African American Author Pen's "A New Conversation With Men"

When men aren't happy, everything around them suffers, according to African American author Michael Taylor's new book "A New Conversation With Men". Taylor's book sets out to inspire men to engage in a new conversation that results in transformation and a genuinely happy life. It's the Texas authors brave attempt to help men remove the hurt and restore the joy and happiness in their life.

First, they have to recognize what he calls, the the five illusions of manhood. Taylor credits these with being some of the root causes for the problems men have creating great relationships and having healthy self-esteem.

The Five Illusions Of Manhood

A man must:

be non-emotional and disconnected;
have status, position and power; have money and material possessions;
use sexual conquest as a gauge for manhood;
and must win at all costs and compete against other men.

These illusions, contribute significantly to issues like; divorce, poverty, domestic violence, drug addiction, and fatherlessness. As a result men end up having a pseudo-personality, that's hard, distant and unfriendly, instead of the loving men God has created us to be and become.

A New Paradigm For Men

The book can help men who are trapped in unhappy lives to wake-up and recognized that there is an important role for them in society. This new paradigm of masculinity for men, challenges male readers to embrace a new identity and become part of a new revolution happening from the inside out.

This treatise is clearly a good book for African American men, Hispanic men or any man who feels trapped by the illusions of manhood. Men from every walk of life are challenged to become part of a revolution of discussions, from a real man's perspective, without the ties that bind them to unrealistic societal roles.

Instead, through this book for men, they can be empowered to converse about the things that really matter in life. The African American author points out that most men are game to talk about weightier subjects, and "A New Conversation With Men" can provide the tools and forum for the dialogue to begin.

Good Books for African American Men: Great Father's Day Gifts

If you need to buy good books for African American men as Father's Day gifts, you should check out the Father's Day book list below. Because lots of the literature that is written for Black men is usually Afrocentric non-fiction or reference books, and few bestsellers fit that bill. I did more than just muse over the bestsellers list. I engaged in some covert research, so the titles I recommend for brothas could appeal to young and older Black males who love to read.

How To Find The Right Book For Father's Day

I conducted a casual or simple observational survey, of Black men I encountered reading, during a week of commuting on the bus. I spied over shoulders and peered under clutched arms to see what kinds of recreational reading brothers were doing. This type of informal survey is usually done prior to beginning a structured observation survey.

You may want to use a similar technique for the bibliophile on your Father's Day gift list. Don't bother skimming through the titles in his library. Find where he stashes the good reads. Maybe on the night stand, his brief case. My stash is on my desk. I keep books there, that I read for inspiration and few I consult for wisdom or fact finding. Make a note of any author whose name appears on more than one book and what subjects constitutes the bulk of the reading material you find. This technique will help you to uncover important clues to the must-read book for any man.

Good Books For Men Who Prefer Magazine

Coffee table books were commonplace in the 60's and 70's, until magazines with slick glossy photos and timely weekly editions replaced them. The photo-supported, larger than life stories in People, Jet, and Time magazines provide the only source of written information for some men.

If the only literature you find during your discovery period are magazines, note their topics and look for anthologies by the same publishers. It takes a little snooping, when your on a quest to find good books for African American men, for Father's Day gifts, but that's one of the things that makes gift giving rewarding, special and fun.

Father's Day Book List: Good Books for Black Men



The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage)


Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know


Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment

Books For Young Men

Two books by young men are have gotten this weeks recommendation as books for young men. Jesse Balls, The Way Through Doors (Vintage Contemporaries)
is an inventive love story that is described as an experiment in narratives, by Allen Cheuse in a review for National Public Radio (NPR) on the young author's book.



John Wray's "Lowboy: A Novel
", tracks the journey of a boy trying to escape capture by his mother and the police by riding on a subway.

Sure you need more than the one sentence quotes I supplied to get a feel for the works, but I was trying to avoid giving away the entire book review by Cheuse. Go ahead and listen to his review of these books that I would mark to "buy for young men."

Good Books For Men

One of the good books for men is, "THE THIRD CHAPTER: PASSION, RISK, AND ADVENTURE IN THE 25 YEARS AFTER 50." Written by Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, the book officially documents leading edge changes in American lifestyles and raises our awareness about paying back and giving forward, loss and liberation, prevalent themes in The Third Chapter.

What Men Are Reading

The Third Chapter: Passion, Risk, and Adventure in the 25 Years After 50

I value Bill Moyers's literary opinion and any book that has him turning the pages, has to be considered amongst the good books men are reading.



The ties that bind each of the stories together are loose, and free flowing like the jazz improvisations, that are favored by one of the male characters in the treatise, a former newspaper excursive turned musician.

Life After 50.

Dr. Lawrence offers a fresh poignant perspective of how our cohorts thrive after 50 years, (of maturity and former careers) the third chapter of our lifecycle. You'll feel and share the intensity of each character's stage in life, as they are impacted by loss, change and the deepening of their soul.

