjoyed the book overall. Its a take on masculinity that you don't get much from modern day society anymore.

The Way of Men is a great book that looks into who men have been in the past and the characteristics that made them survive in a much more unpredictable and violent world than what we live in today. It looks at what men needed to be and do to survive in that world.

Key concepts are the way of the gang, strength, courage, mastery and honor. Jack goes into how he distilled masculinity's essence into these 'tactical virtues' and how our we are moving away from these virtues as they become less necessary for our day-to-day existence.

It's a controversial book written by a controversial character - Jack Donovan. You may not agree with everything he says. I don't. But that doesn't discount the value that he offers in understanding and valuing man's primal past. More importantly, the virtues that we need to develop today in a modern society that is becoming increasingly weak and wussified.

They say "when the teacher is ready, the student appears". I believe this is exactly what I needed to read at this point of my life. You'll either love this or hate this. If you hate it, you can't be in my gang.

The book overall satisfied my thirst for understanding male to male bonding. It made particular sense around what we may call in some places, soft a** people, or, cookie cutter complacent men. His book was point in some places but not others.

I am well aware of Alice miller's writing on childhood, and it appears the that Jack Donovan misses something. How do women act accordingly without any realness. It's not something people talk about.

I know men who are more interested in the political scheming of others only as it pertains to their paycheck, not any semblance or smell of respect. Jack Donovan says something of the pro-assimilation forces that are globalism and compares them to the "hanging-by-your-mothers- apron" as not only not the cool thing to do but, very dangerous to the whole masculine psyche. In other words, prepare to get f****** when you're not real enough to hold your
own.

But the book is aight. Would have been nice to have diagrams though.

Jack Donovan has the spirit of Attila and the mind of Aristotle. His perceptive insight places him as a leader among those writing on men's issues, and he doesn't fear to tread where they hold back for fear of being politically-incorrect.

Buy this book. Start reading. I guarantee that you'll not be able to stop.

This book offers a bleak picture of life. According to Donovan, men need to be engaged in some kind of warfare against 'them'. It did not resonate with me at all. I'm more about conflict resolution through process rather than violence or banishment. The book was really repetitive and by about the third chapter I had figured it out. I still read the last chapter to check out his conclusion but it was kind of more of the same with some vague instructions on how to start a gang. Mind you, getting together regularly with other men is not a bad idea, however, it's not a novel enough idea that an entire book needed to be written about it. This book could've been 5 tweets.

When I read this book I felt like I had been waiting my whole life to absorb this information. Everything that can be said about this book has already been stated in the other comments, so I will leave it at that.

A great read for any woman to gain understanding of men. We forget our primitive nature and try to calm our biological desires. Jack Donovan gives a direct voice to the crisis of Masculinity. Any smart, independent woman needs to read this and value that Masculinity.

I'm not saying Jack would be one of my "us." What I am saying is that he has done a spectacular job saying what most men are thinking and don't even know it yet. Read this book, men. It will make a great deal of things start to make a great deal of sense.

This is easily the best book I have read in years! It's refreshing to read a book that expressly and eloquently puts into writing the thoughts I've had in my head fro years. I recommended it to every guy I know.

This is the one book for those men asking themselves how they are to live their lives, inasmuch as they want to live them as men. Not capitalized Men, just men. The text offers a well-delivered account of manhood - based on the four cardinal manly virtues of strength, courage, mastery and honor; its historical, social and biological roots; and its desperate plight in today's world.

On second thought, this is also the one book for women wondering whether they'll ever understand men - and the kind of world they long for.

I don’t really disagree with what was said, but dear god this book is boring and hard to read. In fact it takes the honor of being the first ever book I never finished. It reads like when a freshman in college has two pages to say but teacher assigns 5 page minimum writing, just the same thing over and over again with no depth

While Jack Donovan paints an excellent picture of the methods by which masculinity in society has essentially been eroded to a shell of it's former identity, he draws too broad of a philosophical line between intellectualism in the societal progressive sense and the essence of male identity. As someone who competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I sympathize with his point that the modern man has been largely shielded by most sensations of violence, and over time it has weakened his persona. However, argues that true masculinity is the supreme characteristic of a man, and makes the argument that intellectual pursuits often hamper this development. He shows little evidence to support this claim, however, and the pervasive "holier than thou" dialogue in this book towards male intellectuals betrays the author's far right leanings as ultimately detrimental to progress in society.

Overall, this book is a great commentary on the true essence of masculinity and how it has visibly left most of today's men, but the solutions it offers to this problem at times feel far too politically motivated and close minded.

I'm not saying Jack would be one of my "us." What I am saying is that he has done a spectacular job saying what most men are thinking and don't even know it yet. Read this book, men. It will make a great deal of things start to make a great deal of sense.

This is easily the best book I have read in years! It's refreshing to read a book that expressly and eloquently puts into writing the thoughts I've had in my head fro years. I recommended it to every guy I know.

This is the one book for those men asking themselves how they are to live their lives, inasmuch as they want to live them as men. Not capitalized Men, just men. The text offers a well-delivered account of manhood - based on the four cardinal manly virtues of strength, courage, mastery and honor; its historical, social and biological roots; and its desperate plight in today's world.

On second thought, this is also the one book for women wondering whether they'll ever understand men - and the kind of world they long for.

I don’t really disagree with what was said, but dear god this book is boring and hard to read. In fact it takes the honor of being the first ever book I never finished. It reads like when a freshman in college has two pages to say but teacher assigns 5 page minimum writing, just the same thing over and over again with no depth

While Jack Donovan paints an excellent picture of the methods by which masculinity in society has essentially been eroded to a shell of it's former identity, he draws too broad of a philosophical line between intellectualism in the societal progressive sense and the essence of male identity. As someone who competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I sympathize with his point that the modern man has been largely shielded by most sensations of violence, and over time it has weakened his persona. However, argues that true masculinity is the supreme characteristic of a man, and makes the argument that intellectual pursuits often hamper this development. He shows little evidence to support this claim, however, and the pervasive "holier than thou" dialogue in this book towards male intellectuals betrays the author's far right leanings as ultimately detrimental to progress in society.

