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Wise Guys: Unlocking Hidden Wisdom from the Men Around You
For guys, more than ever, it’s a confusing world. Your GPS doesn’t offer any maps showing how to get to the point of wisdom -- and who likes asking for directions anyway?
But there are ways to get that guidance you need. The answers may be all around you, in the form of guys you already know. Wise guys. More experienced guys. Better-traveled guys. Could there be ways to tap into their invaluable knowledge without enduring dull lectures or taking pages of notes?
Kent Evans has surrounded himself with these wise guys. They have shown him all the back roads on the way to wisdom. With a great deal of humor and an endless supply of stories, he wants to show you how to gather life-enriching truth from the guys in your own circle.
But there are ways to get that guidance you need. The answers may be all around you, in the form of guys you already know. Wise guys. More experienced guys. Better-traveled guys. Could there be ways to tap into their invaluable knowledge without enduring dull lectures or taking pages of notes?
Kent Evans has surrounded himself with these wise guys. They have shown him all the back roads on the way to wisdom. With a great deal of humor and an endless supply of stories, he wants to show you how to gather life-enriching truth from the guys in your own circle.
- GenresChristian
164 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2016
1 person is currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 26, 2016
Wise Guys takes an honest and clever look at the current state of manhood/fatherhood. The book is laid out in easy to digest chapters, a conversational style, and questions to provoke personal growth. When an author starts out in the introduction by relating his theme to The Princess Bride, you know it’s going to be an enjoyable book, even if it does step on your toes a bit.
My husband said: For me, this book needs to be my next devotional. Since Kent Evans bases these virtues of manhood on Biblical principles, I see a practical guide on how I can change myself to be a better man on the inside. Other books on being a better man focused on the outside (shine your shoes, get a tailored shirt) but any scoundrel can shine shoes and wear a suit. I’ve been wanting a guide that shows boys how to be men and men to be brothers and not adversaries. This will be required reading for myself and can’t be totally absorbed through one pass. It’ll be hard but it will be worth it.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)
My husband said: For me, this book needs to be my next devotional. Since Kent Evans bases these virtues of manhood on Biblical principles, I see a practical guide on how I can change myself to be a better man on the inside. Other books on being a better man focused on the outside (shine your shoes, get a tailored shirt) but any scoundrel can shine shoes and wear a suit. I’ve been wanting a guide that shows boys how to be men and men to be brothers and not adversaries. This will be required reading for myself and can’t be totally absorbed through one pass. It’ll be hard but it will be worth it.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)
March 21, 2016
Kent Evans has written an excellent book here that serves as a renewed call for men be the husbands and fathers that God has called them to be. It is about men uniting together to help and serve one another. We all know that men are often too prideful and stubborn to realize when they need to ask for help or guidance. This book points out that the key to unlocking the right doors is often as simple as asking the right question at the right time. To add to that point, you must know the right person to ask.
Kent has provided sixteen personal stories in this book about men that have influenced his life. They involve men whom God placed in Kent's life, often at crucial junctures when he was ready to listen. The goal of this book is for the reader to consider people in their own lives whom they could approach for help when they need it based on Kent's personal experiences. The "wise guys" in this book are unique to the author, but there are men like them in each of our lives. He exposes points in his life for all to see, whether they be proud or good hearted or shameful or painful moments.
Kent interjects wit and humor throughout the book to keep the mood light and provide an entertaining read. This is not necessarily a book for group study, although it could be adapted for that pretty easily. I see it more as a personal study where you put yourself in the author's personal stories. Each chapter begins with a personal story and ends with a section titled "lessons learned" that describes key points or lessons to be learned from each situation. The last chapter gives you "three steps you can take right now" and "eleven tips to help you be a wise guy hunter".
I highly recommend this book to all men, Christian or not. The lessons found in these pages may be beneficial to different people at different times, but you never know when you may be the one who needs help or the one someone else seeks out for help. As I mentioned earlier, it serves as a renewed call to be men of God. The author mentions in the introduction that he plans to write another book along these same lines in the future. I received this as a free ARC from City on a Hill Studio on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kent has provided sixteen personal stories in this book about men that have influenced his life. They involve men whom God placed in Kent's life, often at crucial junctures when he was ready to listen. The goal of this book is for the reader to consider people in their own lives whom they could approach for help when they need it based on Kent's personal experiences. The "wise guys" in this book are unique to the author, but there are men like them in each of our lives. He exposes points in his life for all to see, whether they be proud or good hearted or shameful or painful moments.
Kent interjects wit and humor throughout the book to keep the mood light and provide an entertaining read. This is not necessarily a book for group study, although it could be adapted for that pretty easily. I see it more as a personal study where you put yourself in the author's personal stories. Each chapter begins with a personal story and ends with a section titled "lessons learned" that describes key points or lessons to be learned from each situation. The last chapter gives you "three steps you can take right now" and "eleven tips to help you be a wise guy hunter".
