The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden, Hal Iggulden
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Book Reviews of The Dangerous Book for Boys
Book Review: Ignore the culture war reviews--it's just a damn good book.
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm surprised (if only a little) at all the culture warriors praising this book as some counter-shot to feminism or political correctness. A lot of men can't find (or re-find) their sense of masculinity without bashing women. All of that, for me, is beside the point. This book isn't about the conservative-liberal divide. For me, it's a lot more about getting outside, into the world, and working with your hands--virtues which, for me, came from both my mother and father.
As I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, my mother provided me with a lot of craft books that had everything from woodworking to stitching of leather gloves to building tree forts and the like. And as I attended my father on some of his walks around the farm (where we briefly lived before joining suburbia) or on his hunts, I got an education in the natural world.
When I had my son, we didn't have a lot of the same scenery or the books any longer, so I looked around for those books that seemed so popular in the 1960s and 1970s (at least judging from my parents' bookshelf), books that showed a kid how to interact with his or her world in any number of ways. The closest it got to electricity was making your own battery out of lemons or potatoes. Sadly, these books had vanished, and a lot of the stuff that was present was tied into this or that franchise or marketing campaign or pre-teen craze. As a man in my twenties, maybe I'm just old-fashioned. I wanted my son's childhood to be at least a little dirty, a little physical, a little mysterious. I was able to explore as a child, and both my wife and I had been scouts; our son, we decided, would not be nannied by the television set.
This book, fortunately, came along. And we're both pro-feminist, with nonconventional religious beliefs. Neither of us would call ourselves "traditional" or "conservative" the way most Americans mean either of these terms. So, if I might differ with other fans of the book, this isn't about seizing masculinity back for our children or fulfilling Man's God-given authority. That's rather silly, and it's a bit of projection. This book is about basic cultural knowledge and basic practical ability--the things kids ought to be learning.
I recommend the book unequivocally, but I'd add one recommendation to that: dads, moms, whoever buys this book? Read it yourself. Odds are, like me, you'll learn something. And then you can be all the more prepared to discuss it with your kids.
And as I heard one of the authors say in an interview, this book is about what they thought boys needed to know. They aren't girls, were never girls, and so they didn't speak to what girls needed to know. That does not mean that the book can't be enjoyed by girls, or that girls are somehow excluded. All the most interesting girls I knew as a boy would have liked this book, and if I have a daughter, I hope she'll read it just as my boy has. A great book for almost anyone: I can not praise it highly enough.
Book Review: A Dangerous Book?
Summary: 5 Stars
A Dangerous Book
`Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck. It seems Ho, Ho, Ho is out. It's just not politically correct. Is it just me, or are we as a society just too damn worried about offending everybody and anyone? Too afraid of being sued or losing our job over a joke? Maybe I'm just being nostalgic, but I remember a time when I didn't have to apologize for being who I am. I believe that's why I find The Dangerous Book for Boys, by the brothers Conn and Hal Iggulden, so appealing. It doesn't ask a boy to be sorry for being a boy. Boys are drawn to the thrill of danger, climbing trees and arm wrestling, taking things apart and learning how they work. It's part of growing up, or at least it used to be...
The Dangerous Book for Boys is a guidebook aimed at boys "from eight to eighty." The book covers about eighty topics, including how to build a tree house, make a bow and arrow, or skip a stone. Also included is crucial information on historical battles, legendary explorers, the Golden Age of Piracy, Navajo code breakers of WW2, and even some points on grammar, and poems and books every boy should read.
I found it impossible to open the book and not find a topic of interest. Did you know you could tell direction with a watch with two hands? Just hold the watch horizontally (in the northern hemisphere) Point the hour hand at the sun. Bisect the angle between the hour hand and 12 to give you a north-south line. This is much more convenient than the old moss on the north side of the tree adage. What do you do if the tree has moss all the way around? Walk in circles?
