Life Lessons from Navy SEAL Training - From Fathers to Sons

This is the first review I have ever written. Normally I am the one who reads others reviews but never leaves one myself. This time I feel compelled to give my opinion because I am not a father or a male. I am female, newly married and trying to have kids. I know this book is entitled Raising Men and is geared towards fathers but I read it anyways.

I am giving it 5 stars because it doesn’t just to speak to men or how to raise sons . It is easy to apply most of what Eric says to raising daughters and/or being a great mother. Eric lays down a foundation on how to be a responsible parent and have a positive presence in your child’s life. He really puts emphasis on the fact that you, the adult, have to lead a good life first. You need to figure out what that is and start implementing it in your daily life. He uses the phrase “lead from the front” and really emphasizes the importance of being a responsible adult/parent and how to be present and engaged in your child’s life. He does this by sharing with you some of his own personal experiences and also adds in personal stories told by other highly respected special forces operators. One of the things I like most is at the end of each chapter. Eric asks you, the reader, questions about the content and principles discussed in that chapter. He gets your mind thinking about what you are or not doing as a parent and how you think you can improve on that. I find this technique very helpful because it makes it personal. He is engaging you to contemplate your own actions and how they affect the people you love.

I found the book to be very inspiring. Eric has motivated me to become the best version of myself now before I have kids and gave me some tools to be the best parent in the future.

The book is one of the best books I have read in a long time. As a Dad of 2 small boys, it was a real eye opener. Eric's no nonsense advice grounded in his stories and experiences in the Seal teams are a refreshing read. I found myself on several accounts relating to exactly what Eric was saying and giving me a path to be a better father. If you are a dad, you need to get this book, read it and then read it again!

I can't recommend Eric's book highly enough! So many of us just go through the motions of being a parent. Our children NEED US to actively insert ourselves into their lives and lead them! Thank you, Eric, for writing "Raising Men" and for providing an example of what parenting should look like!

Its ok, I heard and interview that Davis gave which was great. The book didn't seem to flow very well and was a bit of a tough read. The core message was good but I struggled a bit to keep reading it.

As a parent of 4 young children, I am always looking for ways to be better. Raising Men is an great resource. Being a parent is probably the toughest job you'll ever love similar to the difficulty of making SEAL Team. The stories, life examples and learning tools in this book are wonderful!

I’ve been following Eric’s writing for a few years through AverageFrog.com and been inspired to make some changes in my own life because of it. I have two young sons and am very glad I picked up a hard copy of this book. Happy there are still real people out there that have a no B.S. approach to leadership, living life, and earning your freedom - as it’s meant to be. It’s a fact of life that not everyone gets a trophy, and the sooner we can teach our kids these values and ethics, the more prepared they will be. Thanks Eric for being consistent in getting these points across!

Very well written in a format that gives you the information you need, in a manner that is also exciting to read. The experiences Eric had as a Seal seamlessly translate into parenting skills and a do it on purpose or with purpose action plan to help parents at any stage of life.

Whether you are raising men, girls or a family this book will impact you as a parent. As parents, we get so sidetracked by the outside world we lose focus on our most valuable treasures. This book really helps to remind you of your role, talents, and worth as a parent. Eric Davis has a way of putting things in perspective with his strong but humorous tone. Its a must read by all parents!

AWESOME BOOK!!! I saw some critical reviews, mostly about the audio book narrator lol, but for those of you that WHINED at the profanity, and the SEAL training, YOU are what's wrong with society, and why your sons will grow up weak. WORDS offend you? Seriously? Great example you are setting, lets see how your kids grow up, having a parent who should be leading by example, but doesn't have the fortitude to handle words? WOW. Anyways, I am a former Marine, and raise my kids similar to Eric, I don't see any other way to raise em, but Eric did add some parental weaponry to my arsenal, thanks Eric! Keep up the good fight brother! Semper Fi!

Beneath my reading level. I like the concept and ideas so I gave it 2 stars. I just wish the text was more sophisticated. Thank you sir for all you did for our country. I truly appreciate it. My criticism is solely from a consumer standpoint.

