Man Made: A Stupid Quest For Masculinity (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
Anyone who has ever read one of Stein's columns in Time knows what to expect out of Man Made. This book is much longer and more in-depth, but it reads like a collection of his often humorous, always absurd essays about learning something he knows nothing about from someone who's nothing like him. In this case, the essays are all about learning how to become an alpha male from a series of MMA fighters, boy scouts and drill sergeants. Pretty entertaining book about Joel's quest to become less wimpy and more manly. This is spurred on by the birth of his son - the second coming. It captures this generation's pretentious self-absorption perfectly. I listened to this as an audio book, with Stein reading his own work. Listening to the author read such a personal story was illuminating. His trials and tribulations about identifying manhood were funny and often poignant. All in all, it was entertaining. Listening as a woman, however, it was also disturbing to realize how singular most men are - task oriented, physical, not a lot of nuance. On the other hand, Stein touches on men's surprising search for limited solitude (while hunting, fishing) and camaraderie (military life, fire-fighting). The most admirable men are portrayed as honorable, caring, and with many outside interests/hobbies. This definitely gave me a peek into the male psyche.
What do You think about Man Made: A Stupid Quest For Masculinity (2012)?
Listened to the audio book in summer 2012. Enjoyable - gave me a few laughs.
—notmefairy
What a funny, poignant and well-written tale. Recommended.
—Pansy