Feeling “neither young nor old,” is a common bond between the current members of the over-50, under 75 generation. Freed from being mistakenly labeled experiencing midlife crisis, men and women in their third chapter, challenge the establishment's, cultural mores of strength, power, and sexiness.

About Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot

Lawrence, the author of nine books, is an African American sociologist who examines the relationships between culture and learning styles. She has researched and written about the culture of schools, illuminating with her unique style the dynamics involving the patterns and structures in classrooms.

You can view more Books by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot
on Amazon. I highly recommend for your viewing pleasure, that you watch the 1988 video archive of Dr. Lightfoot's enlightening discourse on schools with Bill Moyers.

If you take a plunge into this title, leave me a comment on whether you agree or disagree that The Third Chapter is indeed worthy to be included as one of the good books for men.

Books For Young Men-How To Convert Your Book Burner

If you need books for young men that threaten to burn books, (I've been there and back, got the T-shirt and the hat to prove it,) you'll love this story from Veronica Chater's blog. The memoirist, novelist and radio journalist shares a open and poignant discussion she had with her 15 year old son who hated books.

It'll give you ideas on how to open doors to the written world to tweens, teens or males.
It presents conversation starters to get your discussions going with others that you want to share books with.


If you still want to choose a book after you've read her story read it again. To make a difference in someone's literary life let them pick their own book.

Turn them on to unique places like this, where each book is selected because it rises above the noise to speak to young and mature men to allow them to connect with books.

Meanwhile, Kathleen Baxter, a retired Anoka County librarian and national expert on what makes boys read or choose not to, had this to say, over at Startribune.com "Reading what you have to read is not how you become a reader. Let them read what they want." Amen Kathleen!

That's what has worked best for me. Many of my friends(men)feel that books will disconnect them from their roots. However novelist, poet and playwright Ishmael Reed's quote, is living proof that you can read books become successful and remain firmly rooted. Despite his world wide acclaim he still lives in North Oakland;

"I’m still invested in the community"

said Reed, in the San Francisco Examiner, 1998.

One of life's greatest gift is that we are all subject to change with the seasons (that includes men). And fortunately time keeps on moving, so that our life produces different scenes.

Read Veronica's blog, How I Converted A Book Burner.

Carouse our book list and review the selections of books for young men (and older models too,) chosen because of their man-friendly subject matter and writing styles, that even the book burner(s) in your family will be delighted to read.

Finding the Right Books For Men

Are you trying to find the right book for a man, so you can introduce a guy, your son, brother, or friend to the pleasures of reading. It'll be a lot easier if you know what kind of stuff men read. I put together an informative piece about finding good books for men that reveals some key things about the habits of men readers.

46 percent of the men admitted they lied about what they had read to impress a friend or potential partner.

They tend to read at a pace that only a snail could envy.

Male readers only consume a small percent of this genre of books.

What subjects men read most.


I'll leave you guessing on some of the answers, so you can read the article Finding Good Books for Men and get the answer to those questions and find out more about the books men like to read.

7 Business Books For Men

There are few things than can compare with business books, for men who are looking for fresh ideas, inspirations and insight. You can forget about finding an all-in-one book, it requires a 360 degree view, covering every angle, to stay on top of the game.

If for any reason there is nothing on this list of books for men that can address the issues that you encounter in your day to day experiences, I have a few other list that you can dive into.


Take a look at these books. Between the seven of them, they've harnessed all of the best-practices for running a business. They belong in the library of any serious entrepreneur, Christian businessman or freelance consultant to thumb through at will, to give that added boost your creative juices.




This Brian Tracy best seller shares sound advice on how to get more done in less time. It will become you personal instruction manual. You'll learn how to knock out each detail of your projects in no-time flat.



What were the keys to the success for some of America's brightest achievers, Gladwell dug into their background, researched the facts and provides clues to how you can find the keys to your success.



The Heath brothers, not the notable musicians, but Chip and Dan a pair of authors, have created the ultimate virtual text of how you can infuse your ideas and products with the right stuff, so they'll stick like glue.




This sequel to the 1967 best seller will enlighten you to ten simple, reasonable "Vows of Success." Mandino books are not just good reads, but even better if you apply them and to your life-experience.




Covey relates his tremendous message in way that's easy to read and can potentially have a powerful impact on your future. Everything in this book, if used as a guideline in your personal life, can empower you with the highly effective habits we all need.



Insider tips from a former banker and entrepreneur. If you want to turn your big idea into a business, this is the book for you? It can be as easy as, plan your work and work your plan.



This marketing classic has benefited untold masses of sales/marketing professionals and launched a legion of guerrilla marketers upon the universe. This book is on my list and one of the all-time best business books for men.

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