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Hard Times Create Strong Men: Why the World Craves Leadership and How You Can Step Up to Fill the Need
What does it mean to be a man in the modern world? Throughout history, being a man has meant different things. Maybe being a man was about being a good hunter, or a good soldier, a good businessman or maybe good with women. Hard Times Creates Strong Men examines what it means to be a man in the modern world relative to money, sex, religion and politics. This book examines what worked and what doesn't work based on proven history instead of feelings. This book is raw, real and politically incorrect, it will threaten and challenge your ideas of what does it mean to be a man and how to better serve your purpose. As the cycles of history prove over and over Hard Times Create Strong Men Strong Men Create Good Times Good Times Create Weak Men Weak Men Create Hard times
666 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2019
355 people are currently reading
3314 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
April 20, 2019
This is not a book for pussies
February 9, 2020
The value in Aarino's writing is the insight gained to the political philosophy of the hard line right. Aarino states he wrote this book in eleven days after fasting to reach clarity of mind. However, his clarity does not exist in his writing which is clearly rushed.
This book is a political manifesto based on the argument that the decay of man's role in society has seriously negative implications for the United States. His analysis and proposed solutions lack nuance and are conveyed in profane and sex filled prose. His diatribe on American society uses primates, Rome, sperm, ejaculation, vaginas, Greece and Trump to rationalize his basic belief that strong men are necessarily comfortable with rape and murder to satiate animal desires for power, prestige, wealth, and sex for the benefit of society. I am not convinced.
This book is a political manifesto based on the argument that the decay of man's role in society has seriously negative implications for the United States. His analysis and proposed solutions lack nuance and are conveyed in profane and sex filled prose. His diatribe on American society uses primates, Rome, sperm, ejaculation, vaginas, Greece and Trump to rationalize his basic belief that strong men are necessarily comfortable with rape and murder to satiate animal desires for power, prestige, wealth, and sex for the benefit of society. I am not convinced.
October 13, 2020
This is less of a real book than it is just a long rant. Was I entertained? Yes. Enlightened? No. He did make some really great points and some really awful ones.
This book is a strong reaction to the weak minded millennial boy-man and honestly they could use something like this. But I can’t recommend this book in good conscience to anyone.
This author had great potential and it’s too bad he passed away before he could mature into a more level headed author.
This book is a strong reaction to the weak minded millennial boy-man and honestly they could use something like this. But I can’t recommend this book in good conscience to anyone.
This author had great potential and it’s too bad he passed away before he could mature into a more level headed author.
March 9, 2023
I'm not one for long pedantic descriptions so I'll keep this short and sweet and in point form:
•Early on in the book the author apologizes relentlessly to all of the readers who might be offended by his writing. I've never known a true "man" to engage in such apologetics when he is secure in the message he's attempting to express.
•At one point the author compares men to bees. Bees! Bees work hard so men should work hard. Having no biological relationship to one another I fail to see how this has any pertinence to masculine endeavors.
• The author uses a whole chapter to denigrate his own father. He speaks to how useless he was as a man. He goes on to mention his own successes in business to parallel his father's failures. When his father comes to him for help, he tells his father "go work at McDonald's!"
Anyone can write a book about being a man. Anyone can use masculine buzz words and cherry pick quotes written by authors who know what they are writing about. Writing a book about what it takes to be a man based on subjective opinion is not a book, it's an essay. Actions speak far louder than words and this man's actions speak volumes.
•Early on in the book the author apologizes relentlessly to all of the readers who might be offended by his writing. I've never known a true "man" to engage in such apologetics when he is secure in the message he's attempting to express.
•At one point the author compares men to bees. Bees! Bees work hard so men should work hard. Having no biological relationship to one another I fail to see how this has any pertinence to masculine endeavors.
• The author uses a whole chapter to denigrate his own father. He speaks to how useless he was as a man. He goes on to mention his own successes in business to parallel his father's failures. When his father comes to him for help, he tells his father "go work at McDonald's!"
Anyone can write a book about being a man. Anyone can use masculine buzz words and cherry pick quotes written by authors who know what they are writing about. Writing a book about what it takes to be a man based on subjective opinion is not a book, it's an essay. Actions speak far louder than words and this man's actions speak volumes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2020
It's 2020. Means it's about time you got a copy of this, to gear up for what's coming.
