The Path To Manhood

I bought Bill Bennett’s TheBook of Man: Readings on the Path to Manhood at the beginning of the year when I resolved to read 12 books, one for each year. Well, 3 months later I’m 300 pages into this 900 page behemoth, but I’m enjoying it. Those of you who listen to his show or have heard him speak know jovial and optimistic he is-a true happy warrior. His books are always interesting and inspiring.

He looks at man at war, work, play, in the polis, and with women and children. In war men exhibit the virtue of “sacrificing one’s self for liberty, happiness, and the state.” In productive labor he finds what’s necessary for the good life. In leisure men still exercise perseverance and determination but through activities that bring pleasure. In each of these sections Bennett takes examples from a variety of sources including poetry, novels, biographies, stories he heard on his radio show, and even the Bible. The anecdotes explore the multi-faceted nature of the different categories of life and provide a unique lesson in each story.

Bennett is a philosopher who believes in the importance of virtue and you can sense that from his writing. Manhood is nothing without virtue. There is nothing inevitable about becoming a man. It is more than just being a male. It is a moral pursuit in which you build character in every part of life. A man recognizes his responsibilities and lives up to his obligations, pursues excellence in everything he does, stands up for what is right, protects the defenseless, loves his family and country, and sets an example, among other things. You’ll find yourself simultaneously aware of what you lack and inspired to develop the character traits that are put on display in the book.

There isn’t a man for whom this book wouldn’t be informative and inspiring. Young men, in particular, need to read this book so that they know that these qualities of manhood are not quaint notions of a bygone era. They are relevant for today, especially in these postmodern times full of indifference and cynicism. I believe we've been getting an important lesson in what a difference it makes what kind of men we have leading our country and if more men pursuing the kind of virtue Bennett writes about then there is reason to hope for the future of our nation.