Overall, this book is a great commentary on the true essence of masculinity and how it has visibly left most of today's men, but the solutions it offers to this problem at times feel far too politically motivated and close minded.

The book is organized, well thought out and and adequately well written. Even if you don't agree with the author's ideas, you will likely find them edgy and without the compromise that most authors now adhere to in modern, PC America.

Loving the book so far. I agree with most of the rest of the reviewers. However, if you (like me) prefer to read in the night mode on a color device (white text on black background), the book is unreadable.

The book is simply "okay." There are some good ideas in the book, but it is written like a college essay. Lots of repetition and mediocre writing. I became bored rather quickly. I'm going to attempt to find other books that are written for men.

This book is an exploration of what it means to be a man. The author presents a lot of good information, always relating back to the way that humans evolved with men providing for and protecting themselves and the women. There are decent references, and the writing, while not exactly poetic, is acceptable.

My main complaint is that the author's interpretation of the information he presents is at times somewhat illogical. He has an enormous rant in one chapter where he warns we are entering a 'masturbation society' where there is little purpose for anything and a man cannot be a man, by his definitions. Instead, he argues that life would be more exciting if the world wasn't such an increasingly efficient and peaceful place, and men could spend their time engaging in conflict with other men in order to exercise strength. He seems to think that intellectual men are not real men, and they have made the world a duller place.

After reading this book, my views shifted that it is healthy and normal for a man to be slightly sexist. A man must have virtues, and be able to do far more than support his own existence. But I just can't agree with the author that a world locked in conflict, without modern innovations like airplanes and polio vaccines, is what we as men should strive for.

Good discussions, poor conclusions.

Well laid out, the premise is well laid out and explained with plenty of supporting ideas and references. It was without a doubt a mind opening read, I'm purchasing a hard copy to pass to my grandson.

Jack Donovan's 'The Way of Men' delivers on its premise: to uncover the intrinsic, timeless essence of masculinity. Mr. Donovan uses the gang as a basis for defining masculine group dynamics, then builds on this example to illustrate the four primary qualities that define what makes a man. The difference between being a good man and being good at being a man is an insight that I was unable to distinguish before reading Jack's book.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Rome's rise and fall, and how the model of masculinity Jack writes on fell very much in line with the growth and death of a civilization. It's a short read (I finished the book in an evening) and very engaging, mostly because of Mr. Donovan's stout and pared down prose.

This book is for men and people interested in traditional, historical views of masculinity. Feminists will not like this book. Good. It's not for them.

So the first half is full of good points and an interesting conceptualization of masculinity. Once he drops the f bomb (derogatory term for homosexual) it takes a turn toward a somewhat meandering and inconsistent rant against modernity. We go from exploring basic truths and the role of masculinity in all stages of civilization to a somewhat emotional, particular contempt for present-day America. Just stop reading when you get to the chapter on bonobos ... that chapter is where the book turns from "oh this is interesting" to just a dude ranting on a blog. I kind of feel like the structure is intentional; feels like bait and switch propaganda.

Two stars is for issues I had with the writing, not the views of the author (like I said, first part was interesting). Writing bugged me ("technics?") and he does things like spend half the book defining The Ways of Men then just throwing out unsupported one-liners about 'this is the way of women' in a pretty negative way. He references lines from pop culture more than he does actual studies of masculinity - kind of shoots himself in the foot and robs his good ideas of legitimacy.

Again, he talks about the way of men in an interesting way, talks about vicarious, simulated, and intellectual masculinity, but then throws it away a bit when he says hat the only way to return to The Way of Men is through hollow lawless states and the downfall of society.

Interesting take, but make sure you know what's being sold here.

Nowadays, men simply don't act like men. I think this phenomenon is a direct result of boys growing up in an increasingly pro-feminist society that considers anything that doesn't directly benefit women to be misogynistic in nature.

Want to play the field and not commit to a single woman? You'e a misogynist. Wish you could go back a few decades to a time when men were unafraid to follow their masculine instincts? You're a misogynist. Want to go your own way and not participate in society the way most men are expected to (i.e., could you care less about getting married and having kids)? You're a misogynist.

What a load of BS!

Thankfully, Jack Donovan provides this well-reasoned and historically accurate examination of the very essence of manhood. Every boy should read this book before he enters adulthood.

Like a great many brilliant ideas I have been exposed to the basic premise of this book seemed totally self-evident by the time I got to the end. I personally think that this is probably the best way of expressing the visceral power and clarity of the authors style-- I felt like a total $****head for not having seen this for myself. The author makes absolutely no concessions to the conventions of academic writing or conventional conclusions in this book, much to his credit. The rhetorical layout of the book is much more along the lines of classical philosophy (as it is an analysis if what manhood is in its essential nature) but the work is also thoroughly informed by modern science. In the end the argument takes a position that the quest for a society free of hierarchy is as obtainable as perpetual motion. Kill a sacred cow- read this book.

Argues that men "naturally" live in tribes from which women and children are largely excluded. Modern Western society, inspired by feminists, has been trying to change this fact. The outcome has been a. to push men into gangs, the arch-typical tribes; and b. degrade the once all-male, all-powerful, armed forces to the point where they can scarcely any more fight.

Unfortunately the book is almost totally undocumented. That detracts from its value, even though I personally agree with the author.

