Review: Modern Manhood by David Wallace Fleming

I received a copy of this essay from the author in exchange for an honest review

Publication Date

August 5th, 2011

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Modern Manhood - it's a subject that needs to be addressed in earnest by someone, I suppose, eventually. . .

What's it mean to be a man in times when most employment consists of clicking a mouse and making a PowerPoint? (Nobody really knows anymore). Trust me. I've looked. I've read. I've asked around the usual places.

There are people who can give a biblical interpretation; there are people who can give a biological interpretation; there are people who can give an interpretation upon historical inequality. But if you've ever asked yourself, "Am I there yet? Is this it?" or "Wasn't there suppose to be a boom - some luminous flash of light. . ." chances are you live in the United States, are between 18 and 40, and male.

Ah, the hopeless, pathetic, forgotten male - is he a relic, an anachronism, a vestigial bundle or excessive upper-body strength no longer needed in an era of unmanned attack drones, seven adjective lattes and dual income families? Was Beyonce right? Do girls run the world? To answer all these questions and more, we must do what men do best: Get our bearings. Not just in space - but in time.

Review
Genre: Non-fiction Essay(12,000 words)
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars


A deeper, but humorous, philosophy based look at the afflictions of manhood ranging from jobs, to parenthood, to love. To simply say thought-provoking would be an understatement. It will make you take a deeper look into the lives of the people around you, as well as your own.

"It's so noisy that I can't talk to the person standing eight inches from my mouth"

By David Fleming offering his take to us in an essay, it opens up a lot of room for the reader to agree or disagree with his opinion. It invites discussion, if you read this(which you should), I recommend that you have your friends read it as well, because this is a topic that you will want to discuss and debate.

"If a man overly develops his logical capabilities while suppressing his emotions, this can lead him to spend his life contemplating things which are actually of little importance to him"

The only reason that this didn't get 5 stars is because I wanted to see more. David Fleming's essay, Modern Manhood, is dominated by the 'Corporate Man', and although some may argue that men can be broken down to the same wants and needs (consciously or subconsciously) I feel that there are vast variables that could have been looked at, adding a broader spectrum of the male from different backgrounds and situated in different career paths would have been much appreciated.

"But the predictability of life has cut us off from the reality, the beauty, the risk and the fullness of life"

But, with that said, I love anything that allows me to get a deeper look into someones mind and that is what David Fleming allows us. He ties in some theories from Freud and Jung that fit perfectly with the flow of David Fleming's written words. Some may be daunted by the strong philosophy, but rest assured that David explains it in perfect 'plain' English, with humor scattered throughout, allowing non-philosophy minded people(such as me) to understand and enjoy. This is a must read, for all ages, all genders.