'Art of Manliness' books aren't your run-of-the-mill self-help books

I recently came into possession of two outstanding books by husband-and-wife authors Brett and Kate McKay called “The Art of Manliness: Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man” and “Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom and Advice On Living the 7 Manly Virtues.”

While their titles might lead you to think that these books are just your run-of-the-mill self-help books, think again. I assure you that they are much, much more.

Published by How Books in October 2009, “The Art of Manliness” is filled with 288 pages of material that would improve the life of any reader, but most especially men. If you’ve ever wondered about the proper way to dress, groom or fight like a gentleman, how to save a drowning person, treat a snakebite, land a plane in an emergency, deliver a baby or predict the weather like a frontiersman, then this is the book for you. Other sections of the book describe how to break down a door in an emergency, change a baby diaper, start a fire without matches, navigate without a compass, tie different knots, give a great speech and shake hands like a man.

I thought that the book was extremely interesting, and it was also very funny in parts. The book’s final chapter is called “The Virtuous Man,” and it goes into detail about Benjamin Franklin’s “quest for moral perfection.” According to the book, Franklin attempted to live a life in which he abided by 13 virtues – temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity and humility. He didn’t always succeed, but he felt the effort to do so enriched his life in ways that it otherwise wouldn’t have been.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the section called “One Hundred Books Every Man Should Read.” Many of you will be familiar with books on this list, which included “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Monroeville author Harper Lee and other classic novels.

“Manvotionals” was also published by How Books and was released in October 2011. It contains “the best advice ever written down for men,” including “manly wisdom” from sources that stretch from ancient times to modern day, including classic essays, poems and quotes by such famous figures as Marcus Aurelius, Jack London, Theodore Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin, Rudyard Kipling, Winston Churchhill, Aristotle, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Martin Luther King Jr. and others. The book is arranged into seven different chapters, one for each of the manly virtues of manliness, courage, industry, resolution, self-reliance, discipline and honor.

In the end, I really enjoyed both of these books and would highly recommend them to anyone in the reading audience, especially to young men who might need a little extra motivation. I wish that these books had been around when I was about 16 or 17 years old.

For more information about these books, check them out on Amazon or visit Brett and Kate McKay’s popular website, www.ArtofManliness.com. Content on the website is similar to the content of the books mentioned above, and the site has become extremely popular, receiving over one million visitors a month.