Donovan does a good job of looking back at the cultural, species-specific origins and definitions of male behavior, and I think his logical assessment of 'what makes a good man vs. what makes a good person' is spot-on. The later chapters start to sink into misogyny, however, making for a hard read towards the end. Nevertheless, provides a good framework for modern concepts of what makes a man.

Jack Donovan's 'The Way of Men' delivers on its premise: to uncover the intrinsic, timeless essence of masculinity. Mr. Donovan uses the gang as a basis for defining masculine group dynamics, then builds on this example to illustrate the four primary qualities that define what makes a man. The difference between being a good man and being good at being a man is an insight that I was unable to distinguish before reading Jack's book.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Rome's rise and fall, and how the model of masculinity Jack writes on fell very much in line with the growth and death of a civilization. It's a short read (I finished the book in an evening) and very engaging, mostly because of Mr. Donovan's stout and pared down prose.

This book is for men and people interested in traditional, historical views of masculinity. Feminists will not like this book. Good. It's not for them.

So the first half is full of good points and an interesting conceptualization of masculinity. Once he drops the f bomb (derogatory term for homosexual) it takes a turn toward a somewhat meandering and inconsistent rant against modernity. We go from exploring basic truths and the role of masculinity in all stages of civilization to a somewhat emotional, particular contempt for present-day America. Just stop reading when you get to the chapter on bonobos ... that chapter is where the book turns from "oh this is interesting" to just a dude ranting on a blog. I kind of feel like the structure is intentional; feels like bait and switch propaganda.

Two stars is for issues I had with the writing, not the views of the author (like I said, first part was interesting). Writing bugged me ("technics?") and he does things like spend half the book defining The Ways of Men then just throwing out unsupported one-liners about 'this is the way of women' in a pretty negative way. He references lines from pop culture more than he does actual studies of masculinity - kind of shoots himself in the foot and robs his good ideas of legitimacy.

Again, he talks about the way of men in an interesting way, talks about vicarious, simulated, and intellectual masculinity, but then throws it away a bit when he says hat the only way to return to The Way of Men is through hollow lawless states and the downfall of society.

Interesting take, but make sure you know what's being sold here.

Nowadays, men simply don't act like men. I think this phenomenon is a direct result of boys growing up in an increasingly pro-feminist society that considers anything that doesn't directly benefit women to be misogynistic in nature.

Want to play the field and not commit to a single woman? You'e a misogynist. Wish you could go back a few decades to a time when men were unafraid to follow their masculine instincts? You're a misogynist. Want to go your own way and not participate in society the way most men are expected to (i.e., could you care less about getting married and having kids)? You're a misogynist.

What a load of BS!

Thankfully, Jack Donovan provides this well-reasoned and historically accurate examination of the very essence of manhood. Every boy should read this book before he enters adulthood.

Like a great many brilliant ideas I have been exposed to the basic premise of this book seemed totally self-evident by the time I got to the end. I personally think that this is probably the best way of expressing the visceral power and clarity of the authors style-- I felt like a total $****head for not having seen this for myself. The author makes absolutely no concessions to the conventions of academic writing or conventional conclusions in this book, much to his credit. The rhetorical layout of the book is much more along the lines of classical philosophy (as it is an analysis if what manhood is in its essential nature) but the work is also thoroughly informed by modern science. In the end the argument takes a position that the quest for a society free of hierarchy is as obtainable as perpetual motion. Kill a sacred cow- read this book.

Argues that men "naturally" live in tribes from which women and children are largely excluded. Modern Western society, inspired by feminists, has been trying to change this fact. The outcome has been a. to push men into gangs, the arch-typical tribes; and b. degrade the once all-male, all-powerful, armed forces to the point where they can scarcely any more fight.

Unfortunately the book is almost totally undocumented. That detracts from its value, even though I personally agree with the author.

Donovan does a good job of looking back at the cultural, species-specific origins and definitions of male behavior, and I think his logical assessment of 'what makes a good man vs. what makes a good person' is spot-on. The later chapters start to sink into misogyny, however, making for a hard read towards the end. Nevertheless, provides a good framework for modern concepts of what makes a man.

Entertaining and a good read. Makes a lot of good points and I read it in one sitting, worth the price for sure. Many points really hit home, I could identify with the feeling of needing to go out and challenge myself, I guess lots of men feel the same way.

I am about halfway through the book, optimistically trying to find one redeeming quality or value in the narrative. So far it has been a failure. I am trying to understand the qualitative analysis of the book but it renders no merit: It is a hodge podge of ideas and naïve clichés woven in an intricate tapestry of testosterone, signifying, quite frankly nothing. I don't see how any wisdom can be derived from this book unless the reader is going through puberty and trying to be even more confused by the Ways of Men.

This addresses the ins and outs of manhood, the why and the wherefore of the gender. This book clearly reveals the mysteries of being a man. What it means historically compared to today's emasculated circumstances. A how to manual in manning up. And I love the fact that the author is a self professed "Androphile" aka (Homosexual) and is giving lessons to Straight men on how to be a man. Times they are a changing.

Jack has distilled in so many words the essence of what makes men MEN, of what defines masculinity and how it can be defined, and gives great insight into why the current state of existence in the Western World has left a generation confused, unhappy, and bitter. A fantastic read, I'll be rereading this book as a manifesto

"The Way of Men" reinforces the long lost idea that it's acceptable and normal for men to be powerful beings. The text is equal parts sociology (the forming of modern male tribes) and evolutionary biology/psychology (masculine traits). However, "The Way of Men" doesn't have anything particularly profound. I have known for quite sometime now that masculinity is on the decline in America. If you are looking to start studying masculine theory and separate yourself from the overbearing philosophies of feminism, I would suggest reading "The Way of the Superior Man," by David Deida.

