Reading a book written by a comedian, you really don’t know what to expect. Is it going to be funny, intelligent, worthwhile? Or will it be just like how a comedian makes a name for themselves, a joke? I was happy to find out that Michael Ian Black is not only a funny man, but an insightful and talented writer.

Written as a letter to his eldest son, now college age, you not only get an abridged memoir from Black, but an eloquent prose of the dos and don’ts of being “a man” in today’s society. I enjoyed seeing his tenderness and sincerity as he shared about his own parents and upbringing, to his first moments as a father and how he has applied what he has learned, and continues to learn, to his own parenting style. As a woman, I appreciate what he is teaching his son in regards to women and girls, how to clearly establish boundaries and then respect those boundaries. How it isn’t sacrificing your “man card” by doing those things, or showing vulnerability, or anything not normally equated with traditional masculinity, but necessary for someone to be a well-rounded and caring individual.

Books written in this style often have a tendency to ramble or rabbit trail, but the vision and path of this story is well laid out and easy to follow. Examples are carefully considered and relevant. Chapters are the perfect length to be engaging, not drawn out and stagnant. The advice given is sound and this is one of those books that you want to stock up on and give to every new parent, or parent of a teen, or really anybody, because I learned a lot from what he had to say, from racism, feminism, toxic masculinity, love, and so on.

Finishing this book I came away with a renewed sense of hope for the coming generation, if only they can be taught what can be found within the pages of this book.

Thank you, Algonquin Books, for the copy of this book. The opinions are my own. ( )

A touching, intimate and wise series of "letters" to Black's son as he goes off to college on what it means to be a man, and how to recognize and reject societal norms that stifle physical and emotional intimacy, warmth, empathy, respect, constancy, and basic decency. And further it explores how the endless series of mass shootings by white men in America is a direct result of these norms and men's constant awareness of how they fall short of this twisted masculine "ideal." There is some repetition, and some things set forth as fact just are not (which is not to say they are not reasoned opinions, they generally are, but that is not the same is fact.) Mostly though there is a ton of great advice and resonant observation contained in these pages. As the mother of an adult son whom I raised as a single mom from the time he was two, and whose father was absolutely not a role model, this is something I would have given him when he was 18 and off to college. I may still recommend it to him. It should make for some interesting conversation. ( )

Mostly Solid (More Than Jello, Less Than Steak) Advice From Father To Son On The Event Of The Son Leaving For College. And with that long-ass title out of the way... :D Seriously, this is a near-perfect letter of advice about life, love, and other mysteries from father to son as the son heads off to college and happens to have a celebrity dad. His statements about mass shootings are 100% incorrect in a couple of places, and his statements about Ayn Rand and White Guilt are philosophically incorrect (but in line with expectations given his own liberal philosophy), but otherwise what Black writes here rings true. And nearly as importantly, the love for his son rings through even louder than any moral or philosophical point he makes here. This is a type of letter than nearly any man wishes his dad would have left him, and Black truly does an excellent job of showing his own thinking and philosophies about the various issues discussed. In the end, I personally would love a celebrity from the right - as well as one of the very few celebrity anarchists such as possibly Woody Harrelson - to write similar public letters for their own kids, as between the three one would likely get an even stronger overall look at the topic at hand. But for exactly what it is, this truly is a phenomenal work with a quibble here or there, and very much recommended. ( )

Wow! What an eloquent letter Black has written to his son about the attributes of masculinity. Black may be best known for his comedy, but the questions he poses in this book are not. Why are boys falling behind girls academically? How can we teach boys to respect girls? Why are young black men turning guns on others and on themselves? I love his use of the adjective “quiet” to describe manhood. According to him, the three most difficult words for a male to say are “I need help.” I am not sure why he included the information on the suffragette movement and abolition. I guess it could be a conversation started, but the rest was so good this was not needed. ( )

So this is definitely a departure from the stuff I usually read. I found it to be a very pleasant detour. Author and actor Michael Ian Black writes this as an informal letter to his 18 year old son as he prepares to leave to college. The purpose of this long essay is to ask and try to answer the question of what is wrong with how boys are raised that often lends them to be emotionally closed off, and sometimes trending toward violence. This isn’t written in a educationally indoctrinated way that uses data and studies to prove points. A lot of the representations here are written as experiences that the author has had as a white male raised in America. This is a fresh and different perspective that I found very interesting, and while it isn’t written in a textbook manner, it was informative and does allow some insight into so many issues in American society. Covering mass shootings to racism and the privilege that comes from being one skin color over another skin color. I think this is a valuable book for anyone to read, whether you are raising boys, are a boy, or are married to one. I plan to share it with my significant other. Thank you to Edelweiss for the copy in exchange for an honest review. ( )