A very good and well written book. I enjoyed reading it very much. I saw myself and my Dad in the stories. My Dad worked hard to provide for my mother and me, but when he had time he would take me fishing. These fishing outings are my most cherished times with my Dad. He would take my mother and me on some epic road trips for a couple of weeks that always included some fishing. My mother enjoyed fishing also. These are some of my cherished memories of growing up with my parents!

I really enjoyed reading this book -- which is going to make writing a review very difficult. "To-do" or "self-help" books are NOT suppose to be page- turning enjoyable . From the Introduction on you are sucked into the stories, humor, and experiences of this father. Not everyone can be a Navy Seal , but here is a guide to being a Seal father. The author gives plenty of ideas and ways of teaching and connecting with your children that are invaluable and fun! There are a few " don't try this at home" moments but you will recognize them-- plus he gives you alternatives. The important factor is being present in your child's life, guiding and preparing them for life beyond you. It is a big world and negotiations are tricky , preparation is key. Read , follow and enjoy every moment of this book and being a father.

Where else would I ever find so much life experience, love, excellent philosophy, incredible family values, and practical wisdom for good parenting? Or even for living the best life that I can live? Wow!

If I take even half of what I've learned in this book, and put it to good use, I know my children will have twice the life I could have taught them to create for themselves without it.

From Team Building to "sugar cookies", to trust, integrity, and the true meaning of family -- Eric covers everything I would want to learn, explore, and understand as a parent within these pages.

He makes me wish I could have learned all this 1st hand. I'm forever grateful for his sharing. This book is a one of a kind. Incredible perspective in these pages!!

I'm in awe of this book.

I really like this book, but I do have to say for a parenting book the language is a little rough. I thought initially some of the reviews I read about the language in the book were people just being prunes, but it does take away from the story. I understand Eric Davis' point about being true to the way Seals are, but I have read other books by Seals that don't have nearly as much off color language. I would love to recommend this book to parents to read, but would have to be selective because of the language that is used. It is too bad, because the concepts covered are really good. Would love to see an updated version with a reduction in the language.

As a single father I struggle sometimes with how to address things with my Children and particularity my son. This book breaks down how to and why of being a father. It also helps you to see how the things we do as fathers affects our Children. IT was well worth the money and I would recommend to any dad or future dad. It is a great read. Raising Men: Lessons Navy SEALs Learned from Their Training and Taught to Their Sons

There is a statement that says, "Methods are many principles are few, methods may change principles never do." Eric Davis lays out some of those great principles for parenting and illustrates them well with illustration and stories.

A real challenge is to read the book with all of its vulgarity and relate that to raising children for proper behavior. Integrity means there is no disconnect between who we are, what we do, and what we expect of our children. I would hate to think that the author speaks to his wife and children as he does when he's around "the guys". "More is caught than taught" and children will see the disparity in what we say is proper and acceptable and how we then act and speak. Or talking about being drunk at times and then trying to teach his kids about self-control in regard to substance use/abuse.

The author has some great insight into raising kids with a mindset of persistence, hard work and personal responsibility.

So I was wondering after ordering this book how exactly a SEAL was going to be able to transfer that type of lifestyle and that kind of training to the arena of parenting. In the first chapter I have already underlined extensive parts of the author's writing. Here are a few that jump out to me: 1) when your child is age 0-2 it's like the conditioning phase of SEAL training. Well I have 4 kids...one is 6 months old and I have witnessed my wife going through her own personal "Hell Week" but it's lasted MONTHS. The author does an excellent job showing the comparisons between SEAL training and specifically the early stages of a child's life! 2) He writes about Dad's quitting on being a Dad. Not like walking out...nothing that obvious. Just the small things and the times when we all might check out due to being tired or selfish. He calls you out on that but then gently reminds us all that we pick up that failure and we move on because the fight for our sons is too important. I highly recommend this book to any parent!

