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The Storm: How Young Men Become Good Men

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"The Storm provides critical insights into what it takes to lead your own life…" Sean Covey. As still just a teen, can Dakota master his Granddaddy's Secrets before life knocks him down for good? Living a life of hope against a backdrop of despair, violence, and poverty, Dakota's life is broken, and he's trying to fix it the best way he can. He's working hard to live a future better life than the terrible one he's now enduring. Dakota hates the way he is living. And he so badly wants to break out of his hellhole. Finally, he needs to feel good about himself and this world. But life always seems to be conspiring against Dakota, starting with his own violent and drunk father, followed by his rough neighborhood and school. He knows he must find a better way to live his life, or he'll become the thing that scares him the most, his father. He can't bear the thought of living a life of never-ending struggle, especially while he still thinks that success, happiness, and becoming a good man are within his reach if he acts now. The Storm is an indispensable book for teens. But so is it for parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, and anyone else who influences young people or need a reminder themselves how to get back on track. The Storm is endorsed by Sean Covey- author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens", Rodney Smith- Olympic Bronze medalist wrestler, Tebucky Jones- New England Patriots Super Bowl Champion, and a myriad of other high-achievers. So, don't wait any longer to join these amazing people by investing in yourself right now through getting this book.

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 25, 2018

28 people are currently reading
35 people want to read

About the author

Daniel Blanchard

54 books11 followers
Dan Blanchard the Bestselling and Award-Winning, Author, Speaker, and Educator. TV Host. Two-time Junior Olympian Wrestler and two-time Junior Olympian Wrestling Coach who grew up as a student-athlete. However, Dan admits that as a youth he was more of an athlete than a student. Dan has now successfully completed fourteen years of college and has earned seven degrees. He teaches Special Education and Social Studies in Connecticut’s largest inner-city high school where he was chosen by the AFT-CT as the face and voice of educational reform and is now on the speaking circuit for them. Dan was with the team that put forth Connecticut’s new Social Studies Frameworks and is also a member of the Special Education Advisory Board to the Connecticut State Department of Education. In addition, Dan is a Teacher Consultant for the University of Connecticut’s Writing Project. Finally, Dan is a double veteran of the Army and the Air Force.

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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Shawn Flynn.
Author 1 book43 followers
March 24, 2018
Great Book for Educators and Teens

I just finished reading Dan Blanchard’s, “The Storm,” a story about a teenage boy, struggling with the ups and downs of growing up, who spends a rainy afternoon with his Granddaddy learning his secrets for a successful life. Great book for educators, guidance counselors, social workers, parents, or really anyone who has anything to do with raising kids. It would also be a good addition to any high school reading program.

-Shawn P. Flynn, Award-Winning Author of "THE KITTY Who Rescued Me After I Rescued Him"
Profile Image for Chuck Miceli.
Author 11 books5 followers
February 7, 2018
I have just completed Dan Blanchard’s excellent brief novel, The Storm. The Storm is definitely not on my normal reading list. It is geared toward young adult readers and, at 69, I certainly don’t match that demographic, but I found myself captivated by both the content and the delivery. Regarding the content, I was familiar with most of it from my own professional career. As a public employee and private consultant I implemented Total Quality Management in government and criminal justice organizations. I also served on the management team for the Connecticut Award for Excellence. In those capacities, I studied under TQM experts from organizations like GE Capital, United Technologies and the Juran Institute, (Headed by Joseph Juran, Edward Deming’s partner in implementing TQM in post-WWII Japan) where I practiced concepts like Kaizen, Pareto Analysis, Strategic Planning, Goal Setting, Mission Statements and Continuous Quality Improvement. A remarkable achievement of Blanchard’s book is that he manages to cover these topics and many more in the span of about 180 pages.
In addition to the management concepts, Blanchard delves deeply into the social and emotional requirements of being a leader. He generously cites many of those who provided inspiration for the lessons learned including: Socrates, Gandhi, Edward Deming, Douglas MacArthur, Anthony Robbins, Vince Lombardi and even Adolf Hitler. An equally impressive accomplishment is Blanchard’s method of delivering this content. These topics might be abstract and dry, even for seasoned professionals, but could be deathly boring for teenagers. Blanchard avoids this trap by couching his lessons in a highly entertaining story about a conversation between a teenage boy and the “secrets” his grandfather wants to share with him on a stormy afternoon. Each concept presented is subsequently grounded in the young boy’s personal experiences. Blanchard doesn’t flinch away from uncomfortable topics in the process. We discover that the teenager’s life is far from perfect as we learn about his abusive father and emotionally damaged brother. As the conversation continues the young man’s grandfather imparts additional lessons about gratitude, teamwork, service and delayed gratification.
If there is anything I take exception with in Blanchard’s exposition, it’s that he sometime seems to overreach in his description of a leader. The reality is that in many of life’s endeavors, there can be only one top performer and the book, at times, doesn’t seem to provide enough credit for doing one’s “personal best.” Still, he does allow some wiggle room. Granddaddy suggests “shooting for the stars” so that if you do fall short, you still land on the moon.
This is a book filled with useful information and much wisdom. Blanchard is correct when his “granddaddy” character laments that schools fail to incorporate many of these principles in their curriculum and even many adults don’t learn them until late in life, if at all. Until that situation changes, the best we can hope for is that our young adults have alternative ways to access and appreciate these essential life lessons and Dan Blanchard’s, The Storm, is certainly an excellent place to start.
Profile Image for Goodness CN.
87 reviews11 followers
August 1, 2022
The Storm: How Young Men Become Good Men is a 204-page value-packed and gripping book written by Dan Blanchard. The focal characters were Dakota and his granddaddy. It explicitly contains the lessons needed to succeed in life. It would jerk your beliefs, which will invariably lead you to ponder what you are and aren't doing right and strategies that will enable you to get on the path to success. You'll be inspired to leave your comfort zone to go out and maximize your potential without past guilt or failure weighing you down.

