Review of Man Mission

[Achonwa Miriam]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Everyone needs a vacation once in a while, especially one with so much adventures and fun-filled times with people you care about. Man Mission by Eytan Uliel is a book that has its settings on various parts of the continent. It is a diverse book and it is not confined to a country.

A man together with three of his friends embark on a mission called the Man Mission Charter, an annual vacation, each year to a different exotic location. With the plan being to try doing things that can be classified as adventurous and manly, including biking, kayaking, hiking, sailing and having a taste of different cultural dishes.

The protagonist was a man with dreams, a man that followed what he thought were the normal standards for being a perfect man: study hard, get a good job, work and work and work to support yourself, to support your parents, to support your siblings, start a family, take good care of your wife and children.
Over the years,this annual journey turns out to be a kind of refuge from reality as he suffers from bouts of depression, marriage troubles and mid-life crisis. This journey that lasted for over a decade becomes a huge source of stability, with him feeling at peace with himself and his surroundings. He is content with the fact that growth is constant and life can be really amazing after all.

I loved the way the author embedded realism into his writing. He talked about the things people experience on a daily basis, like insecurities and feelings of not being enough, the fear of just existing and not having any impact on the people around us, changes and the possibility of certain people not being a part of our lives anymore and the realisation that nothing lasts forever.

There is also the aspect of the protagonist trying to be a symbol of perfection. He followed a societal standard of what every adults life should be like without giving regards to the aspect of his happiness. This is not a very nice thing to do as it puts unnecessary pressure on a human and can be very disastrous. He had a problem of being scared and unable to express his feelings, not just him, but also among his friends.
Society has given us a perception of what a man should act like. It's something that they're born into and have no control of, it kind of sticks with them with the exception of those who have a strong will. Things like " men don't cry, a man should face challenges without any signs of weakness". Luckily our protagonist and his friends finally break free from that stereotype after years of keeping silent. In page 317, Daniel said "If I've learned anything these past few years, it's that we men bottle everything up inside. I struggle to say what I really feel, and then I become unhappy and resentful. But just because I don't know how to express it doesn't mean it isn't there."

There was the part about him getting a new job offer, and it was a difficult decision for him as he had a lot of factors to consider. Sometimes we are afraid of change, even if it's for the best. We hold on to a fixed mindset with no room for improvements of what we want in our future.
But in reality, the events surrounding our lives aren't static, so we have to learn to embrace growth. Life would have no taste without change.

I learnt a lot from this book as the author took me on a journey through different countries/continents, from hiking on the Harper's Pass Trail in New Zealand to cycling through Tokyo to Niigata in Japan. The Man Mission Charter visited Australia, The white villages of Andalusia in Spain, Otago Rail Trail in New Zealand, but to mention a few. I understood new concepts such as kayaking, white water sledding and downhill cycling.
I also loved the inclusion of Quotes and Bible verses in each new chapter of the book. My favourite quote was "One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, One of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do." -Henry Ford

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars , because I recorded no dislikes whatsoever and the book was very well edited. I recommend this book to readers who have an interest in travelling and men who are going through difficult times.

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Man Mission
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[Phooko Tebogo PC]

I appreciated the quotes which were supported by short biblical lines in this book. The author had a creative mind to put on paper. And I can tell by the flow you took to write this review that you have immensely enjoyed reading it.