Jack Donovan rants about what is wrong in a fairly eloquent way without giving any substance on providing solutions to the struggle of men in an emasculating society. Does he not realize that in his ideal world, he would be out of a job as a writer/activist. One of his alpha male leaders would crush him under his boot heel as he slowly gutted Jack's soft underbelly and then would take his head and make a saddle ornament with it.

The Way of Men is exactly what the title implies. I give the book that much. I have found this book to be mostly a generalized opinion about the history, culture, and tradition of men. Additionally, the research that was done in this book has nothing to do with the main question of the book, "What is masculinity?" Jack Donovan gives his opinion of what he thinks masculinity to be based off of a general and personal observation without any true research. This book is not a scholarly work and I am flabbergasted that others think it is; this says a lot about our society's education level. After reading this book, I have come to the conclusion that it seems as though this guy wants us men to go back to the age ignorance and for men to become barbarians. This book receives 1 star because the concept is one that is highly argued, 'What is masculinity?'

To say this book is "only" x number of pages is to complain that your favorite all you can eat buffet ran out of tater tots for your third soft-serve.
Jack's Paleo-masculine theories, are like the paleo-diet, the meat is what matters. It details what men need to thrive based on an understanding that we became optimized for struggle in a harsh world.

I masticated on this in a way I was unable to with Pinker's 700 pages of The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.

And Jack didn't wait 5 years so he could couch his reactionary theories in all sorts of quailfying language an hand-wringing luke Putnam's Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.

In fact, it is that sort of hang-wringing about the reality of society when it contradicts "good thinking" people's views on how things SHOULD BE that Jack assaults head on by writing in just such a clear and concise way.

Highly recommended.

The worst book I've ever read. Bar none. It is going in the trash. The book is poorly written, poorly organized, poorly researched and lacking in logic and scope. Most damning is the fact that the book is deficient under its own framework. There is no honor in anti-intellectualism. There is no mastery shown in a 166-page book that lacks depth on the physiological differences of men and grossly misrepresents and misunderstands history. There is no courage in looking to the past for a win-lose solution to the challenges of modern society.

Perhaps the best way to highlight how bad this book is, is to point out a critical and extremely important male attribute that the book completely misses the mark on. Increased risk-taking is an example of a win-win male trait in modern society. There is a demonstrable difference in men's risk-taking versus women. There is a wealth of historical examples where male risk-taking has improved the lives of all men, women and children. It also benefits from modern systems and relationships where there are costs and constraints that aren’t simply death. The future potential of our society is greater when smart risks are undertaken. Modern societal supports increase the potential for smart risks to be under-taken.

The author’s chapter on courage may appear to cover risk-taking on the surface, but it quickly veers off-course into an insane glorification of the Roman Empire. It is estimated that 30% of the population of Rome in that time were slaves. There is no path forward for men that involves slavery.

It is also important to call out the pseudo-intellectual condemnation of globalization, modern society and feminism without defining or exploring them. The author does not justify their opinion on these topics at all. The reader is just expected to go along with the bashing of these concepts as if it is a fact that they are all terrible. It reads as if he got bored or distracted with writing the book and just gave up on trying to justify viewpoints. It comes off as weak and undermines the little credibility present in the more-fleshed out portions that come before it. I see the work of a weak man here.

Lastly I’ll call out the fact that I went into this book both blind and open to its ideas. I did not know who Jack Donovan was. I am not inherently biased towards either intellectualism or a more-physical interpretation of masculinity. I have an MBA and am successful in the business world. I also have extensive experience in team sports and can appreciate the power it has in building better men. I spend time camping and fishing and see the appeal of returning to nature. I have a wife and kids. I am confident in my own masculinity. I bought this book wanting a tool to help share that with other men that come from diverse backgrounds and different experiences (most notably my younger step-brothers). This book is not the answer.

The book is unashamed and completely thorough. A quick read at 138 pages, Jack addresses and thorough answers the question, "What does it mean to be a man?" Starting from tribal societies, moving through what he considers the Manly Virtues, and ending with a warning for modern society, Jacks strong and authoritative tone will pull you in and keep you turning the page.

You seem to never get more than a half page without having a mind-blowing insight on the truth of masculinity and what it takes to be good at being a man - something entirely different (as Jack will tell you) from being a good man.

While the book is most definitely not for the politically correct and polite crowd, it is an incredibly comprehensive and authoritative insight on masculinity in modernity and what you can do to be a better man - the book should be required reading for all men in 2013.

You can see my full review at Manly-Reviews dot com!

The only regret I have about reading this book is that I can never again Read it for the 1st time. Jack Donovan has laid it out like it is, not how we'd like to fool ourselves into thinking it is or how it should be. To quote the late Anton LaVey 'you may not like what you see but you will see.' Thank you Mr Donovan.

US Soldier here. I have never agreed with anything more than this book. You have literally taken my views and beliefs and put words to it. I have recommended this book to a few guys in my platoon and everyone really loved it. Keep up the good work.
Til Valhal

Great book. I can't wait to read his other books and have recommended this book to several friends. There are a lot of reasons to read this book. I like how he describes and defines what type of man I need to be, and what type of man will be valuable if a WROL or SHTF situation arises. This isn't a SHTF or WROL book. And the attributes of men under those circumstances are valuable in a society under the rule of law, just not as valuable as they otherwise would be because there are other ways to provide besides hunting and homesteading.

What I found interesting is that many of my friends and men that I am drawn to are such men as described Inn thus book. Hunters, builders, adventurous, forthright, confident men.

Again...great book.

I'm reminded in this audio book why men are men and women are women and we are not the same. Jack highlights the reasons our world is so seemingly upside down right now. He also reminded me why I am so attracted to my very girly wife, even though she drives me crazy sometimes. :)

My rating is 3.5/5. I was not totally convinced, but i respect Donovan immensely for writing a no-nonsense, thoroughly uncompromising book about masculinity and what it means to be a man.

