Review of Man Mission

[Ilze Herholdt]

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

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5 out of 5 stars

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Man Mission: Four Men, Fifteen Years, One Epic Journey is a thrilling adventure fiction novel authored by Eytan Uliel. The book is about four men who travel to different exotic locations every year to do outdoor activities such as, hiking, cycling, river kayaking, ocean kayaking, white-water sledging, ice climbing, and more.

For the first two years, only Sam and the narrator are participating, earning them recognition as the founders of Man Mission. In the third year, Daniel joins as the organizer, and in the fourth year, Alec is the last member of the committee to join. During the men only expedition, they established some rules, such as going beyond your limit, traveling under your power, and no luxuries allowed. Already breaking the ice on the very first adventure, the narrator finds himself hitching a ride with drug dealers to the nearest hospital, days after injuring his knee. The four friends find themselves in situations such as taking shot after shot of kava on Fijian beaches, where the narrator experienced a blackout. Another time, while sightseeing in the Kruger National Park, the narrator comes face-to-face with a roaring lion. On their 11th trip they went to Vietnam and were able to stay in a hotel that usually only hosts Vietnamese Communist Party leaders over weekends, so they had the whole place to themselves. Throughout all this adventure, they get married, start families, establish careers, and go through unexpected family dynamics that bring both joy and pain to the four men.

If I hadn't known otherwise, I could've easily mistaken this work of fiction as a memoir of the author's younger life. That's how deeply the story resonated with me. Eytan had an extensive work travel schedule that took him to 85 countries across the globe, giving him the knowledge and inspiration to write this book. The author shares the exciting adventures of four friends while also sharing their personal lives. The descriptions of the scenery of each place were so accurately described that I was able to envision every adventure seamlessly. The author neatly describes each place's culture, tradition, and cuisine. I liked that each trip had something that was significant to it alone. I liked that every trip was filled with unpredictable adventure, a good sense of humor, and new additions to the ever-changing 'Man Mission Rules.' Every time the narrator wanted to impress his friends, it ended up going horribly wrong, and he ended up being the entertainment of the day. Some of those situations made me laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes. The style and tone the author used greatly contributed to the humorous parts, in other words, if it had been written another way, it could have ended up not being funny at all. In Man Mission, the author describes the characters as regular men who are trying to support their families, follow their dreams, and be a recognized good citizen. The way the narrator elaborates on his frustrations, worries, failures, and fears, he, perchance, shares the secrets of what it means to be “manly” from a normal man’s perspective.

There are 15 chapters in this book that describes their adventures. The author shifts back and forth between their current trip and what's been happening in their lives, mostly focusing on the unnamed narrator. I was not a fan of this structure because I was often confused and had to retrace what I had read before. That is the only thing I disliked about this book.

The book contained only two minor errors, indicating that it has been professionally edited. I became immensely jealous over the bond these men shared with one another. The next thing that came to my mind was how awesome it would be to make Man Mission happen with my friends. I rate this book five out of five stars. Although fictional, this book has been an inspiration to me.

Readers who enjoy reading adrenaline-charged adventure novels should read Man Mission. Women who want to know why their husband might be frustrated or worried must read this book.

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Man Mission
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[Phooko Tebogo PC]

The book could encourage you to extend your way of maintaining your relationships. I enjoyed going through your review, it really gives an honest snapshot of the book.

[Ohna Martin]

This was one awesome book with great adventures all over. Imagine coming face-to-face with a lion, I don't think I would survive that. Great review thank you.

[Valeria Riveraa]

Tina Dreffin is one of my favorite authors to read. Her writing style is very incredible. The way she narrated and described her experience traveling on the bluewater into Africa, made me feel as though I'm on her ship sailing with her and her family.