Otherwise, men are DONE.
Otherwise, men are DONE.
July 20, 2021
Fantastic book! I enjoyed very much to read it. Some may find this book controversial but a lot of the ideas there can be very insightful and I recommend on reading this book!
July 20, 2021
The weakest dogs bark the loudest.
I feel like this book is only communicating the frustrations of the author and disappointment with his father. Also, we are not monkeys or bulls, so i think it is inapropriate to state that behaving like an animal is really manly or alpha... The whole book is overly dramatic. Quite a disappointment in my opinion.
I feel like this book is only communicating the frustrations of the author and disappointment with his father. Also, we are not monkeys or bulls, so i think it is inapropriate to state that behaving like an animal is really manly or alpha... The whole book is overly dramatic. Quite a disappointment in my opinion.
November 28, 2023
To quote the one and only hbomberguy, I just lost enough IQ points to think IQ is real.
Chapter 2 is my favorite.
Apart from sucking Warren Buffet’s dick, shitting on his dad and screaming at the snowflakes to work, this chapter is easily the most unhinged of them all. He goes on long tirades about how you are meant to hate your job, that people who complain about their working conditions are just soft, and if you just put your head down and work hard, don’t retire then maybe just maybe you can die one day?
“Retirement has never really existed throughout history and cultures. You worked until you were no longer useful or you died, whichever came first.”
The rest of the chapters proceed in similar fashion with Stefan continuously explaining how the movie fight club is JUST LIKE REAL LIFE, delving into hypergamy and actually scientifically using the crazy/hot matrix, a chapter on “rampant homosexuality” which nicely leads to a rant about some more transphobia.
The wildest part about this book isn’t the fact that Stefan is a disgusting homophobe, misogynist, and capitalist. If you don’t like me putting capitalists in the same breath, I encourage you to read 300 pages about how men should work themselves to an early grave and come back to me when you’re done. But that fact that every once in a while he stumbles onto what we would generally consider a “good take”.
He has a chapter on the foolishness of pick-up artists where he encourages men to date women who want to date them. (I CANNOT BELIEVE I THOUGHT THIS WAS REVOLUTIONARY BUT I DID)
Furthermore, this is what he has to say about the disproportionate amount of black people incarcerated “The saddest part about the current system for the black men and fathers in America is that when they enter the prison system, which is privately owned and a for-profit system in the USA (this seems corrupt), criminals in prison are stripped of their voting rights and are forced to work for almost no pay.” And then TWO paragraphs down he says “Minimum wage does not allow you to afford a two-bedroom apartment in any state in the USA right now. Tell me this is not enslavement of the children and future generations.” and as if he was lulling me into a false sense of security he goes on immediately to blame all of this on the fact that “In divorce, sex, children, or family law, men have absolutely no power. Divorce today typically favors women over men when it comes to child custody, property, and money.” His sources are few and far in between and most often are something like Wikipedia or THE GODDAMN DAILY MAIL.
His chapter on evolution made me want to gouge my eyes out.
"If we evolved from “apes,” then why didn’t all the “apes” evolve? Wouldn’t we all evolve the same?"
JUST FUCKING GOOGLE IT MY GUY.
I know he's dead now and I'll be nicer to him in the video I make, probably but right now I, as a Buddhist, but also as a woman and someone with common sense can only say - good.
Chapter 2 is my favorite.
Apart from sucking Warren Buffet’s dick, shitting on his dad and screaming at the snowflakes to work, this chapter is easily the most unhinged of them all. He goes on long tirades about how you are meant to hate your job, that people who complain about their working conditions are just soft, and if you just put your head down and work hard, don’t retire then maybe just maybe you can die one day?
“Retirement has never really existed throughout history and cultures. You worked until you were no longer useful or you died, whichever came first.”
The rest of the chapters proceed in similar fashion with Stefan continuously explaining how the movie fight club is JUST LIKE REAL LIFE, delving into hypergamy and actually scientifically using the crazy/hot matrix, a chapter on “rampant homosexuality” which nicely leads to a rant about some more transphobia.
