Review of Man Mission
Posted: 20 Jan 2022, 14:09
[Following is a volunteer review of "Man Mission" by Eytan Uliel.]
For fifteen consecutive years, four life-long friends block out a week in each year in their diaries. During this time, their family and work commitments are exchanged for a week of stretching their physical endurance to the very limits. This is their man-mission, and it is for guys only. They do this to get their mojos back, for them to return to everyday life refreshed, and ready to tackle the world again.
This book is written and narrated by Eytan. He is the deep thinker in the group. He is also the most insecure of them all. Since he knows that he is not naturally able to cope, he tends to just go with the flow, whilst secretly dreading all these demanding physical challenges. Sam is the opposite. He is very confident in his abilities. As a consequence, he tackles each excursion aggressively and has no intention of quitting, regardless of what happens. Daniel is a quiet person who, with no fuss or bothers, organizes the details of each trip. If this responsibility was left to any of the others, all the trips would start and end in chaos. Alec is physically best equipped for these challenges. He is also carefree and is quite happy to not have any responsibilities, other than having a good time.
Over this period of fifteen years, their travels take them to New Zealand (twice), Japan, Australia (twice), Fiji, Spain, Thailand, South Korea, South Africa, Vietnam, USA, Taiwan, Peru, and Iceland. In each country, a remote location is chosen to be traveled by hiking, cycling, or kayaking. These macho men opt to not allow any motorized means of travel, as they are on a man-mission. All four of them are even bound to observe a set of rules. During each trip, the reader is brought up to date with what is happening in their lives.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Man Mission by Eytan Uliel. Eytan's style of writing is very descriptive, and he creates extremely vivid images. Consequently, you have a sense of being there, being able to take in the beauty of their surroundings and to appreciate this beauty. At the end of each trip, he provides a summary of eight lines. These two extracts from the book will give readers a good idea of what to expect:
"MM I Vital Statistics
Country: New Zealand
Location: Harper's Pass Trail, South Island
Mode of transport: Hiking and drug truck
Distance covered: Sixty miles
Time took: Five days
Accommodation: Tents and mountain huts
Injuries sustained: One torn knee ligament, ten lost toenails, and a total loss of dignity"
" MM XI Vital Statistics
Country: Taiwan
Location: Hoi An to Nha Trang
Mode of transport: Cycling
Distance covered: 400 miles
Time took: Seven days
Accommodation: Small hotels and a Communist Party bolt-hole
Injuries sustained: A divorce"
The narrative takes one on a rollercoaster of emotions. It is at times serious, funny, sad, exhilarating, disappointing, and astounding. With each trip as the backdrop, Eytan shares with us details on how the four men, who are going through their different life phases, are handling their relationships, their careers, and their mental health. It is fascinating to see how the different characters evolve over the fifteen years, and how these man-missions influence these developments. One of the funniest aspects of the book is when the guys embark on a decision-making process, to determine when the next trip should be. Once decided, they are determined that nothing will get in the way of the trip happening at that time. They then share this information with the "wives committee". When the "wives committee" says no to a particular date, then it gets changed immediately, with no argument from the guys.
There was nothing I did not like about the book.
The book was written in the first person, and the text was well-edited. I found no errors to report on. I have no hesitation in awarding Man Mission four out of four stars.
This book is about ordinary people doing some extraordinary things. Most people would be able to identify with the changes that they experience during their different life phases. Therefore, I recommend the book to an adult audience that is adventurous at heart, likes to travel and enjoys reading about family drama. However, it should be noted that there is a high degree of profanity in the narrative.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
For fifteen consecutive years, four life-long friends block out a week in each year in their diaries. During this time, their family and work commitments are exchanged for a week of stretching their physical endurance to the very limits. This is their man-mission, and it is for guys only. They do this to get their mojos back, for them to return to everyday life refreshed, and ready to tackle the world again.
This book is written and narrated by Eytan. He is the deep thinker in the group. He is also the most insecure of them all. Since he knows that he is not naturally able to cope, he tends to just go with the flow, whilst secretly dreading all these demanding physical challenges. Sam is the opposite. He is very confident in his abilities. As a consequence, he tackles each excursion aggressively and has no intention of quitting, regardless of what happens. Daniel is a quiet person who, with no fuss or bothers, organizes the details of each trip. If this responsibility was left to any of the others, all the trips would start and end in chaos. Alec is physically best equipped for these challenges. He is also carefree and is quite happy to not have any responsibilities, other than having a good time.
Over this period of fifteen years, their travels take them to New Zealand (twice), Japan, Australia (twice), Fiji, Spain, Thailand, South Korea, South Africa, Vietnam, USA, Taiwan, Peru, and Iceland. In each country, a remote location is chosen to be traveled by hiking, cycling, or kayaking. These macho men opt to not allow any motorized means of travel, as they are on a man-mission. All four of them are even bound to observe a set of rules. During each trip, the reader is brought up to date with what is happening in their lives.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Man Mission by Eytan Uliel. Eytan's style of writing is very descriptive, and he creates extremely vivid images. Consequently, you have a sense of being there, being able to take in the beauty of their surroundings and to appreciate this beauty. At the end of each trip, he provides a summary of eight lines. These two extracts from the book will give readers a good idea of what to expect:
"MM I Vital Statistics
Country: New Zealand
Location: Harper's Pass Trail, South Island
Mode of transport: Hiking and drug truck
Distance covered: Sixty miles
Time took: Five days
Accommodation: Tents and mountain huts
Injuries sustained: One torn knee ligament, ten lost toenails, and a total loss of dignity"
" MM XI Vital Statistics
Country: Taiwan
Location: Hoi An to Nha Trang
Mode of transport: Cycling
Distance covered: 400 miles
Time took: Seven days
Accommodation: Small hotels and a Communist Party bolt-hole
Injuries sustained: A divorce"
The narrative takes one on a rollercoaster of emotions. It is at times serious, funny, sad, exhilarating, disappointing, and astounding. With each trip as the backdrop, Eytan shares with us details on how the four men, who are going through their different life phases, are handling their relationships, their careers, and their mental health. It is fascinating to see how the different characters evolve over the fifteen years, and how these man-missions influence these developments. One of the funniest aspects of the book is when the guys embark on a decision-making process, to determine when the next trip should be. Once decided, they are determined that nothing will get in the way of the trip happening at that time. They then share this information with the "wives committee". When the "wives committee" says no to a particular date, then it gets changed immediately, with no argument from the guys.
There was nothing I did not like about the book.
The book was written in the first person, and the text was well-edited. I found no errors to report on. I have no hesitation in awarding Man Mission four out of four stars.
This book is about ordinary people doing some extraordinary things. Most people would be able to identify with the changes that they experience during their different life phases. Therefore, I recommend the book to an adult audience that is adventurous at heart, likes to travel and enjoys reading about family drama. However, it should be noted that there is a high degree of profanity in the narrative.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
. Great review!