The thesis of this book--which drives heavily on evolutionary psychology, Hobbes, Rand, Nietzsche--is that men derive meaning in the world through competing with other men in very specific ways, and that their ability to compete and form meaningful gang like associations with other men--`the way of men is the way of the gang'--is being weakened by atomisation, emasculation(via feminism), neo-liberalism, technology, increased bureaucratisation and an over emphasis on greed and economic competition. He draws an interesting distinction between what it means to be a `good man'(morality, civility etc), and what it means to be `good at being a man', which is more of an amoral space where men have to do what needs to be done in order to survive. He argues, quite convincingly, that `intellectual men' tend to be concerned with the former, without generally acknowledging that the only reason they are able to pursue the 'good life'--the life of 'contemplation'--is because stronger, more courageous men have largely created the conditions for civilization to emerge, often through a combination of brute force and bloodshed. This is not an original idea in and of itself, but it becomes compelling when framed by the inherent tension that exists between man's desire to fulfill his biological imperative, and the necessary constraints imposed on him by civilization. Negative criticism tends to focus on Donovan's privileging of the biological position, but I think it's perhaps hasty to assume that Donovan is claiming that being a 'good man' is neither a worthy pursuit or some kind of idealistic fiction; or that civilization itself is bad and that we must return to the jungle. What i believe he is arguing that in contemporary society we have become so concerned with molding boys into 'good men' that we have somehow neutered them in the process; and this 'esmasculation agenda' is itself based on fraudulent premises. In reality, a healthy society would encourage a dynamic interplay between the natural, social and moral dimensions of human behaviour/being. The society we currently live in, however, pressures men to conform while offering them little reward for their efforts other than financial ones, which are rapidly diminishing in the global race to the bottom.

However, while Donovan is correct that men do thrive on conflict and competition in a quasi-Nietzschean sense--i.e significance and meaning occurring through perpetual struggle on the path to self actualisation--and that men need their own spaces to bond and sort out their issues, I don't understand why he sees no valuable room for women in this worldview outside of sex and reproduction. Like most feminists, Donovan tends to downplay the very real affect that women have on male psychological growth and development. My impression is that he tends to dismiss it as a by-product of the emasculation agenda and the increased atomisation of men in modern capitalist society. In other words, women only have the ability to really influence men in a society where codes of masculinity aren't really worth a s***, otherwise their influence would be minimal.

Despite not agreeing with at least half of the things said in the book, i think Donovan makes a valiant attempt to start a new type of conversation about the status of masculinity in modern society that draws upon a number of different and relevant sources(Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Biology, popular culture etc etc), but there are moments where the book comes dangerously close to the male equivalent of lesbian separatism; a worldview that has created much damage in society. He also doesn't seem too concerned with the problem of `othering' that often occurs due to intergroup rivalry. I could be wrong, but he just claims that this is the result of the male need to `establish parameters and boundaries', and that an us and them ideology is the inevitable outcome of drawing the line. While he does make a convincing case for the need to often draw the line--in both a tactical and practical survival related sense--his vision of a world based on gangs and crews--not necessarily thugs--seems questionable in terms of its actual benefits for civilization. But i guess for rugged individualist types, that _is_ the point. Perhaps i'm not manly enough to accept it. Nonetheless, i am certainly glad he wrote this book.

Most books about masculinity rehash media images in an attempt to join them together into some kind of movement. Donovan's book does the opposite: it removes the media hype, and looks at masculinity from an evolutionary perspective. The result is a short book with a strong central theory that is then explained through concrete examples that relate our hunter-gatherer origins to our modern lives, and show us what is eternal between the two. Masculinity exists for a reason and men have a role even when society tries to convince them that masculinity is inherently inegalitarian (true) and therefore bad (false). Donovan's quick-witted, academically savvy and yet intensely readable prose brings this knotty topic to light.

Men and women don't want the same thing subconsciously or emotionally (just look at what they find as the most attractive sexual partner and how that's different from who they want to marry or spend there lives with) They might want the same thing rationally but allot of the human behavior is NOT a rational choice for example if someone upsets you or someone attracts you , most of that is not a rational choice.This book explores part of the "male" nature that is behind the rational mind but that drives us nevertheless and makes us happy or unhappy.

I found surprising that the author does not find a great link between women and manhood(or masculinity).I would have imagined that women is an essential for manhood(and the other way around) but after reading this book i m not so sure anymore.

Also i liked that the author makes a clear difference between being a good man and good at being a man (allot of people confused the two) . Manliness is outside good or evil(unlike being a good man) , i would argues that good and evil are a concept created by civilization and religion and that our human ancestors didn't see the world in those terms.

This book asks questions like how much we loose and how much we gain in globalization. Is it really worth it ? What we really want ? We want more easier , more safer , more satisfaction etc ? I don't like the idea of going down that road, were would we stop... Allot of the human values are defined by opposition , they cant exist and don't have meaning if not in opposition.

Unlike the author i do think that gender understanding and equality comes only from each other and rational understanding of what we want at a non rational level.

I noticed how some female readers completely missed the point of the book(or the perspective) or toke it personal .That is because this book is not about men being human (what links us to women) is about men being men (and that by definition excludes women)so please try to read it with a open mind.

An interesting book. Most often you will probably not agree with all of it (i didn't), or even most of it but it raises allot of issues and ask the questions including the author own perspective and i think that's valuable enough. Also i would recommend to read all the book if you completely disagree with the first chapters etc, you might find value later on.

This book has its flaws. The audio version is decent but lacking in quality. Fairly simplistic and sometimes boorish writing. BUT despite the flaws, it brings up some thoughtful and thought-provoking discussions that are sorely needed un today’s world. I couldn’t put it down, and I think every man needs to read this book.