The Dangerous Book for Boys is the ideal gift for a father and son, or mother and daughter, or uncle or aunt...Because I knew more than one girl growing up who ran around with skinned-up knees and played on the monkey bars. There's something for everyone who wants to enjoy being wild, creative, and adventurous. You can learn about how to hunt and skin a rabbit, cloud formations, and fishing as well as, indoor activities-such as paper airplanes, coin tricks, and playing poker. So, put up the iPod and grab your Swiss Army Knife, a compass, a flashlight, and some Band-Aids. Because adventure awaits!
It was Alexander Pope who said, "A little learning is a dangerous thing." and some reviewers have criticized the book, saying it encourages young readers to injure themselves, but I believe our "playstation culture" of being sedentary is much more dangerous. Boys will be boys, and boys grow up to be men. "They need to fall off things occasionally," Iggulden says, "or . . . they'll take worse risks on their own. If we do away with challenging playgrounds and cancel school trips for fear of being sued, we don't end up with safer boys--we end up with them walking on train tracks." Me? I'm going outside to climb a tree. Better a broken bone, than a broken spirit...
Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"
Book Review: Great idea for a book!
Summary: 5 Stars
Firstly, this review is based upon the UK version, as I understand there are two separate versions of the book.
I bought the book called "The Dangerous Book for Boys" because it reminded me of an old encyclopedia my Dad used to have on the shelf, and which had been written in the mid-1950's, and it's superb!
This book begins with this lovely quote:
"Don't worry about genius and don't worry about not being clever. Trust rather to hard work, perseverance, and determination. The best motto for a long march is 'Don't grumble. Plug on.'
You hold your future in your own hands. Never waver in this belief. Don't swagger. The boy who swaggers - like the man who swaggers - has little else that he can do. He is a cheap-Jack crying his own paltry wares. It is the empty tin that rattles most. Be honest. Be loyal. Be kind. Remember that the hardest thing to acquire is the faculty of being unselfish. As a quality it is one of the finest attributes of manliness.
'Love the sea, the ringing beach, and the open downs. Keep clean, body and mind.'"
(Sir Frederick Treves, Bart, KCVO, CB, Sergeant in Ordinary to HM the King, Surgeon in Ordinary to HRH Prince of Wales, written 2nd September 1903.)
It really takes me back to those days when we, as children, were allowed to indulge in life-risking adventures. Things such as:
1. Playing conkers (Forbidden in schools now because of the life-threatening dangers of getting a bruise on the knuckles).
2. Skimming stones (Probably forbidden by Local Councils now, just in case someone gets splashed by water necessitating a visit to the A&E?)
3. Building a tree-house (Probably forbidden by Local Councils now)
4. Making paper aeroplanes (Forbidden in schools now because of the risk of bonking someone on the head with a paper dart and necessitating a visit to the A&E)
5. The Patron Saints of Britain (Forbidden in English schools but not Welsh, Scots, or Irish ones because the English aren't allowed to remember their history apparently)
6. Hunting and skinning a rabbit (Forbidden in schools now because it's cruel to the animals. If children want something to eat they have to go to a supermarket or the local McDonalds where meat magically appears out of thin air)
7. Understanding grammar (Forbidden in schools now)
8. British Empire history, looking at the positive effects of it (Forbidden in English schools now)
9. Educational things (Forbidden in schools now)
10. Heroes from the past...
11. Advice about girls (lol)
And so on, and so on.
It's a fabulous book and I thoroughly recommend it to any man everywhere, as it's a fun read
Book Review: A Place For Treehouses
Summary: 5 Stars
"In this age of video games and cell phones, there must still be a place for knots, tree houses, and stories of incredible courage."
The quote above, from the introduction to Conn and Hall Iggulden's The Dangerous Book for Boys does a nice job of summing up the mission that the authors have embarked on with this book. Written in a nostalgic style that blends early 20th Century school textbooks with old editions of the Boy Scout Handbook, this is a how-to manual for helping boys learn how to have fun.
