Michael Ian Black

Comedian, actor, writer, and podcast host Michael Ian Black’s look at boyhood in the form of a heartfelt letter to his teenage son before he leaves for college, and a radical plea for rethinking masculinity and teaching young men to give and receive love, written in response to rising gun violence and building off his New York Times op-ed, “The Boys Are Not All Right.”

A Letter to My Son

A Better Man

Patrick Book

I identify with so much of Black’s experience and perspective. For those not tuned in to his more philosophical, analytical, sincere career turn of late, it may come as a surprise to see the level of earnestness presented here. But this is a topic that warrants sincerity and seriousness. Men, white men, are fucking shit up worse than ever. Black has some insight into why and how we can fix it, though he’s as realistic as possible about the futility of such an effort on a grand scale. Smart and insightful - maybe more so than most people would give him credit for - this is worth a read for any man trying to do better or trying to raise a better next generation. If I know you and you have a kid, prepare to get a copy.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son

Author: Michael Ian Black

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: males and male identifying people

Publication Date: September 15, 2020

Genre: Autobiography

Recommended Age: 14+ (toxic masculinity, consent, sexual content)

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Pages: 304

Synopsis: In a world in which the word masculinity now often goes hand in hand with toxic, comedian, actor, and father Michael Ian Black offers up a way forward for boys, men, and anyone who loves them. Part memoir, part advice book, and written as a heartfelt letter to his college-bound son, A Better Man reveals Black’s own complicated relationship with his father, explores the damage and rising violence caused by the expectations placed on boys to “man up,” and searches for the best way to help young men be part of the solution, not the problem. “If we cannot allow ourselves vulnerability,” he writes, “how are we supposed to experience wonder, fear, tenderness?”

Honest, funny, and hopeful, Black skillfully navigates the complex gender issues of our time and delivers a poignant answer to an urgent question: How can we be, and raise, better men?

Review: For the most part this was a good book. It was really sweet and heartwarming. I really liked that the book discussed consent and privilege and other topics, but I feel like the book could have done more. I can't really explain it but I was just left with this feeling of incompleteness. Also, I wish to see more male identifying people to review this. I don't see nearly enough.

Verdict: It was good, but I would like to see more male perspectives on this.

A poignant look at boyhood, in the form of a heartfelt letter from comedian Michael Ian Black to his teenage son before he leaves for college, and a radical plea for rethinking masculinity and teaching young men to give and receive love. “As a parent of both boys and girls, I find myself rebuffing the gender-based cultural assumptions that are foisted on them more frequently than I could have ever imagined. Thank you, Michael Ian Black, for challenging society’s antiquated approach to raising boys and deepening the conversation about what we actually want for our kids. Sir, you are a good egg.” —Samatha Bee, host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee In this thoughtful, inspiring, and deeply personal book, comedian, actor, and father Michael Ian Black gets (mostly) serious about the trouble with masculinity. In the form of a heartfelt letter to his college-bound son—but with ideas sure to resonate for many parents—he reveals his own complicated relationship with his father, explores the damage caused by the expectations placed on boys to “man up,” and searches for the best way to help his son be part of the solution, not the problem, in a world in which the word “masculinity” now goes hand in hand with “toxic.” Part memoir, part advice book, Black delivers a poignant answer to an urgent question: How can we be, and raise, better men? A Better Man is for parents, yes, but it is also for anyone looking for a path forward as we navigate the complex gender issues of our time.

A Better Man A Letter to My Son

Reviews