A Guy's Guide to Life by Jason Boyett (Book Review)

Guys need a guidebook, one that asks and answers the questions they're reluctant to discuss. They need a book that addresses the myths of manhood with a straightforward approach teenage guys will appreciate and absorb. Author Jason Boyett understands what many fail to realize—that somewhere between the awkwardness and braggadocio, the goofiness and the developing body, there is a real person struggling to make his mark on the world.

I requested a review copy of this book because I thought my 12-year-old son might like to read it.  However, this book review is mine, not his.

In A Guy's Guide to Life, author Jason Boyett provides practical tips (how to shave, how to bulk up your abs), communication advice (how to get along with your parents, how to be a true friend), and answers to questions that teens may be too embarrassed to ask.  The book is divided into three main parts--Mind, Body, and Soul--each of which contains five chapters.

I have mixed feelings about A Guy's Guide to Life.  There are a few points on which I think the author is a bit wishy-washy on Christian principles.  Aside from that, I think most of the information and advice in this book is on target.   However, in his attempt to connect with an audience of teen boys, the author uses slang that I found not only unnecessary, but also objectionable.

There's one passage, though, that I want to share with you.  The chapter on dating includes a list of the Top Ten Rules of Dating.  One of the Rules is "Treat her with respect at all times," and the explanation includes this passage:

Whenever you go on a date, you absolutely must keep one thing in mind:  this girl will one day become someone's wife. ... When you go out, you've been given the privilege of spending quality time with someone's future wife.  That means treating her with the utmost care and respect. ... Don't do anything with her you wouldn't want someone else doing with your future wife.

Links for more information:

• Thomas Nelson product page
• Sample pages
• Jason Boyett website
• Purchase A Guy's Guide to Life at Amazon.com

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Disclosure:  I received this book, at no cost to me, from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. This post contains affiliate links:  if you click through my Amazon.com links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.  (Thanks for supporting my reading habit!)