Although many of the ideas and activities presented here are decidedly old-fashioned, the authors make the case that they are needed now more than ever. In a world where kids are being encouraged to log in, blog, IM, text, and podcast, this book encourages outdoor activities and sneaks in a fair amount of civics, history, grammar, literature, and even poetry, all presented in a casual but meaningful tone.
This is a book that tells boys that it's okay to get dirty, to carry a pocket knife, to hunt and fish, to do carpentry and science experiments. It also tells boys that it's okay to read poetry and to use proper grammar, and to know the history of your country.
Originally published in the UK, this American edition has replaced cricket with stickball, and the chapter on the rules of football now uses the term "soccer". The history and geography chapters focus on the USA.
Of course, this book would not have its title without some activities that might be considered dangerous. Just about every parent is going to find something here that might make them a bit nervous, whether it be the chapter on how to hunt and skin a rabbit, the rules of Texas Hold 'Em, or the instructions on how to make a bow and arrows. Some might object to the inclusion of Stephen King and Ian Fleming on the list of "Books Every Boy Should Read", or to the chapter on playing Dungeons & Dragons.
But at the heart of this book is the idea that boys need to push some boundaries, and that boys HAVE been pushing boundaries throughout history.
Although written in an old-fashioned style, the book is very current with its information, and provides interactivity in the form a series of "badges" that can be earned at the book's website, dangerousbookforboys.com.
This is a fun, notalgic read for grownups, who might even find themselves wanting to catch up on some activities they may have missed out on in their own childhoods.
As for whether it will actually appeal to kids? I'm giving it to my nephew who turns eight next week with high hopes that this book will provide fun for years to come for him and his three younger brothers. We shall see if there really is still a place for knots, marbles, treehouses, codes, and paper boats.
Book Review: A great book to help boys (and their dads) begin a guided transition...
Summary: 5 Stars
...from the couch to the outdoors and, by working together to accomplish some of the simple projects, to slowly develop their boy's judgment and risk-taking skills.
As the author has stated, "Boys need to learn about risk. They need to fall off things occasionally, or -- and this is the important bit -- they'll take worse risks on their own."
I think this comment describes perfectly the double-whammy nightmare of many modern parents: that their little prodigy will spend the early years of his childhood indoors as a sheltered and obese couch potato, engrossed in nothing more risky than plugging in his Playstation, and then -- following the onslaught of puberty -- he and his similarly-afflicted "stupid little buddies" will suddenly decide one day that it would be a great idea to get themselves on MTV's "Jackass" show by videotaping their attempt to jump a bicycle off the roof into a backyard swimming pool that is covered with flaming oil. At that point new questions will probably arise, such as: "Hey, who knew that a femur could snap like that?", and, "How long, exactly, does face reconstruction take?", or the ever-popular, "Time of death? Gee, I don't know; I forgot to look at my watch..."
(By the way, THAT'S why this book really isn't needed by girls. The day that there is a female version of the Jackass show, I'll eat my words, but I really don't think there are any (or enough) girls in this world who are stupid enough to want to qualify. For further research, please refer to Don't Try This at Home - The Steve-O Video)
That's why this is a great book for parents to use in helping their boys to develop realistic judgment and problem-solving skills, so young men can determine how best to face and deal with realistic and worthwhile risks, or when it would be best to just walk away to a better project. This book is also helpful in providing good historical role models of heroic risk-takers (i.e., explorers, astronauts, etc.) who improved their real-world skills and their judgment/teamwork/leadership abilities to the point where they were prepared to take on high risk (and multiple failures) and still be able to succeed in the end.
I think that one of the most important values that a parent can teach is JUDGMENT. This book can help you begin to do that. In other words, a question such as, "Now that we've made this nifty little bow and arrow, O'Son-of-Mine, what should we shoot it at?" might be a good start. If the answer is "Mom" or "my little brother", perhaps an opportunity for a hearty father-son discussion has just presented itself...