Dakota was out for a walk with his granddaddy on his birthday, November 30, when he decided to teach Dakota some life lessons that will be useful to him as he grows older. His grandaddy aimed to ensure he doesn't end up like some of his classmates would. The first lessons his granddaddy taught Dakota resonated with him because, while growing up, he had a tough life, but he found a way to make things easier for himself. He engaged in sports, which helped him channel his anger properly, and he also had people who were there for him when he needed them. While silently walking, he pondered on the minute time his dad spent with him and if it was a generational pattern because his granddaddy spent less time with his dad too. As expected, he made up his mind to break the pattern. This part of the book struck me, as I imagined how difficult it is for kids whose parent(s) don't spend adequate time with them.

This well-thought book consisted solely of Granddaddy's lessons to Dakota on how to win in life and rise above adversity. Some of the lessons were to cherish the smallest things in life because they can be the best memories you will have. To live life in such a way that you prevent it from getting so complicated that you don't have to negotiate your values away and be unable to live up to the peak of your potential. The need to plan to be prepared for what happens next. When you decide which dream you want to pursue and start planning for them, make sure your vision includes success for the people around you. You get to decide what makes you happy. The same goes for what you choose to do. You get to decide what feels right, meaningful, or purposeful.

I appreciated the pace of the lesson. It developed at a steady pace. It's safe and appropriate to say that the lessons are the compass we need for limitless and fulfilling life. They were compelling, absorbing, well-written, easy to read, and without any unfamiliar or unexplained terms that might confuse readers. The way the dialogue went between Dakota and his granddaddy was realistic and could easily pique readers. The quotes at the start of each chapter gave readers food for thought. Frankly, I had a great time assimilating the lessons because they were so vital in maximizing our potential in our daily lives.

Because I thoroughly enjoyed the book and learned so much from it, I'm confidently giving it a perfect rating of five out of five stars because it doesn't deserve anything lower.

The Storm: How Young Men Become Good Men is recommended to readers who are yearning for direction on how to live a purposeful, goal-oriented, and successful life because the lessons in this book would provide them with just the right knowledge needed.
35 reviews
May 24, 2019
This was another free Amazon kindle pick and I’m undecided on whether I liked it or not.

The Storm is essentially one very long conversation between a grandfather, Granddaddy, and his teenage grandson, Dakota. During a walk, the two take shelter in a park picnic pavilion to avoid the rain storming around them. As they talk, Granddaddy shares his life secrets for success with Dakota, who has started learning his own lessons through trial and error. While the premise of the book is sweet, the conversation tends to read as a giant checklist of motivational quotes and practices from every great thinker and self-help guru since the dawn of time.

The character development in The Storm is incredibly weak. We learn that Granddaddy fought in WWII, is still married to Dakota’s grandmother and is estranged from his son, who is Dakota’s father, but we never learn much more about him than that. We don’t know why he isn’t actively involved in Dakota’s life. It also bothered me that despite not being around, Granddaddy and Dakota seem to have a strong and open relationship. It also bothered me that Grandma and Mom remained vague mysterious characters who weren’t mentioned, Dad was stereotypical and Big Brother was the martyr hero type. Not even Dakota was fleshed out. We learn he is a high school wrestler dealing with an abusive father and has a pretty girlfriend who tends to be a positive influence. Aside from his wrestling training and occasional references to the difficulties with his dad, Dakota remained very one dimensional and just wasn’t believable as a teenage character.