This book is an excellent continuation of the discussion of masculinity which Mr. Donovan is creating. It reads more academically than his prior works.

The ideals and truths discussed within are sorely needed in today's age, and are of immense value. I wish all of the men I dealt with in life were to read this. This book has earned a permanent place on my shelf, and I suspect I will re-read it at least a dozen times, if not scores.

Should I ever have sons, I will be damn sure they read this book.

I bought this through a local bookstore, and it was worth every red cent. Concise and distilled, like a glass of good bourbon, this is the book that helped me solidify my ideas of what makes a man, and how to carry that out in real life. Lots of books - well-written books, classic books, challenging books - inspire readers to discuss their ideas and opinions, either in person or online. The Way of Men separates itself from other books by inspiring ACTION. Even as I type this, the foundations for gangs, tribes, and männerbunden are being laid, one in particular as a result of this book and a congregation of men in the Oregon wilderness.

4.4 out of 5 stars, after 150 reviews? Let's push it higher, men.

Oh, and Jack signed my copy, so all you degenerates can SUCK IT

Jack Donovan's latest book, The Way of Men, is not a self-help guide. Reading it won't get you laid, make you money or give you bigger abs. The Way of Men is an attempt to answer the questions, "What is masculinity? What does it mean to be a man? What is the essence of manliness?" It's an articulation of what makes men men, unencumbered by ideology, philosophy or religion, the truth that we all know and have known for millennia but could not find the words for.

This is going to sound like hyperbole, but The Way of Men is easily one of the best, most valuable books I've ever read. Decades from now, when the current dystopia becomes nothing but a bad memory, Donovan's book will be seen as one of the seminal works of the alt-right/manosphere canon. I hate even using this analogy because it trivializes the sheer impact of Jack's work, but it's the only way to make my point: The Way of Men will do for men what The Feminine Mystique did for women.

The Way of Men is important precisely because Jack approaches masculinity from an objective, amoral, almost mathematical standpoint, a perspective that is literally absent in the past few decades' writing on the subject. The problem with defining masculinity is that every single clique in the world wants to repurpose masculinity and men to serve their own interests. Ask a dozen people what manliness is and you'll get a dozen different answers:

To a traditionalist Christian, being masculine entails getting married, having children and going to church every Sunday.
To a player, being masculine entails having sex with lots of women.
To a feminist, being masculine means serving the interests of women every minute of every day.

Donovan dispenses with all this noise and distills manliness down to its core attributes, independent of culture and morality. These are the virtues that define men throughout space and time, whether we're talking about the samurai of feudal Japan or the knights of medieval Europe.

Jack's concept of the "gang" being the way of men informs the entire book, specifically his analysis of the central traits of masculinity: strength, courage, mastery and honor. The "gang" is the basic unit of male organization going back to the caveman days. All effective male organizations, from the police to the military to the mafia, are gangs in which the four aforementioned virtues are necessary to survive and advance the group's interests. Drawing on evolutionary biology, history and philosophers from Aristotle to Hobbes, Donovan breaks it down. Donovan also distinguishes between the concept of a being a good man ("good" as in moral) and being good at being a man (being masculine), noting that most people confuse the two:

"A man who is more concerned with being a good man than being good at being a man makes a very well-behaved slave."

The second half of The Way of Men is concerned with the state of men today, serving as a great antidote to all the "man up" articles coming out of the media today. Society has gradually crippled mens' ability to be manly by making the world safe and neutered, yet the Bennetts and Hymowitzes of the world wonder why the Millennial generation has no interest in anything aside from porn and video games. The chapter "The Bonobo Masturbation Society" drives the point home: this is a woman's world; we men are just visiting.

But it won't be a woman's world for much longer. With the slow-motion collapse of the economy and the government's impotence, it's only a matter of time before new gangs of men arise to take their place. Donovan is critical of the men's rights movement's first principles and pessimistic of their chances of success, though he does praise the work they do. The future of men is the same as their past: the Way of the Gang, good, bad or wretched.

The Way of Men is the first complete roadmap to masculinity ever published, the truth your fathers never told you. For the men of my generation, this book is beyond invaluable. But even if you aren't a Millennial, you have to own The Way of Men. There is literally nothing out there like it: a book that describes the fundamentals of manliness without getting bogged down in religion or politics. It is a guiding light out of the darkness.

I highly recommend this to any male who struggles with their place in the world; for any male who has every wondered, "is that all there is to life?"; for any male who wants to create purpose for themselves. This is your book.

On a side note, most of the detractors argue with petty, ad hominem arguments or fail to see the global scope in which Jack Donovan sees things; rise above them.

the store review, the way of men

You don't accidentally find yourself here. There is no need to inform you about Jack Donovan or his take on things. For more on his style or writing you can go to his website and read selected pieces. You can also listen to his podcast at Start the World.
This review is to help you choose between his two main works, “The way of Men” and “Becoming a Barbarian”.
Jack Donovan is a perceptive and original thinker who writes in a terse, compact manner. He is one of those writers who writes down your own thoughts but expresses it far more eloquently. Though we probably wouldn't have come up with arguments, so precise, persuasive and insightful. He has also taken a lot of the legwork out of the common cultural conversation about masculinity and dismantles the commonly expressed counter-arguments. As you can see from the negative reviews this rarely rises above the level of knee-jerk, name calling. On reflection you may well have come to these conclusions yourself but he has saved you years of reading, drum circles and YouTube commenting.
This is strong stuff it's like eating Roquefort or rare steaks. It's uncompromising and brave. Far from an unreconstructed thug, Donovan has come out of the same educated, liberal culture as us all and finding it lacking, dissected it.
Donovan is scornful of what modern western society has become, and runs over modernities sacred cows (then reverses over them). Conversations sparked by these books will be interesting indeed, and it would be a strong, or hopeless. person who is not troubled, stirred and changed by reading his work.