I highly recommend this book to all men, Christian or not. The lessons found in these pages may be beneficial to different people at different times, but you never know when you may be the one who needs help or the one someone else seeks out for help. As I mentioned earlier, it serves as a renewed call to be men of God. The author mentions in the introduction that he plans to write another book along these same lines in the future. I received this as a free ARC from City on a Hill Studio on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2016
How are men to behave in light of their commitment to God? That is the question this book really seeks to answer. By telling stories of his life and those who influenced him, this author grabs your attention and keeps it. With each encounter you find yourself learning new principles of biblical manhood. Men today need to be reminded who they are in Christ. This book does this in a powerful and engaging way.
March 28, 2023
“Let’s recapture our ability to learn and grow from one another. It will enable us to be more effective, successful, and influential. We’ll be better and more pleasant people to be around, but we’ll also make the environment around us better.”
A good read for my fellas out there.
A good read for my fellas out there.
December 28, 2017
Clever, self-effacing writing that hits the mark with urging all to learn as much as possible from those around us, but it lacks a certain depth to it.
January 6, 2017
This book is about mentorship. And The Princess Bride. But mostly mentorship. The author takes metaphors and parables and brings them to the reader to help them get the bigger picture - the wise guys. The main problem here is the lack of fatherhood, the author asserts (and something I can definitely agree with). Having an overall lack of a father figure in my own life, I often find myself asking if I’m “man enough” to raise my children, etc., and I’m not alone. Fatherhood, as the author argues, has been obliterated. It needs a comeback. But for those who it is too late to have that comeback in their own youth, they need to learn the art of mentorship, and art discussed in this book. The author takes the audience to task with the stats on how all social issues today have a father factor in play, and the somber reality that the father figure is more necessary than anyone could realize (on a spiritual note, if HaShem is Abba, then this would make a lot of sense of the necessity of the role).
The purpose of this book is not to help the reader understand the author’s intention or life story. Neither is it to gather something “to learn” from the title. Rather, the purpose is singular: to re-instill in the male reader the need to journey through life with other men and to seek counsel from other men. The need to learn how to learn from other men. The realization that not having a father figure in one’s youth does not remove a father figure in one’s adulthood. The acceptance that not having a dad does not mean not having a father, because there are other men that can help fill that need. These goals, these purposes, are of great benefit to the male reader, and this book is best for any male that struggled with having a father figure or need to learn how to be one themselves. I bet that counts most of us in. The author writes convincingly and in an easy prose to read along, so what’s the harm in spending one’s afternoon seeing what the full book as to say?
Disclosure: I have received a reviewer copy and/or payment in exchange for an honest review of the product mentioned in this post.
The purpose of this book is not to help the reader understand the author’s intention or life story. Neither is it to gather something “to learn” from the title. Rather, the purpose is singular: to re-instill in the male reader the need to journey through life with other men and to seek counsel from other men. The need to learn how to learn from other men. The realization that not having a father figure in one’s youth does not remove a father figure in one’s adulthood. The acceptance that not having a dad does not mean not having a father, because there are other men that can help fill that need. These goals, these purposes, are of great benefit to the male reader, and this book is best for any male that struggled with having a father figure or need to learn how to be one themselves. I bet that counts most of us in. The author writes convincingly and in an easy prose to read along, so what’s the harm in spending one’s afternoon seeing what the full book as to say?
Disclosure: I have received a reviewer copy and/or payment in exchange for an honest review of the product mentioned in this post.
April 7, 2016
The premature death of mentoring is the lament of Kent Evans’ first book, Wise Guys. The author states, “We are individualistic to a fault. We esteem the self-made man . . . No one tells us what to do, especially not a king or queen. Our nation has enjoyed tremendous financial blessings – and a dose of the prideful spirit those blessings often bring.”
With a mixture of self-deprecating humor and personal stories, Evans leads the reader through the life lessons he has learned from 16 diverse men. The author attributes much of the decline in mentoring to the rapid growth of fatherless homes and absentee dads over the last 50 years.
Evans writes, “We have moved from a ‘father knows best’ paradigm to a mentality that defiantly declares, ‘Who in the heck is he to tell me anything?’
“What happens when a young man grows up and thinks he needs no father? It’s not a great reach from there to the conclusion that he doesn’t need to be one, either. And the cycle continues.”
The goal of Wise Guys, according to its author, is to help men again learn how to learn from each other. Evans takes the reader through 16 stories of men whom he feels God has placed in his path during crucial junctures in his life.
Yet the writer realizes the hesitation of most men to seek help. He sees pride and stubbornness as stumbling blocks for men in their quest to be all that God has made them to be.
“If you’re like most men,” writes Evans, “when you think of who you are, you don’t have a person in mind; you have a role. If we are to harvest lessons from other men, we must become situational observers.”
I definitely recommend Wise Guys for men who are introspective enough to be open to life lessons taught in a very readable, fun manner.
With a mixture of self-deprecating humor and personal stories, Evans leads the reader through the life lessons he has learned from 16 diverse men. The author attributes much of the decline in mentoring to the rapid growth of fatherless homes and absentee dads over the last 50 years.
Evans writes, “We have moved from a ‘father knows best’ paradigm to a mentality that defiantly declares, ‘Who in the heck is he to tell me anything?’