My biggest pet peeve with the entire book was how unnatural and forced the conversational style between Granddaddy and Dakota felt. Granddaddy would ask Dakota if he knew who Michael Phelps was and instead of answering “yeah” like a normal teenager, Dakota would answer like a Wikipedia entry, “Michael Phelps is US Olympic Swimmer who won 28 medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics”. Multiply that by about a hundred other anecdotes and it got old, quick.

I did enjoy a lot of the quotes in The Storm and I liked the idea of a grandparent sharing so lovingly and openly with their grandchildren. I just wish there would have been some more personality infused into Granddady and Dakota and that their entire history and family line had been really fleshed out.

Overall, the book was a quick read, it just wasn’t very deep or life changing. Going to rate this one somewhere around 2.5 stars.

Profile Image for Anthionette E. .
127 reviews16 followers
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August 18, 2022
The Storm: How Young Men Become Good Men by Dan Blanchard addressed lessons that would nudge readers to pursue a life void of mediocrity. Dakota's birthday, which was also his granddaddy's birthday, was a memorable day for him. This was because, on this day, Granddaddy disclosed the secrets/lessons to attaining and living a successful life. He revealed to Dakota that he was in the shadows watching him while he grew up and could tell him his hobbies. Dakota wondered why this was so, but he didn't get any tangible answer, so he let it be.

Subsequently, Granddaddy taught him numerous lessons that would be useful on his path to fulfillment. Some of the lessons Dakota was exposed to were to figure out where he'd want to be and then go ahead with a plan to get there, because if he doesn't make a plan, he won't make headway. Another example was that if he wants to develop a habit of success, then he'd have to get in the habit of putting his full effort into the things he wants to accomplish, even if he doesn’t think it’s that important at first. This is because everything one accomplishes is a result of their effort. If he wants better results, then he'd have to make sure he was giving himself a better chance to succeed by putting in the work.

As I turned the pages, it was like sitting down with a buddy who was sharing tips on how to push myself to leave my comfort zone and lead a meaningful life. This book will provide you with the extra push you need to pursue your goals, let go of the past that is holding you back, have faith in your abilities, and commit to taking total control of your life.

I could relate to one of the lessons that Grandpa taught Dakota about how his subconscious stored all of the occurrences around us. This was because I had to apply the lesson and think back to remember something I had read previously, and I was able to do so. Simply said, this merely demonstrated that the concepts taught in the book are applicable and practical rather than being idle hearsay.