Of course you should buy both books they are self published, Listen to his podcast with Greg Walsh for more on this, so he will receive most of the income from the sale. But as we are concerned with doing not talking maybe the second of the books, “Becoming a Barbarian” is the more useful. This book concerns tribalism, the place of man in a tribe, what that concerns and builds the mental equipment to do it.
“The Way of Men” hacks away the cultural accretions to lay bare the essence of men as Donovan sees them. The first half of the book deals with the four tactical virtues Strength Courage Mastery and Honour and what it means to be good at being a man.
The second half deals with historical examples, the problems of applying the tactical virtues in the modern world and the parlous state of men's affairs in the West.
I read these books, the wrong-way-around. Becoming a Barbarian is more about the application of ideas laid out in the way of men with a strong emphasis on the tribe, an honest, red meat look at tribalism, compared with “our” cultures' veneration of individualism. Donovan does well in dismantling the myth of the rugged individualist and creates a compelling and well-researched vision of tribal man.

Both Books are slim, and beautiful reflecting Donovan's strong artistic skill. Did I agree with everything he writes? No, of course not. Is he wrong? No. Not really, in nuance maybe, execution. I'm not sure about re-inventing barbarism, and I'm not sure that we can't start Western civilisation back on a path that benefits men, and us all. In my more temperate moments it seems unwise to reject the paradigm that has given the world the highest material level of existence ever known, in my less temperate moments “starting the world seems preferable to slowly going extinct.. These are powerful books, with ideas you will apply to your live. They will make you want to be better, stronger. It's a timely piece too on the edge of the counter attack.

Will it make you a good man?, maybe. Will it make you good at being a man? Yes apply it.

Great book on universal manliness. He goes into detail on the virtues that virtually all cultures share when it comes to what a man is. At the end, he gets extremely political, which is an interesting direction, but it wasn't bad.

The Way of Men examines manly conduct from an honest fact-fuelled perspective. Focusing on man's true primal nature, Jack Donovan marches beyond good and evil, and tramples over prior rose-tinted spectacle definitions of manliness based on spirituality, morality and feminism. The result is a rugged, politically incorrect treatise informed by how men really interact with the world and each other, unpurified by Ivory Tower theorising. As a response to the ongoing emasculation of men in what is fast becoming a "bonobo masturbation society" lead by feminists and those hostile to male interests, Mr. Donovan seeks to awaken Virtus and calls for the formation of loyal male gangs and restoration of the tactical virtues of Strength, Courage, Mastery and Honour to reclaim masculinity. An inspirational and essential book for all men - Let's start something!

Just as the title says, "The Way of Men" gave me nightmares. I've been reading up on the manosphere for awhile and was pleased to be introduced to this book via my powerlifting coach. I read it in an afternoon and needless to say, Jack Donovan's thesis really struck a profound and personal chord with me. I was so captivated, not only by the ideas put forth but by the clarity and conviction with which they were put forth, that when I went to sleep that night I dreamt that I was in a gang, one much like Donovan describes in his book, and was killed for being too weak and not "pulling my weight", so to speak. In my defense, the dream does not exactly match reality: I was kind of a soft kid growing up, but I ain't no limp-wristed wuss. Anyway, the point of all this is that the book really gave me a sense of conviction about who I am, what my duties are to my fellow men, and who I wanted to become to fulfill those duties. I have always deeply valued brotherly and man-to-man relationships, so this book effectively articulated what I had always experienced and wanted intuitively throughout my life. While I don't agree 100% with every facet of Donovan's worldview (check out his website- good stuff), his arguments about the biological realities of men and manhood and the nature and realities of tribalism (realities that are ignored in post-modern, liberal, everyone's a winner, one-world-tribe America) are difficult to argue against, and I can't help but to wonder what Donovan's philosophy would look like if it were ever to be implemented to its fullest logical extent. I'd bet it would be rough, tough, and very manly. I recommend this book highly.

This book put forward some interesting theories about masculinity in modern society. While he demonstrates why men may now feel emasculated, it doesn't put forward a convincing argument as to why his solution is preferable. Yes men may have a natural desire to be part of a xenophobic gang. Does this mean that we should move in this direction? Not necessarily. Humans often have the urge to hit people who they are arguing with, but we don't do that because we realise that there are more positive ways of dealing with these situations. Listening to and acting upon our natural instincts/desires is not automatically the most desirable option.

A waste of time, although not that much time. It's such a light read it didn't take long to get through. So full of holes and contradictions it's not worth your time. Every page had something to find fault with. His concluding chapter really brings the point home. He argues you should start a gang but also notes that life in a gang would be "nasty, brutish, and short." So it would appear to be something he is not that interested in. He strikes me as someone sort of like a suicide bomber recruiter. He never actually blows himself up, he just convinces others to do the same. I understand how you can be frustrated as a man in modern society, but this book has nothing productive to offer. As a homosexual, Jack Donovan's advice may make connect with other butch gay guys. If your a hetero male, this book is a waste of your time, unless, as one reviewer put it, you're planning to go to prison.

This book challenged many of my deeply help beliefs. I have read it twice and consequently changed my mind about a lot of things. In short, I would say this book has changed my life for the better. If you feel drawn to this book, I would encourage you to read it two times and the second time read it slowly.

Long winded review aside.

Purchase this book.

It will change your perspective and give you insight that everyone around you is ignorant of.

It has changed my life for the better, and am already seeing results.

Quit jacking off like a lowly monkey, start working out, get a legit fight, find some real men as brothers, grow out your facial hair, stop following the herd. Stop being comfortable. Stop being average

If any of that scares you. Then do not purchase this book.

I am man.