The wildest part about this book isn’t the fact that Stefan is a disgusting homophobe, misogynist, and capitalist. If you don’t like me putting capitalists in the same breath, I encourage you to read 300 pages about how men should work themselves to an early grave and come back to me when you’re done. But that fact that every once in a while he stumbles onto what we would generally consider a “good take”.
He has a chapter on the foolishness of pick-up artists where he encourages men to date women who want to date them. (I CANNOT BELIEVE I THOUGHT THIS WAS REVOLUTIONARY BUT I DID)
Furthermore, this is what he has to say about the disproportionate amount of black people incarcerated “The saddest part about the current system for the black men and fathers in America is that when they enter the prison system, which is privately owned and a for-profit system in the USA (this seems corrupt), criminals in prison are stripped of their voting rights and are forced to work for almost no pay.” And then TWO paragraphs down he says “Minimum wage does not allow you to afford a two-bedroom apartment in any state in the USA right now. Tell me this is not enslavement of the children and future generations.” and as if he was lulling me into a false sense of security he goes on immediately to blame all of this on the fact that “In divorce, sex, children, or family law, men have absolutely no power. Divorce today typically favors women over men when it comes to child custody, property, and money.” His sources are few and far in between and most often are something like Wikipedia or THE GODDAMN DAILY MAIL.
His chapter on evolution made me want to gouge my eyes out.
"If we evolved from “apes,” then why didn’t all the “apes” evolve? Wouldn’t we all evolve the same?"
JUST FUCKING GOOGLE IT MY GUY.
I know he's dead now and I'll be nicer to him in the video I make, probably but right now I, as a Buddhist, but also as a woman and someone with common sense can only say - good.
November 4, 2019
The author went on a water fast for a month in a hidden cabin somewhere. All alone. He typed this book out and the resultant moment was a cumulative catharsis for him. But beyond that, I felt the author has a lot of things to say. Though he does stake many claims and questions nearly everything, he backs his rhetoric up not just once but several times in the book. In the overall weave, the author keeps picking up pace. The first one third of the book is the one you must get through. The last half though very difficult to read like most of the book is worthwhile. I say it is difficult to read because this book is not less buoyant and attractive than say "Sapiens" or "Homo Deus" or "Laws of Human Nature" and so on.
Why not 5 stars? Well I took 35-45 days to read it and though I appreciate the author's abandon of words and 35 long chapters, it took me a while to finish it. I have finished books twice the size of this one in roughly the same time. So that's why. Also there are a little too many quotes.
If you don't like repetition in your self-help books, then either you have not understood the essence of the help philosophy or you are just not ready for this yet.
The author is 2 years younger than me but has a mind of a 51 year old wise man.
Loved it.
Why not 5 stars? Well I took 35-45 days to read it and though I appreciate the author's abandon of words and 35 long chapters, it took me a while to finish it. I have finished books twice the size of this one in roughly the same time. So that's why. Also there are a little too many quotes.
If you don't like repetition in your self-help books, then either you have not understood the essence of the help philosophy or you are just not ready for this yet.
The author is 2 years younger than me but has a mind of a 51 year old wise man.
Loved it.
May 23, 2021
The book states a warning on its cover. "Do not read this book if you are easily offended! Burn this book instead!" and that's for a reason. It contains many though-provoking, yet hard to process ideas, that will probably seem outrageous to many.
Aarnio wrote this book in just about 20 days after fasting for weeks in the jungle, and to be honest, it shows, since the book seems to lack structure and be all over the place at times. One motive lingers throughout the book though, the idea that “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” The author claims that this cycle takes approximately 80 years, with each phase lasting 20. After the 80 years pass, humanity has sort of a collective amnesia and can no longer remember the horrors of the past, they become just a distant, abstract memory and we are doomed to repeat them.
Interestingly enough, now deceased Aarnio claimed in 2018, that 2020 (approximately 80 years after WW2) would be the beginning of a new cycle, with hard times coming back and we all know how 2020 turned out.
If you are an open-minded person, chances are you will find this book interesting. Aarnio intended this book to be a subsitute for the absent father, the "how to be a man" talk that many guys never got. For all I know, it might work for you.
Aarnio wrote this book in just about 20 days after fasting for weeks in the jungle, and to be honest, it shows, since the book seems to lack structure and be all over the place at times. One motive lingers throughout the book though, the idea that “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” The author claims that this cycle takes approximately 80 years, with each phase lasting 20. After the 80 years pass, humanity has sort of a collective amnesia and can no longer remember the horrors of the past, they become just a distant, abstract memory and we are doomed to repeat them.