Readers who are searching for guidance on how to lead a meaningful, goal-oriented life would benefit from reading this masterpiece. It offered crucial insight into what it takes to live your own life without falling prey to chance or circumstance. Readers learn that, in the majority of cases, going through challenging circumstances is essential for shaping you into the finest version of yourself. You'd learn by reading this book that luck isn't just something that occurs. Only when opportunity and preparation coincide does it occur.
Profile Image for Christine Bialczak.
Author 5 books20 followers
September 3, 2022
The Storm: How Young Men Become Good Men by Daniel Blanchard is like a full-life lesson in an easy-to-explain format for young men and women! Blanchard tells the story from a teen's point of view as he has a conversation with the grandfather he rarely sees. As young Dakota calls him, Grandaddy has come to him on his special day to tell him all of the secrets to life and how to live it to its fullest. Dakota isn't happy with his whole life. He is a great athlete, but his father is abusive and absent, and his older brother is in and out of jail. Dakota doesn't like how his life is going and doesn't understand why Grandaddy doesn't come around, except he knows it has something to do with Pops, but today of all days he doesn't want to talk about Pops.
This is a well-organized book with many easy-to-understand lessons for someone of any age or gender.
Grandaddy tells Dakota of his life during the war, "Dr. Deming taught that quality was not just a matter of meeting certain standards, but rather was a living, breathing process of never-ending
improvement."
One of the most moving things Blanchard says that is so perfectly fitting to the angst of our society currently in the United States was when he is talking about respect and how using someone's name when speaking to or about them shows respect:
"Back then, people said the whole name... The United States of America. It was like it meant more back then. Now, people don’t say it like that. Now they just say USA.”
As an educator, I would encourage parents and teachers to read this to, or with, their children. It is an easy read, and easy to understand, and Blanchard gets right to the point on all issues, not leaving any room for stagnant explanations.
My only complaint would be the title; it conveys that this book is a message to boys only and it really is a great book for all people, any gender, and any age!
Profile Image for Lisa Zarcone.
Author 5 books27 followers
January 25, 2018
Quite a moving story about life lessons, planning ahead and connecting! This is a touching story of a young man who is seeking and searching for many meanings in life with so many unanswered questions. His powerful conversation with his grandfather helped him clear the air a bit and opened new doors in his young mind shifting his path to a whole new world of thinking and feeling. This is a story that the youth of today need to read and experience. So many kids blindly flow through life because of circumstances beyond their control. The environment or situation they grow up into stifles their ability to seek the confidence they need to encourage future success. Bottom line kids/teens need mentors to teach and guide them, letting them know they can accomplish anything they set their mind to in life. Hard work, determination and drive will get them there with love and guidance. Thank you Dan for sharing this story! Lisa Zarcone Author: The Unspoken Truth A Memoir
Profile Image for La-Shanda.
242 reviews9 followers
October 4, 2022
The Storm: How Young Men Become Good Men is a story from the past (WWII and beyond) relatable to current times. Author Dan Blanchard does an incredible job telling the story of the main character a high school teenage boy who faces adversity and must decide to apply a growth mindset breaking the cycle or use life’s experiences to be consumed with a fixed mindset. As a mother of three sons, I found the book a good read and relevant to my disposition. The book is recommended to men seeking to understand the meaning of living a happy life, teachers who want to understand learning is more than dates and events, it is about the human experience, as well as anyone who seek knowledge as life learners.
Profile Image for Connie Bombaci.
Author 11 books13 followers
December 30, 2017
Daniel Blanchard in his book, The Storm, provides amazing insight into the world of working and living with our youth. As a retired high school teacher and administrator, I am truly grateful that Dan has chosen to share his wisdom and his heart in order to create the right circumstances for our young folks to build meaningful and purposeful lives. Each of us can make a difference if we just “listen” and help our youth look inside themselves to win at the truly important things in life. It’s a must-read for all families and educators and a real blessing. Read! Learn! You will be better for it!
Profile Image for Lisa.
58 reviews1 follower
October 4, 2022
If you were expecting a plot, there isn’t one. It’s an entire book of dialogue between a teen boy and his grandfather. I think this could have been done much better in a story or a diary-like format showing how the main character Dakota learns these important lessons rather than from his grandfather in a single conversation. Also, continuity is confusing because this takes place in modern times, grandpa is 76 but fought in World War II. The only thing that might fix this is at the end grandpa seems to have disappeared, so maybe grandpa…I’ll let you decide that. The one good thing about this book was the last couple of pages, and I wish the rest lived up to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Penny Goetjen.
Author 8 books576 followers
March 27, 2019
Dan Blanchard's The Storm is written in an interesting style, unlike anything I've read before. And since it’s from a 16 yr old male's perspective, I didn’t connect with it at first, but it could appeal to a broad range of ages, particularly adolescents. Although it is one long conversation with the potential for getting monotonous, it’s broken down into chapters with logical breaks that allow you to digest the grandfather's sage advice. It's peppered with so many nuggets of wisdom, I found myself taking notes.
Profile Image for Amy Shannon.
Author 156 books134 followers
March 4, 2018
Great story

Sometimes it just takes someone from another generation to remind us how important life truly is. This is a great story, as Dakota learns a direct lesson from his "granddaddy." It resonates with young and old, and shows how precious and important life can be, if you look at it the right way. It's a lesson of life, and it's a story about a story, life experience. Great story to share.
Profile Image for Joy Walker.
70 reviews1 follower
May 3, 2024
What a clever way to teach young and old life’s lessons. Blanchard weaves parts of his own story into this afternoon chat with granddaddy and 16 year-old Dakota. Looking forward to reading the sequel— a sprint to the top: how to win the game of life.
1 review
February 9, 2023
An inspiring book about life’s lessons

Author Dan Blanchard of The Storm: How Young Men Become Good Men does an awesome job of weaving essential life lessons in a story about a struggling male teenager who is having a conversation with his Granddaddy. Firstly, as a lifelong teacher and educational leader, I recommend this book to anyone who works with students. Secondly, I highly recommend it for all parents. The author shares many wonderful quotes and insights that are inspiring and encourage reflection for people of all ages. The lessons and wisdom that Granddaddy shares with his grandson certainly serve as an inspiration to young people’s minds. The title of the book might appear to be more appealing to boys and teenagers, but it’s a great read for everyone. This book would also serve as a wonderful teaching tool in a group or classroom setting. I particularly enjoyed the quotes and examples the author used…highly recommended! Bravo, Dan!
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