The Way of Men

Jack Donovan first came to my attention sometime in 2007, when I found on top of the curbside paper recycling of downtown Portland bookstore, a postcard proclaiming "GAY IS DEAD" and turning it over to see that it announced the publication of his first book on masculinity, the bristling manifesto Androphilia. His writing and ideas have consistently struck a chord with me ever since. I am often challenged by his convictions and must ponder my own. His writing is timely, bravely contentious, and paternally necessary.The scope and flavor of the writing is somewhere between The Naked Ape and The Planet of the Apes. Donovan's brawny distillation carves quickly to the bone and marrow of what makes a man more than just a hairless ape. The text steers confidently from cool scholarly observation to rousing passages flavored of a Nietzschean urgency. Although not deeply philosophical enough to be heavily aphoristic, rather Donovan accomplishes the vital task of codifying the fundamental tenets of manhood, Strength, Mastery, Honor and Courage; how they coalesce into the dynamism of an individual man and then tribally with the gang. This is an immensely enjoyable book and it builds well upon Donovan's established polemic legacy.The pace is brisk, always salient, and convincing without pretense. There is a fine charismatic flair to Jack's dissertation that bespeaks a Tyler Durden-ish manifesto of manliness. Minus the soap-making and explosives of course, at least literally, but the challenges put to the reader are radical in the face of the complacent and exponentially growing bonobo masturbation society. Overall it packs a good wallop. However it sometimes felt over-written, or wordy, but well balanced by its sheer profundity and steely candor. Clearly Donovan has arrived at the quintessential of masculinity.To the downtrodden and emasculated male house-pets, challenge your ideas about masculinity with Donovan's The Way Of Men. Furthermore reverse-engineer your own feminized behavior patterns with Simon Shepperd's All About Women. A man shouldn't be a bitch. Disengage from the bonobo torpor. The ongoing hard work of developing yourself as a man will be worth it.So if the simians of The Planet Of The Apes had produced a warrior-philosopher, imagine that one of his initial works would be like The Way Of Men. Fiction, however, is sometimes stranger than truth and to some degree this is realized in the recent film Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes: Curious George as transcendent proto-fascist, right down to a bundle of sticks. Once the über-chimp Caesar arrives at the primate prison, he establishes his perimeter and begins to form his gang, he gains alpha status through action, intellect and promethean biochemistry, uplifts his comrades each to their own need, suffers the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, meanwhile taking up arms, legs and four hands against a bridge of troubles and by opposing thumbs- ending them. Caesar and his band of brothers went forth to #StartTheWorld! And so should you.

I give this book five stars, though later in the book I find the authors conclusions flawed and a bit too reactive for my taste.Lets start with the many strengths of this book. It is an examination of masculinity throughout history, and from before recorded history. He says that the four attributes of masculinity that are cross cultural are strength, courage, mastery and honor. He relates all these to hunter gatherer groups and gangs, and examines them in an amoral context - they are neither good or bad, they just are. And to a real degree he is correct, and I agree that we all have the drive to possess and exhibit these traits, to some extent , still within us. I also agree with him that as a society, there are not many outlets for finding and developing these within ourselves.His focus on manliness, what it means, and how these traits were valued for longer than we have been civilized means that some of these truths are uncomfortable. As he says, he is looking at how to be good at being a man not how to be a good man or a good person. I think that recognizing these instinctual drives will help someone recognize political rhetoric and advertising that appeals to them on an emotional level, and also help us as men to begin to explore our connections to the vital, primitive parts of ourselves, and do so in a way that give us control of these drives and allows the power they unleash to enhance how we live.Where he goes off the rails, in my opinion, is, as I said above, his re activity. Referring to secret cabals of managers, feminists and corporations that actively conspire to rob us of our masculinity puts far more direction and . malignancy to social forces than they deserve, and indicates a bit of paranoia. While there may be some small truth to it, I think these forces arise more because of our instincts to acquire and be comfortable than because of some secret masterminds operating in the background in a coherent manner.His emphasis on honor in warrior groups like the Samurai, Christian knights, mobsters and gangs is on point, but he misses something vital. First, the code of the knights and samurai was rarely actually lived up to by them. Secondly, such codes are often used as tools for manipulation in gangs. Many mobsters including Greg Scarpa and Whitey Bulger, , talked the talk, but also were paid informants for the FBI. Many gang leaders use the "no snitching" code to get lower level members to take the fall for them. While he did discuss competition within groups, he never mentioned that aspect of it.However, this book is a MUST read for men. My advice is, when you disagree or agree with him, check your emotions. Find real reasons to discount his later arguments. Don't let cultural conditioning or easy dismissals rob you of the chance to exercise your mind a bit, or throw out the absolutely useful truths in it because he takes them in a different direction. It takes courage and mastery (two of traits he mentions) to develop your own conclusions, and that is what a real man would do anyway. I like to think that the author would agree with me on that.