Interestingly enough, now deceased Aarnio claimed in 2018, that 2020 (approximately 80 years after WW2) would be the beginning of a new cycle, with hard times coming back and we all know how 2020 turned out.
If you are an open-minded person, chances are you will find this book interesting. Aarnio intended this book to be a subsitute for the absent father, the "how to be a man" talk that many guys never got. For all I know, it might work for you.
October 13, 2019
This should be a mandatory book to read for all the guys out there without strong father figure in their life or which generally ask themselves "What does it mean to be a man".
If you don't want to go deeper into the subjects, it sums up pretty much every important aspect of 4 crucial topics:
1. Money and work
2. Sex and family
3. Religion
4. Politics
I have read dozens of book in search of the answers and I can say I have finally found the one which gave me the answers I have been looking for.
What I didn't like is how the author included the whole paragraphs from other books (especially The way of men and The way of the superior man). Imo, his writing style is good enough and he could have avoided that.
Still, I would highly recommend this book.
If you don't want to go deeper into the subjects, it sums up pretty much every important aspect of 4 crucial topics:
1. Money and work
2. Sex and family
3. Religion
4. Politics
I have read dozens of book in search of the answers and I can say I have finally found the one which gave me the answers I have been looking for.
What I didn't like is how the author included the whole paragraphs from other books (especially The way of men and The way of the superior man). Imo, his writing style is good enough and he could have avoided that.
Still, I would highly recommend this book.
June 9, 2025
Some solid messages buried under a pile of tribal rants, edgy-for-the-sake-of-it takes, and weird hero worship of Stefan Molyneux (yikes). There’s value in the call for discipline and masculinity in a soft world — but the delivery? Off the rails. Feels like Stoicism got hijacked by a guy shouting into a mirror. Insightful at times, unhinged at others. Oh, and the author mysteriously died, which kind of says it all. Read at your own risk.
July 3, 2020
RIP STEFEN AARNIO!
Your words in the book ring true now more then ever. Your legacy will always be remembered! Thank you Champ! Rest Easy
Your words in the book ring true now more then ever. Your legacy will always be remembered! Thank you Champ! Rest Easy
December 19, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. If you are interested in writings on masculinity and what it means to be a man then this one is a must. This book is what young men feeling lost in today's society need.
August 22, 2025
interesting. kinda mid. and a bit repeptitive. but interesting
June 12, 2020
I enjoyed reading this book about how there is a cyclic nature of man and how the world changes with each generation. The cycle that good times create weak men, weak men create hard times, hard times create strong men, and the strong men create good times. The book goes on to explain multiple times that this has happened. This book also dives deep into money, sex, religion, and politics.
I agreed with most of the topics, but Stefan Aarnio made some points about how rape is okay, and I don't agree with that in the slightest. I personally agree with Ben Shapiro, that rapists should be killed or castrated. I personally agree with majority of his political thought, which is a hard right perspective, but I am more centrist libertarian. I agree with him on his points about money, but I still believe real estate is the best way to go as far as investments. I can't speak on religion because my knowledge there is very limited, but I think this is a very modern take on religion and not very traditional.
I agreed with most of the topics, but Stefan Aarnio made some points about how rape is okay, and I don't agree with that in the slightest. I personally agree with Ben Shapiro, that rapists should be killed or castrated. I personally agree with majority of his political thought, which is a hard right perspective, but I am more centrist libertarian. I agree with him on his points about money, but I still believe real estate is the best way to go as far as investments. I can't speak on religion because my knowledge there is very limited, but I think this is a very modern take on religion and not very traditional.
May 28, 2021
The prosperity of a society is cyclical, as reflected in a poem by G. Michael Hopf from where the book gets its title: “Hard Times create strong men, Strong men create good times, Good times create weak men, Weak men create hard times.” There are a couple good chapters about the emptiness of hookup culture, the castrating effect of pornography, and the societal problems caused by absent (or weak) fathers. The rest of the book is pretty redundant with the basic message being that the current generation of men need to sack up, interspliced with Ayn Rand and Gene Simmons quotes as well as Stoicism and Fight Club references.
