How To Be A Man

 

James Breakwell was someone who was not on my radar. He's become a bit famous from his social media accounts where he shares funny details about life and being a parent. He is from the midwest and has moved to the same city as us, making him a local celebrity to some degree. Sarah stumbled upon his work from one of her reader groups and now follows him on social media. She bought me the above book for father's day, giving me a well deserved break from all of the Star Wars reading I have been doing.

How To Be A Man is a collection of amusing stories from James' past where a lesson is learned (such as a man should always tell the truth, and if he doesn't he should lawyer up) or where he discusses common social norms for men (like placing our wallets in our back pockets). There are educational points in each chapter, though the book is far more amusing than it is serious. In fact, I might be a bit more confused on what it means to be a man after reading it. But I chuckled a fair amount while doing so, which is what is important. Some of the topics discussed include handshakes, holding one's liquor, home remodels, and buying engagement rings. An overarching theme among all of these topics is that a lot of traditional thoughts about what makes a man don't necessarily apply in today's society. I agree with most of what he says, and had a good laugh while doing so. I now also follow James on social media so any upcoming books or projects of his will be on my radar.