Donovan does a great job breaking down the psychology and sociology of masculinity. The Way of Men is a bare-bones throwback to an age when men were MEN. Donovan manages to get his point across without falling into the traps of political correctness or intellectual dishonesty.
I highly recommend this book for young men out there today. It adheres to the old-school Boy Scout creed of strength, courage, honor, mastery (qualities Donovan explores) and are sorely overlooked by today's consumerist, mass media, feminist driven narrative. I really enjoyed his historical and mythological examples as well.
5 stars.

Was surprised, challenged, and deeply enjoyed this incisive and thoroughly researched book. While most books on the subject attempt to create an ideal of masculinity based on the author's political or religious bent, Donovan goes back into history and examines *what* masculinity is universally and *why* it is that way. Easy reading, honest, and philosophically deep.

While an easy and quick read, The Way of Men undertakes the monumental task of defining masculinity and male identity in a post-feminist society. Donovan does a good job defining the current state of masculinity, provides historical reference points, and posits definition and distinction to overarching ideas of what masculinity is. It is straight-forward, uncompromising, and thought provoking. A must read for any young man who struggles against the current assumptions of what a man should be.

This book was exactly what I was looking for and, I believe, what a lot of men are looking for. Jack Donovan lays out an unapologetic and simple thesis on masculinity - namely that the Way of Men is the Way of the Gang. I've read many books on men and masculinity and was tired of the pandering tone many of them have. There's a tendency these days to re-frame masculinity as something gentle and compassionate, when what resonates in the gut of most men is the opposite. Jack Donovan speaks to that gut feeling.

If you are fan of Mr. Donovan's other works, I think you will not be surprised by his latest work, The Way of Men. It's utterly straightforward and honest, full of historical anecdotes, and uncompromising in it's vision. Jack really does understand the state of men and he relays the information pretty well. His core beliefs, however, are very Left Handed ,if you know what I mean and as such, his writing only for really intrepid readers. Jack's dangerous ideas often bring to my mind Nietzsche, Simon LeVay and Ayn Rand for, to read this book properly, you must accept, if only temporarily, that "Might is Right." I do wish he had not used quite so many words- even for a short book, it drags bottom in places- but the author does not aim to entertain. For the fictional, entertaining version of this book, try the perennial favorite, Fight Club, because the two works really describe the same scenario: the crisis of modern manhood. Men are getting softer, fatter, lazier, more feminine, more dependent on a government that we do not trust and which does not values us, dependent on others for food, water and safety. Gender roles in the author's hometown of Portland are decidedly unhip, quaint even. Women compete in the work place, earning as much and more as their male counterparts. Physical, dangerous jobs are going away. We all sit behind desks for a paycheck. Hell, even the military, the manliest joint around, is blowing up Afghan's via robot drones! What a tough sell- masculinity is perceived to be rooted in violence, aggression, chauvinism, and war: characteristics many, including yours truly, believe dangerous and even deeply unevolved. Modern men are left unfulfilled without an outlet for all that testosterone, for good or for bad.
Jack's hypothesis is that men today languish for the lack the gang, a fraternity of male allies who depend on one another when hunting mammoth or perhaps defending against marauding bands of bandits on a Mad-Max-post-Apocalypse desert highway or zombies or whatever. For Jack, Masculinity is acceptance among male peers. He's absolutely correct, by the way. To be part of the club, you must carry your own weight plus some. It's us vs. them and there's no room for wimps and pussies. Cavemen and Spartans would understand but will modern males? I think I do and in fact, I long for such camaraderie, as I suspect other urban intellectuals with y chromosomes will too. Jack even gives instruction on creating a gang of you very own, which strikes me as paradoxically both Insane and Totally Reasonable. It honestly sounds like fun to me but falls pretty short of Jack's ideal. Around what will you form your gang? Fantasy football? The only gangs that would have me are the Sharks or the Jets. And do you really want to live in Jack's basement, making soap and bombs by day and brawling by night? Anyone who really wants to experience gang life is invited to commit a sufficiently violent crime and plead guilty. Prison will present you with ample opportunities for both male bonding and gang violence. My point is, I'm not sure fulfilling men's emotional needs are worth deconstructing society, decadent though it is.
The Way of Men is a interesting book. It asks the right questions but I'm afraid it has the wrong answers for me. Hardier readers may feel different. I suspect the crux upon which others will judge is this: do you have faith in good of all mankind or do you subscribe to "The Survival of the Fittest?" Do we live in a dangerous world where we must stick to our tribe and fear other humans? Whether you wear a white hat or a black hat will make a lot of difference. While Jack nails the nihilist malaise of genderless utopia, the corrosive effects of globalism on the spirit of man and the indignity that men face daily, he fails to channel man's nobler spirit. That's not to say I wasn't given pause, because I surely was. What man has not at one time wished to work with his hands again, to find companionship among other men, to work as a group towards a goal, preferably splitting the head of a enemy with a coconut? Or perhaps don a uniform and march off to defend civilization? I too have a vague notion that my ancestors were stronger, manlier men than I, that there is a loss of something vital, something dangerous and powerful and dynamic in our sensitive, technological world. We are losing our manly essence and our cultural identities and there doesn't seem much we can do about it.
There is many good ideas to be gleaned here, just please don't push it over the edge. I just find it strange that one can speak of such high characteristics such as honor, courage and strength in men and yet apply them to so small a goal as hunting. Then again, I've never been in a gang, nor do I expect to be, and when the Apocalypse comes, it may likely be my head on the stake.

Pretty one dimensional. Donovan's basic premise is that being a man entails establishing one's proper place in the male hierarchy. Not true! Being a man means being free of the need to impress others in any way and living your own life. Being a man means living unencumbered by social conventions as a free human being on the face of this earth. There are no good artificial limits, and this book suggests that you should live your life constrained by your fellow men.