October 24, 2019
The most interesting book I have read all year. I agreed with a lot of what he said, although as a devote Christian I would be exclusive in my religious claims then as open as what seems to be a very new-age view of the spiritual world.
He is spot on about a man and his work. His views on sex and religion I did not agree with 100%. A very thought-provoking book but not for someone who cannot handle cursing. I listened to this book but I also heard there are nude paintings in the book which I do not approve of. However good read overall as a secular book.
He is spot on about a man and his work. His views on sex and religion I did not agree with 100%. A very thought-provoking book but not for someone who cannot handle cursing. I listened to this book but I also heard there are nude paintings in the book which I do not approve of. However good read overall as a secular book.
April 29, 2022
Vulgar, worldly view of what a man should be and how he should act. It seems to me, there are some good points… however I don’t think they offset the foolishness.
If you think you are the next best thing since sliced bread, this book is for you.
Many other books and authors I would recommend for character development before going to this book / author.
Failing Forward, Life is a Special Operation, Joko Willink, Wild at Heart, Devil at my Heels, The Bet - Anton Chekhov, Diary of an Early American Boy, Brett McKay, etc.
If you think you are the next best thing since sliced bread, this book is for you.
Many other books and authors I would recommend for character development before going to this book / author.
Failing Forward, Life is a Special Operation, Joko Willink, Wild at Heart, Devil at my Heels, The Bet - Anton Chekhov, Diary of an Early American Boy, Brett McKay, etc.
December 24, 2022
4.5 stars for this beneficial and worthwhile book, as the title infers, the male reader will resonate with this practical man bible and the wakeup call.
So, for the disorientated, confused, or demotivated, this book will aid in reclaiming masculinity, through a strived for, justified and necessary purpose. However, be warned, initial discomfort will be met.
As the author articulates, this discomfort arises due to a persistent, socially engineered effort to prevent a male’s purpose in life, and was detailed in various societal situations at length. Awareness to these situations created the discomfort.
Thankfully though, this book highlighted workarounds, by highlighting and mitigating the external noise, distractions, and associated mindlessness, then countered with a journey towards reclaimed manhood. Concerns were alleviated, and an educational journey underpinned by focus, demanding work, and professional dedication to manhood, was outlined.
This journey to manhood was richly detailed with relevant information, and inspiration was plentiful throughout. As was the enthusiasm towards this book being recommended to male friends and colleagues.
Another insight was the direct effect on mood and behaviours, whether influenced through famous quotes, chapter themes or the fact the author had practiced what he preached. Through his story and education, of highlighting the signal amongst the external noise, and employing laser like focus to accomplish goals, were poignant and stimulating.
The author covers such vast topics to encompass this reclaiming of man hood, and numerous themes broke down to their components.
Those themes were hard-hitting, with no nonsense. The author cut to the chase, identified the problem, then elaborated. Refreshingly, no stone remained unturned and controversial topics had precedence. This featured throughout and should resonate with most readers, particularly, in the current (2022) woke madness and agenda fuelled society.
Often, throughout the listen, emphatic head nods of agreement to the author’s observations and hard-hitting truths occurred. For instance, how the author forecasted the unbalanced societal scales due to political correctness back in 2018.
If only he could have observed the dogfight and wasteland the media the media have prioritised in recent years. RIP.
This was also reinforced through the author’s observations of the perilous age of tolerance which had infected the modern age. Indicated by these soft natured, tiptoeing, frightened and uncertain modern males. This has been disadvantageous! As the author argued, this undermined and impeded male’s proclivity to strive towards ambition, and consequently, contradicted the male, hard-wired DNA of protection and providing for their family, tribe, and community.
Crucially, none of this was heresy or emotionally based arguments. These were strengthened through research, results and proved throughout history. The historical accounts were excellent, and readers will appreciate the historical references to better understand and support their futures.
The author himself had stumbled down a similar treacherous path, then found himself but this only achieved through studying the greats and their histories. This motivated his entrepreneurial path, where he went on to owning a successful real estate business. He was a mentor to employees and thankfully shared his wisdom, as he himself wonderfully champions, ‘this book is rated R, for relevant.’