“What happens when a young man grows up and thinks he needs no father? It’s not a great reach from there to the conclusion that he doesn’t need to be one, either. And the cycle continues.”
The goal of Wise Guys, according to its author, is to help men again learn how to learn from each other. Evans takes the reader through 16 stories of men whom he feels God has placed in his path during crucial junctures in his life.
Yet the writer realizes the hesitation of most men to seek help. He sees pride and stubbornness as stumbling blocks for men in their quest to be all that God has made them to be.
“If you’re like most men,” writes Evans, “when you think of who you are, you don’t have a person in mind; you have a role. If we are to harvest lessons from other men, we must become situational observers.”
I definitely recommend Wise Guys for men who are introspective enough to be open to life lessons taught in a very readable, fun manner.
May 26, 2016
There are a lot of books out there for women, and the Christian book market seems to aimed at women. This book though is just for men. Women could read it, but there really isn't much for women in it. Sorry ladies. :)
The idea of this book is that we men tend to try to do everything ourselves and have the idea that it is unmanly to seek advice or help from other guys. The author covers such things as how to correct gently, always be asking, exercise tangible grace, and many others covered in the 17 chapters.
Each chapter discusses how to learn the topic from other guys, often with the author relating personal stories. That is followed by a Lessons Learned section that discusses how to apply that topic to your own life, and the chapter ends with questions to consider.
This isn't a long book. Maybe they figured men have a shorter attention span when it comes to reading..... but it is packed with helpful advice and information on how not to be an island and try to figure life out on our own, but instead to seek out from men around us how to live and be the kind of men we should be.
The book was interesting and very informative. I found it very helpful and saw a lot of areas that I could learn from other guys in.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The idea of this book is that we men tend to try to do everything ourselves and have the idea that it is unmanly to seek advice or help from other guys. The author covers such things as how to correct gently, always be asking, exercise tangible grace, and many others covered in the 17 chapters.
Each chapter discusses how to learn the topic from other guys, often with the author relating personal stories. That is followed by a Lessons Learned section that discusses how to apply that topic to your own life, and the chapter ends with questions to consider.
This isn't a long book. Maybe they figured men have a shorter attention span when it comes to reading..... but it is packed with helpful advice and information on how not to be an island and try to figure life out on our own, but instead to seek out from men around us how to live and be the kind of men we should be.
The book was interesting and very informative. I found it very helpful and saw a lot of areas that I could learn from other guys in.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 25, 2016
I like the layout of this book, very basic and to the point. I love the whole idea of gaining wisdom from your wise peers around you. It seems difficult to find these days; a wise, Godly man of any age. So on that note I think this books presents what that is and how to know who a wise man is. There are many stories which are somewhat entertaining but not necessarily captivating. I wouldn't say this book drew me in and my husband is still having a hard time getting through it. Honestly, it is full of things we have heard before (not the funny stories of course) but the overall idea. I think for someone who hasn't read a book like this, needs a fun guidance book, or perhaps is a new Christian this would be a great book.
So I'll say it's a good book, just not a great book.
"I received this book from Flyby Promotions for free in exchange for an honest review."
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June 5, 2016Kent Evans delivers a wonderful message to men in Wise Guys. Wise Guys is a book that will enrich and minister to all men. Kent Evans speaks about the importance of wisdom and how men can learn and grow from one another. Mr. Evans speaks realistically of his own experiences and imparts some of the advice he has been given over the years. Mr. Evans writes as if he is sitting across from you having a conversation.
While reading this book I was struck by the topics that Mr. Evans highlighted for example, grace, cynicism, encouragement, knowing yourself, etc., and how these topics are so important to call speak about. I believe that younger and older men alike would get so much positive reinforcement from this book.
I would recommend this book because it is filled with a lot of wisdom, humor and growth.
While reading this book I was struck by the topics that Mr. Evans highlighted for example, grace, cynicism, encouragement, knowing yourself, etc., and how these topics are so important to call speak about. I believe that younger and older men alike would get so much positive reinforcement from this book.
I would recommend this book because it is filled with a lot of wisdom, humor and growth.
May 26, 2016
This book is a OK read for the man of God, my husband liked how the book talks about getting wisdom from your wise older peers. My husband has heard a lot of things that was discussed in the book. With our church there are meeting where the men get together very frequently where the more wise church member can share there wisdom with the men of god. My husband liked how the book provides funny stories that were filled with very important information. My husband felt that the book was a great read for men who usually get to speck with wise church members.
"I received this book from Flyby Promotions for free in exchange for an honest review."
"I received this book from Flyby Promotions for free in exchange for an honest review."
May 27, 2016
I really was encouraged by this book. Kent Evans takes men through a journey to becoming Wise Guys! I think one thing right off the bat hit me reading it was pride. I think lots of men won't ask other men for help on anything because of pride. Kent shows through his own personal walk men who helped him to mold to who he is today. The first man of course being Christ. I think so many boys are growing up with mom being the leader in the home cause no dad is there. Then to have to find someone they can look up too. Awesome book full of good wisdom. I think this would be a great Father's day gift. 5 star
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews