This book is takes readers on an extraordinary journey throught the life of men as the navigate through the gaunlet of false roads to manhood. With surgical precision, the book examines the souls of men to help them understand themselves, but also informs women about understanding today's man no matter his background. Every page identifies the false traditions of men and lights a path to authentic manhood. ( )

I'm still working on the last half of the book in preparation for a full review, but I've read enough to share a few thoughts.

Frank Chase has some good things to say. Several times he mentions that a relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to ever know how to "be a man." Scripture defines manhood and womanhood and without its blueprint we will always fall into error.

However - Mr. Chase, when he uses Scripture passages at all, rarely interprets them correctly. He appears to have decided what's wrong with men and how to fix it, and then set out to find some Bible stories that help make his point.

Also, though he does occasionally mention our reliance on Christ, most of his recommendations come in the form of self-help. Many of the chapters contain "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" kind of language that will not ultimately struggle. Even when we encourages men to rely on other men for support (a good thing) he does not explain the limits of this kind of help apart from a relationship with Christ.

The author is clearly writing out of his own experience with a bad, absent father. Most of the examples of men he uses in the book also had bad or absent fathers. While his goal, of making men better fathers for their own sons, is most certainly commendable, far too much time is dedicated to blaming our dads for our current condition. Mr. Chase projects the "father wound" on to all men who fail to live up to their biblical duties.

For the sake of brevity I'll leave out other criticism except one: the book is poorly written and poorly edited. Lots of typos (including chapter headings!) abound and the writing style is rambling and often unclear. The author picks a favorite word ("truancy" in the first few chapters) and bludgeons the reader with it.

If you're looking for a book on this subject that is far more grounded in the Bible, easy to read (shorter!), and well-written, get a copy of "Federal Husband" by Douglas Wilson. ( )