Review of Man Mission
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Joy Abogu
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- Latest Review: Man Mission by Eytan Uliel
Review of Man Mission
[Following is a volunteer review of "Man Mission" by Eytan Uliel.]
Growing up, we all had dreams about some crazy and daring things we’d love to do or engage in later on in life, whether once or repeatedly, and this, precisely, is what forms the core of Man Mission by Eytan Uliel. During their college days, two young men had dreamt of embarking on a yearly trip to various places in the world, doing dangerous and very daring activities, and having the time of their lives; this dream became what was referred to as 'The Man Mission' and incorporated two additional friends. These men did not just dream, but they did, in fact, dare to live their dreams, something many people could only wish for.
They went on numerous “Man Mission” trips to different locations, carrying out various crazy and daring activities, and gradually developing rules for their adventures. However, on one of such trips, a certain old man, Mr. Takeda from Japan, said something somewhat out-of-the-blues to the boys, something that lingered on in the mind of the narrator years after that trip. Who exactly is Mr. Takeda, and what did he say to the boys? Reading this book is the surest way to find out.
Man Mission is a memoir of some sort that follows the adventures of four friends as they journey through life while trying to maintain a balance between their careers, families, and annual getaway trips. The book explores important themes like friendship, family, parenting, marriage, career choices, adventure, hospitality, and more. It provides an insider’s point of view on the life of a man through a first-person narration style. Eytan did a great job getting his readers in their feelings: As a reader, you'd surely experience various bouts of emotions reading this book; you may smile at some happenings, laugh at some jokes, panic and worry at some points, and pause to reflect at other points.
Positive aspects of this book include the fact that the writer seamlessly narrated events in-between events in such a way that the reader follows both events with ease and without confusion. A typical example is a part where, in-between his narration of Man Mission VI, he started narrating what happened the day he and his friends first tried smoking while in high school. Right after that, he jumped back to the narration of the Mission. This pattern of switching between the present and the past was predominant in the book, and the author’s ability to seamlessly do this back-and-forth time switch without, at any point, confusing the mind of the reader, is absolutely commendable.
Negative aspects of Man Mission include the fact that there were numerous instances of what is considered 'toxic masculinity' in various parts of the book. A typical example is what happened during the third Man Mission, where Eytan and Sam, in a bid to appear 'manly,' refused the fishermen’s offer of a free truck ride up the hill but rather chose to ride their bikes despite admitting inwardly that they really needed the truck ride. Also, the book contained many depictions of certain activities as 'girly' or unbefitting of a man; hence, reinforcing the notion that women are weaker and propagating a somewhat misogynistic agenda that many women and feminists may find upsetting.
I liked that the book addressed important themes and identified vital topics. For instance, the men’s refusal to accept the free truck ride depicts the reality of most men who would rather mask their emotions to appear tough than let their guard down to seek or even accept help. This is a critical societal problem causing men to die in silence and secretly battle depression and trauma on the inside while trying to appear tough on the outside; sometimes, they may even commit suicide. We also get to understand how much of a tasking and arduous task parenting is by looking at the change in dynamics in the lives of the men after they got married and started having children. Also, the alternation between past and present events was seamlessly done, leaving no room for confusion. Moreover, the book was professionally well-edited. For these reasons, I rate Man Mission by Eytan Uliel four out of four stars.
I recommend this book to people who love adventures and wild trips. Due to the use of vulgar expressions and remarks at various points in the book, I believe Man Mission is best suited for a mature audience. Also, anyone seeking to understand the ‘workings' of a man's life would find this book very handy. Finally, if you are simply looking for a good read with lots of exciting occurrences, lessons, and stories, then you should read Man Mission.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Growing up, we all had dreams about some crazy and daring things we’d love to do or engage in later on in life, whether once or repeatedly, and this, precisely, is what forms the core of Man Mission by Eytan Uliel. During their college days, two young men had dreamt of embarking on a yearly trip to various places in the world, doing dangerous and very daring activities, and having the time of their lives; this dream became what was referred to as 'The Man Mission' and incorporated two additional friends. These men did not just dream, but they did, in fact, dare to live their dreams, something many people could only wish for.
They went on numerous “Man Mission” trips to different locations, carrying out various crazy and daring activities, and gradually developing rules for their adventures. However, on one of such trips, a certain old man, Mr. Takeda from Japan, said something somewhat out-of-the-blues to the boys, something that lingered on in the mind of the narrator years after that trip. Who exactly is Mr. Takeda, and what did he say to the boys? Reading this book is the surest way to find out.
Man Mission is a memoir of some sort that follows the adventures of four friends as they journey through life while trying to maintain a balance between their careers, families, and annual getaway trips. The book explores important themes like friendship, family, parenting, marriage, career choices, adventure, hospitality, and more. It provides an insider’s point of view on the life of a man through a first-person narration style. Eytan did a great job getting his readers in their feelings: As a reader, you'd surely experience various bouts of emotions reading this book; you may smile at some happenings, laugh at some jokes, panic and worry at some points, and pause to reflect at other points.
Positive aspects of this book include the fact that the writer seamlessly narrated events in-between events in such a way that the reader follows both events with ease and without confusion. A typical example is a part where, in-between his narration of Man Mission VI, he started narrating what happened the day he and his friends first tried smoking while in high school. Right after that, he jumped back to the narration of the Mission. This pattern of switching between the present and the past was predominant in the book, and the author’s ability to seamlessly do this back-and-forth time switch without, at any point, confusing the mind of the reader, is absolutely commendable.
Negative aspects of Man Mission include the fact that there were numerous instances of what is considered 'toxic masculinity' in various parts of the book. A typical example is what happened during the third Man Mission, where Eytan and Sam, in a bid to appear 'manly,' refused the fishermen’s offer of a free truck ride up the hill but rather chose to ride their bikes despite admitting inwardly that they really needed the truck ride. Also, the book contained many depictions of certain activities as 'girly' or unbefitting of a man; hence, reinforcing the notion that women are weaker and propagating a somewhat misogynistic agenda that many women and feminists may find upsetting.
I liked that the book addressed important themes and identified vital topics. For instance, the men’s refusal to accept the free truck ride depicts the reality of most men who would rather mask their emotions to appear tough than let their guard down to seek or even accept help. This is a critical societal problem causing men to die in silence and secretly battle depression and trauma on the inside while trying to appear tough on the outside; sometimes, they may even commit suicide. We also get to understand how much of a tasking and arduous task parenting is by looking at the change in dynamics in the lives of the men after they got married and started having children. Also, the alternation between past and present events was seamlessly done, leaving no room for confusion. Moreover, the book was professionally well-edited. For these reasons, I rate Man Mission by Eytan Uliel four out of four stars.
I recommend this book to people who love adventures and wild trips. Due to the use of vulgar expressions and remarks at various points in the book, I believe Man Mission is best suited for a mature audience. Also, anyone seeking to understand the ‘workings' of a man's life would find this book very handy. Finally, if you are simply looking for a good read with lots of exciting occurrences, lessons, and stories, then you should read Man Mission.
******
Man Mission
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Man Mission by Eytan Uliel