I enjoyed reading this book quite a lot. I must say, I was glued to it from the beginning to the end. Yet, I must admit I don't agree with all the ideas displayed by Jack Donovan. But it certainly has made me think a lot about what it means to be a man in our current society. I like books, which create some kind of chaos in me. Yesterday, I spent the entire day thinking about the ideas in "The Way of Men".I agree with the 4 virtues of courage, mastery, honor and strength as being the main traits that define us from women. Now it was total craziness when he started talking about us going back to tribal age. The way of the man is the way of the gang and the way of the violence. Violence has never bring anything else than more violence.Does a man become more masculine just because he goes out and kills his foes for his tribe? Men for generations and yet even today still do the same. We have always warred each other for resources. Mostly for resources that go to the richer men. Back then, it was for a tribe leader, we fought for women, land etc. Nowadays, we fight for oil or other resources. Not much has changed!Men still have advantage over women! Women are commonly more passive, and won't bother to settle for a life of family. While men can use their aggressiveness to build their business and fortune. I am not saying this is always the case. But this is the first time that both men and women can truly decide their future. They can either decide to build a career, their business or stay with their kids and see them grow up.

This book helped me a lot , i thought My Hole life was Lost but theres hope , can wait for the next book

I enjoyed reading this. As a young man, it provided me with insight I never thought of before. It is very relevant in todays day & age. There are many ideas / concepts I strongly agree with & some I disagree with. Overall I enjoyed my time reading “The Way of Men”I recommend reading this to every man, even women.Provides great insight on manly virtues & briefly goes over the history of humanity & how men played a major part in the development of todays, western, society.

Interessante Sichtweisen und Motivation um nicht zu der verweichlichten „Männerwelt“ von heute zu gehören.

Spot on

"The Way of Men" by Jack Donovan is a thought-provoking examination of masculinity and what it means to be a man in the modern world. The book explores the fundamental traits that are associated with traditional masculinity, including strength, courage, mastery, and honor, and argues that these traits are necessary for men to thrive in any society.Donovan draws on a wide range of sources, including anthropology, psychology, and history, to make his case for why these traits are so important. He argues that modern society has lost touch with the essential nature of masculinity, and that this has resulted in a crisis of identity for men.One of the strengths of the book is its clear and concise writing style. Donovan is able to convey complex ideas in a way that is easy to understand, and his arguments are backed up by ample evidence and research. He also avoids the trap of being overly prescriptive, instead offering a framework for men to understand themselves and their place in the world.However, the book has been criticized by some for being overly focused on a narrow definition of masculinity that excludes women and non-binary individuals. Some readers have also accused Donovan of promoting a kind of hyper-masculinity that can be toxic and harmful.Overall, "The Way of Men" is a challenging and thought-provoking read that will be of interest to anyone who is interested in exploring the nature of masculinity and what it means to be a man in the modern world. While it may not be for everyone, it is a book that is sure to spark lively debate and discussion.