I found the explicit language in this book unnecessary and didn't want to continue reading because of it. I suppose it's part of military "culture," but I'm not interested in raising men that ever use the kind of speech I read in the first few chapters.

This could have been good.
Everyone likes stories about elite, covert military stuff.
It makes us all dream that we could handle and would enjoy such a life.
And Eric Davis does have a few good insights.
But, alas, this book is mostly bragging and profanity.

Davis, in a book about parenting, actually congratulates himself and his ex-wife on how they raise their kids!
Really?
You shoulder two young kids with a broken marriage and you're proud of how well you handled it?
I mean, sure, in a book intended specifically for divorced parents, that would be fine.
But staying together is paramount in doing the best for your kids.

Then there's the vulgarity.
One of Davis' main points is how we need to model the behavior we want our kids to emulate.
Wouldn't keeping control of your language be part of that?
Yes, yes, I understand the guy is a Navy SEAL.
He's supposed to have a foul mouth, right? Grow up.
The profanity is not used cleverly, humorously, or in any other way effectively.
It's just a reflection of how Davis talks.
And that's not how I want my son to speak.

Davis' arrogance sort of ruins the book.
In one chapter he scolds dads who work too much.
In the next, he forgives himself for being gone a lot.
The guy was a SEAL, for crying out loud!
There are few careers that demand more of a man's heart, soul, and time!
So, please, don't preach about being there for your kids.

Furthermore, the book is just not well written.
The stories don't always work to demonstrate Davis' point.
The chapters are not very cohesive or focused.
Davis is a far better warfighter than writer.
And, frankly, I have my suspicions about his parenting.

I've made many purchases on Audible, and this one I requested a refund on. I wanted to like it, but most of the book is spent talking about his time as a SEAL. I get it, you guys are tough. The narration was terrible. It honestly sounds like an evil spy or somebody getting off on some weird pornography. This book feels like it is partly a self-congratulatory pat on the back...no, self-congratulatory hand-job for how tough, gritty, and special the author is. If you need some bro-culture machismo in your life, this is the parenting book for you. However, if you are comfortable in your manhood and masculinity already, then I recommend reading a book with a higher meaning. This book is one of the new-age packaged self-help books aimed at the suburban man that reads Art of War for business owners/sales/entrepreneurs, and suddenly becomes a tactician and strategist. The narrator's voice...just so weird.

This book is filled with language that is inappropriate for any man trying to talk to another man about being a good father. I don't care if that is how Seals talk, if one is trying to talk to me about being "good," stepping up, raising a "good son" to be a "good man," he best use decent language. I'm surprised at all the good reviews, as the man who wrote this has no self-discipline in his own writing; I cannot imagine what he lets himself speak if he allows himself to write this way. And I cannot imagine the words that must come out of his son's mouth. I can cuss with the best of them, especially when I have some kind of personal wreck. But to speak this way simply because one is too lazy to find decent yet strong words to use is simply, well, lazy. And inexcusable. And Amoral when you get right down to it. And isn't this book supposed to be about raising moral children? I didn't finish the book. I can cuss and be disrespectful all on my own; I don't need the author's help.

This book is truly an incredible adjunct to the many war like scenarios we all stand to encounter as parents (in the war of raising our children). First of all, I rarely find time for reading but managed to find the time to read every page. Eric does an excellent job describing interesting principles he learned as a navy seal and then applies them in the role you serve as a parent as pointman for your family. I always aspired to be a navy seal, however, life took me another direction. If ever you have wanted to elevate your thinking and life towards the ideal and reflect this image as a role model then this is a must have book. Thanks for your service,Eric! I will always remember to breathe in, breathe out, and keep swimming for my Liam, Briana and Ian.(read the book!)

I wouldn't normally read a book on parenting, but it was being featured at the library, and sounded like an interesting premise. As Mr. Davis says in the beginning, he chose to target sons for the book, but all his advice also pertains to how he raises his daughters. That being said, I would go further and say this book is an excellent resource for how we raise ourselves. An adult will get plenty out of this about being a good, decent, effective human.

