ROdown Blog
‘The perfect gift for a man’ book sales supporting the Inspire Foundation!
Remember Man Week back in June/July this year, where we spent a whole week on the Reach Out blog, forums and with triple j’s Hack program exploring what it means to be a man?
You might also remember that there was a lot of activity going on in the blogosphere as well – it wasn’t just on ReachOut.com and triple j!
How did that happen you might ask?!
Well, ReachOut.com got in touch with a couple of well known Australian bloggers, Gavin Heaton and Mark Pollard, who then posted their stories about what it means to be a man on their own blogs. They shared their stories through Twitter and other channels, appealing to members of their networks to share their own personal stories as well. Before we knew it, we had amazingly moving, raw, honest stories streaming in!
And so the idea of a book was born
Gavin and Mark decided that even though Man Week had officially ended for the year, there was a great opportunity to share these stories further by compiling them in a book. The hope is that by sharing these stories we can get more awareness out there to men (and women) of all ages that it’s OK for guys to share their feelings and to ask for help when it’s needed.
PLUS the guys generously decided that the sales of this book could help support the Inspire Foundation, the organisation behind ReachOut.com!
And now it’s here! The finished product is called The perfect gift for a man – 30 stories about reinventing manhood. You can find out more about the book and how and where to buy it on the Inspire Foundation website.
A taste of what you can expect ...
Here's a story from 24 year old Julian Cole talking about when he was 15.
Dealing with personal problems
In Year 9 after two years of bullying, I admitted defeat and trudged into the school counsellor’s office and made an appointment.
Asking for help in my eyes was a weakness.
I was an independent soul. I disliked playing in team sports and I got annoyed at group projects.
Even more embarrassing about the defeat was that I was going to a counsellor! Going to the counsellor meant that I must have massive problems.
So, I reluctantly sat down and talked about my bullying problem. The counsellor told me that I cannot look like a victim; next time I walk past the bully, look him straight in the eye and keep walking.
I didn’t believe that it would work. I gave it a shot anyway. To my surprise it bloody worked! I was so surprised that I ran back to the counsellor’s office and recounted the event.
From that week on, I started rocking up at the school counsellor every week. He was a sounding board for all my thoughts.
I never thought anyone would be able to help me with my personal problems.
I thought — as men — we were meant to be able to deal with all that emotional stuff by ourselves.
I thought that my problems were too small.
I was wrong.
Today, I worry that a lot of men still think that asking for help with personal problems is a sign of
weakness. To me an attribute of a modern man is someone who is not scared of their feelings and understands when they have a problem and is not afraid to ask for help.
I cannot recommend seeing a counsellor enough. Counsellors are great because they are not involved with your life so their advice is always impartial. If you have kids, make sure to let them know that they can talk to a school counsellor about anything they like.
What do other contributing authors say?
You can check out what some of the contributing authors say about the book here.
The Reach Out crew can't wait to read it!
What can you do?
Apart from the obvious (buy the book if you’re interested!) you can share this blog post on your Facebook page, Myspace, through Twitter or Delicious, or email it to a friend by clicking on the ‘Share’ icon on the top right hand corner of this blog post (on the yellow banner).
You can also become a fan of The Perfect Gift For a Man on Facebook and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
It’s a really great opportunity to get people talking about what it means to be a guy in these times while at the same time raising some awareness and money for the Inspire Foundation.
Happy reading!
Link to Inspire Foundation for more info about the book and where to buy it.
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4 Comments
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anna
about 2 years ago
Reply Reportgreat news - now you can get the book for $19.95 plus postage! they've made a smaller, black and white version.
plus...the ebook is now free! follow the links from the blog through the Inspire site to find out more.
I just put in my order for a couple - good option for xmas presents I reckon:)
Anna
Bella.
over 2 years ago
Reply ReportThis is so great. I'm going to save up and buy it for one of my male friends.
anna
over 2 years ago
Reply ReportManly reading for females is certainly not a bad idea Rosie... we all know males, whether they be friends, family, boyfriends, partners, and some of us might even one day - way distant in the future - have male children!
Of course they're not all the same, but it doesn't hurt to start to understand and maybe even take part in conversations about what it is to be a man with guys/men we know, and perhaps even challenge some of the stereotypes and perceived expectations of men.
What do others think? Has anyone seen the book yet, or have anything to say about your recollections of Man Week and how reading about others' experiences of manhood affected you or people you know?
Rosie
over 2 years ago
Reply ReportOoh this is really great! I recently read a book about Hercules and how he has influenced the perception of masculinity in the western world - it sounds like this book would be a good next step in my manly reading direction!
:)