What is a Man?: 3,000 Years of Wisdom on the Art of Manly Virtue
- ISBN-10
- 0060392967
- ISBN-13
- 9780060392963
- Pages
- 790
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2000
- Publisher
- Regan Books
- Author
- Waller Randy Newell
Description
In a time when all of America is debating the wayward course of contemporary manhood -- spurred by books as diverse as Susan Faludi's Stiffed, William Pollack's Real Boys, and Michael Gurian's The Good Son -- one thing has been missing from the conversation: a source to which concerned readers could turn for guidance and inspiration, a path back to the wisdom of our shared traditions of manly virtue.
Missing, that is, until now. What Is a Man? collects 3,000 years of the best writing about manhood -- from the father-and-son lessons of Homer's Odyssey to Sir Thomas Malory on love, honor, and chastity; from Aristotle on courage to Frederick Douglass on adversity; from Shakespeare on leadership to John Cheever on adolescence. Introduced by Waller R. Newell's incisive and illuminating commentary, each section addresses one of the distinct virtues of manliness -- among them integrity, wisdom, romance, and character. The book's closing section, on the confusions of modern manhood, draws on surprising voices including James Dean, David Foster Wallace, and Kurt Cobain. An anthology of extraordinary scope and depth, What Is a Man? reminds us all of the relevance of the manly tradition, and offers a blueprint for men eager to uphold the honor of their fathers' legacy.
