Review by BookArt -- Man Mission by Eytan Uliel

[BookArt]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Man Mission" by Eytan Uliel.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Laugh and cry along with Eytan Uliel as he tells the story of a narcissistic man’s struggle to find happiness in a modern world that sends mixed messages about what it means to be a man. When the realities of daily life don’t match with his fantasies, Uliel dreams up the Man Mission where four friends take yearly high adventure trips to exotic locales around the world. These highly entertaining tales not only chronicle their adventures, but also tell of journeys of personal growth and discovery.

The story provides insight into a man’s mind from young adult through middle age. Told in a fast paced, easy to read first person narrative, The Man Mission follows a group of four Australian men as they struggle to find their places in the world. Three begin as young professionals carving out a place in the corporate world while the fourth follows his own path. Three do what’s expected of them: marriage, house with a big mortgage, children. This is juxtaposed with the fourth who lives in the moment. See where life takes them and how they grow up along the way.

As the main character gradually becomes disillusioned with the rat race and feels unfulfilled with his life, annual trips with his three best buddies sustain him from one year to the next. Travel along with them as they encounter drug dealers while hiking in New Zealand, get lost while cycling in Japan, and almost drown in a whirlpool while white-water sledding in New Zealand. Live vicariously as the friends drink kava juice in Fiji, are stalked by a lion in South Africa, and ice climb in Iceland. My favorite part of the book is when the author sums up, in just a word or two, the life lesson he took away from each trip and how he finds zen-like wisdom in unexpected places.

The book contains a lot of profanity, which is what I liked least about it. The first instance of mild profanity occurs on page 12, followed by more extreme uses starting on page 13. However, it’s used within the context of character development.

All in all, the book is well written and edited, making for a good read. It’s the perfect book to consume in one sitting as you get swept up in the lives of these Australian modern men. I recommend it to women looking for insight into the male psyche and to men who want to channel their inner “he-man”! 4 out of 4 stars

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Man Mission
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