I generally like most of the material put out there by the special forces community. It's a great improvement over the previous generation, which seemed to be long on bluster and short on anything else. What differentiates this book is that it's quite specific in detail, and has a solid mix of theory and practice. There are plenty of stories about SEAL life, but it's primarily an operations manual of sorts. Mr. Davis does a great job. I'll be buying his next book in hardcover, whatever the topic.

This is a great book. Love the no nonsense approach in discussing what we as fathers need to be doing to raise America's next great generation of men. If you want to approach parenting as an important responsibility, and believe like I do that we owe it to our sons (and daughters) to thoughtfully instill the values they will need in order to become happy and productive citizens, then this book is an asset. (I also think that the narrator of the audio book does an outstanding job.)

I wanted to get in the mindset of a navy seal who is now a father so I picked this book after some searches on my kindle. It's a solid read with good anecdotes about being a father and a leader of your family. My take from it was; be active and involved with your kids, create experiences whenever you can in hopes to bond and make lasting memories, push your kids past what they think they are capable of and reward the hard work regardless of the outcome. A pleasant read overall.

I grew up with sisters and almost all of my cousins were girls so when I had my son I had no idea how to successfully raise a boy into a man. After becoming a single mom when my son was four I was even more clueless than ever. This book has been a godsend. It's given me a lot of very valuable tools in raising my son. I highly recommend it!

Whoah! Not a book for a boy! I bought this book after seeing the title. Being in a military family with a preteen son, I bought a lot of books (like "the art of manliness", "the boy's body book" and "make your bed" by Admiral McRaven, that focus on going from boyhood to manhood.) Yeah. Should have read more reviews. The cover and dust jacket didn't prepare me for the content. My ten year old boy picked it up out of the pile of books he got for Christmas and handed it back to me after reading for about ten minutes. "Mom, I can't read this it's a cussing book." Yes. Yes, it is. There are probably a few words in here he hadn't heard yet, too (and at ten there aren't many left.) This is written for a man and more particularly (and exclusively): a father. It is for a pretty narrow audience. I gave it to my husband. I'm sure he'll enjoy it. It's written well and the author is engaging but it is certainly not written for a child (or really even a mom.) Oops. My fault entirely. Just thought I'd put it out there for anybody who might be looking at this from a boy's point of view. Definitely not for kids, and too much testosterone for mom. Like I said, my husband will like it.

First of all, I want to show my appreciation and respect for Eric. I cannot thank him enough for the sacrafice and work he gave for this country and as well as the men he trained and fought with.

As for the actual book itself, I unfortunately will not be recommending it. This audiobook has not met or exceeded almost any of my foundational expectations. There is alot of very profane language used that I do not believe should be in this book or really ever used in general. To me it shows alot about a persons heart and mind.

One of my very basic expectations of this book is that it would be filled with great action steps and practical knowledge on raising up strong, mature and integrity filled children, not going over the training of Navy Seals a majority of the time. I honestly wish I never wasted my money on it in the first place and I would not have if the title of the book was more transparent.

The speaker in the CD sounds like he is trying very hard to come across as the biggest badass that ever lived instead of being himself. He uses a lot of profanity within each chapter that was very distracting.

This physical audiobook package is good quality but the content is not what the title describes it to be.
I am disappointed in this product overall due to the very profane language that's not needed, the speakers voice and the lack of knowledge given on raising men. If profane language does not bother you and you want to learn more about Seal Training then this might be the audiobook for you.

The lessons from this book have completely changed the way I approach raising my 2 boys. It has inspired me and my young children to live large and ask for more from ourselves. The life lessons are applicable to more than raising kids, Eric's approach to being a partner is exemplary. Can not recommend it any higher.

Bought this for my brother in law as my sister and him are raising 5 boys currently under the age of 10. My hope for them and my brother is to find something to take away to apply it to their relationship, the team work and never quit attitude they will develop over the next critical years as the boys and their relationship will experience trials...my hope is this book gives them a guide to reference in both development of strong character and mental strength as depicted in the book and through the author. Team Room Member and SOFREP fan. - Semper Fi

Highly recommended! How to deal with bad coaches to discipline, the author covers it all. A refreshing approach after the Millennials disaster show the negative impact of helicopter parents. I am raising two strong and independent kids, and this book was very helpful.

I hope I would like this book with another reader. I've read several books by Navy Seals and have an audiobook by Mark Divine. All have been awesome. We have a 16 year old son, about 6'5' and a heck of an ice hockey player. I've read several books over the years about raising children and I've felt the books I've read have been very insightful in their guidance. Now that my son is becoming a man, I thought a book about raising men by a Navy Seal was the next logical step. But, the reader comes across to me as very sleazy. I've never thought of any Seal as sleazy. Come to think of it, Jesse V comes to mind.... Anyway, it may be a great book, but I cannot stand listening to the reader. He reads it like he is telling stories at some dive bar to a bunch of drunks at 4am.

Life changing book!! It was referred to me by a friend who had young kids. My kids were out of the house so I wasn't sure that it could teach me anything. Thought it was too late. BOY WAS I WRONG! This is a manual on how to raise your kids, how to stay relevant in your kids lives after they have moved out of the nest, and the key to staying young. A must read for anyone with kids, boys, or girls.

Thanks Mr. DAVIS for a great read! Great to have a book with the idea of a fun read but also useful information. I like the ideas that he has and the way to go about them. I hope that all men understand there role as we are inportant to our children. This book lets you think about what is inportant to you and what is number one in our lives. We all have that mission to take on and finish. Thanks again Eric for putting this book together to reinforce these ideas.
Louis O'Bannon

In his narration Peter Berkrot lays it on so thick he makes it almost impossible to listen to this book.
More humility and less self promotion would have made this book more helpful. I suggest looking elsewhere.

Eric gives a breakdown of what he has done through his training as a navy seal to help with his parenting and what it takes to raise confident, caring children. I was up very surprised to read how Eric utilized his skill set and directed it towards his family in a positive way. I have already begun to implement most of the tips Eric lays out in this great book. If you have kids and are looking for all the advice you can it will only benefit you and your family to read this book.

Eric Davis is the real deal as a SEAL (he was Chris Kyle's individual sniper instructor in the SEAL sniper program) and he's also the real deal as a man. He's well positioned to impart some of that hard-earned wisdom to the rest of us and we're fortunate he's willing to share.

Eric Davis is someone who has been there, and done that. the lessons presented in this book were learned though years of blood, sweat, and tears. in a day, and age where "manliness" is on the decline, this book will help raise motivated, well adjusted, compassionate, kids. even if you do not have kids, this is an excellent book for anyone looking to be a better person. thank you Mr. Davis for your service !

This isn't as much about how to raise men as it is about how to BE a man. You may disagree with the author's methods, but the principles are spot on and totally relevant to raising kids (not just boys) in our present culture. Can't wait for more from this author and this subject.

I truly loved this book!!! It has great lessons and nuggets of inspiration for all of us. Parenting is hard work and sometimes gaining another perspective is invaluable. My husband and I will be rereading this one over and over again! :)

I started listening to this book in the car with my young boys. Eric Davis started by telling of some of the negative influences that are pressing upon our children and how parents need to protect them. A few minutes later Eric drops the Mother F#$@er reference. A few minutes later he refers to people as C#$K Suckers. I simply turned off the book and explained to the children that Eric is a hypocrite who says one thing and does another. Thanks for the opportunity to identify with my children about an example of one of the many negative influences facing them today. Maybe Eric goes on and makes some wonderful points, but he lost my trust and respect at the start. I do not understand why an author would consciously choose such derisive terms while trying to write an uplifting book. I will not be turning this on again. This is the first time I have used the store's gracious return policy.

Eric Davis does a terrific job connecting his military background with his experience of being a father. This book provides insight on what it is like preparing to and defending our country as part of our most elite fighting force, while simultaneously describing how those experiences apply to raising children. Reading Raising Men was both educational and enjoyable.