While this book was excellent for all males, young adult males will find most value. Through the author’s impressive foresight and his ability to utilise history to project the future. He detailed the current landscape, where far too many people would rather be popular than discuss the truth. Contributing to the woke filled agendas, causing only more confusion and drawbacks, and with the outcome of poisoned young men’s minds. Combine this with the environment of, ‘we live in a society which is openly hostile to men.’ Consequently, this negative concoction, resulted in disorientated and aimless young men who reflected nothing of the strong men of previous generations.
This ‘strong men’ statement was harped on numerous times throughout the book, and each time with a different angle of research, complimented by historical examples. This content was confronting but relevant, and was key for the necessary mindset and behaviour change. As the author quoted from Gene Simmons,
‘The reality is, it is a jungle out there, young men need to be better informed, and information gathering has become difficult.’ However, through information, comes preparation and this book is the tool to enable that.
Potentially, men can ignore the loud screaming social media voices, hollow of reason and logic, and instead use reality to their advantage.
Ideally, if this book shaped and motivated men to be strong men, with a purpose and disciplined work focus. With distractions such as porn mitigated, and a relationship with a woman prioritised and established. This then provides a foundation towards building a family, and would be an outstanding legacy for the author.
So, absolutely, this book is recommended to all males, and particularly young males. The awareness the author had in numerous disciplines, coupled with the fundamentals to promote masculinity and the re-education on the strong men being necessary for society, was outstanding.
Personally, this book will promote behaviour changes, with intention to learn and absorb the book’s points for future healthy discussions.
So, for the disorientated, confused, or demotivated, this book will aid in reclaiming masculinity, through a strived for, justified and necessary purpose. However, be warned, initial discomfort will be met.
As the author articulates, this discomfort arises due to a persistent, socially engineered effort to prevent a male’s purpose in life, and was detailed in various societal situations at length. Awareness to these situations created the discomfort.
Thankfully though, this book highlighted workarounds, by highlighting and mitigating the external noise, distractions, and associated mindlessness, then countered with a journey towards reclaimed manhood. Concerns were alleviated, and an educational journey underpinned by focus, demanding work, and professional dedication to manhood, was outlined.
This journey to manhood was richly detailed with relevant information, and inspiration was plentiful throughout. As was the enthusiasm towards this book being recommended to male friends and colleagues.
Another insight was the direct effect on mood and behaviours, whether influenced through famous quotes, chapter themes or the fact the author had practiced what he preached. Through his story and education, of highlighting the signal amongst the external noise, and employing laser like focus to accomplish goals, were poignant and stimulating.
The author covers such vast topics to encompass this reclaiming of man hood, and numerous themes broke down to their components.
Those themes were hard-hitting, with no nonsense. The author cut to the chase, identified the problem, then elaborated. Refreshingly, no stone remained unturned and controversial topics had precedence. This featured throughout and should resonate with most readers, particularly, in the current (2022) woke madness and agenda fuelled society.
Often, throughout the listen, emphatic head nods of agreement to the author’s observations and hard-hitting truths occurred. For instance, how the author forecasted the unbalanced societal scales due to political correctness back in 2018.
If only he could have observed the dogfight and wasteland the media the media have prioritised in recent years. RIP.
This was also reinforced through the author’s observations of the perilous age of tolerance which had infected the modern age. Indicated by these soft natured, tiptoeing, frightened and uncertain modern males. This has been disadvantageous! As the author argued, this undermined and impeded male’s proclivity to strive towards ambition, and consequently, contradicted the male, hard-wired DNA of protection and providing for their family, tribe, and community.
Crucially, none of this was heresy or emotionally based arguments. These were strengthened through research, results and proved throughout history. The historical accounts were excellent, and readers will appreciate the historical references to better understand and support their futures.
The author himself had stumbled down a similar treacherous path, then found himself but this only achieved through studying the greats and their histories. This motivated his entrepreneurial path, where he went on to owning a successful real estate business. He was a mentor to employees and thankfully shared his wisdom, as he himself wonderfully champions, ‘this book is rated R, for relevant.’
While this book was excellent for all males, young adult males will find most value. Through the author’s impressive foresight and his ability to utilise history to project the future. He detailed the current landscape, where far too many people would rather be popular than discuss the truth. Contributing to the woke filled agendas, causing only more confusion and drawbacks, and with the outcome of poisoned young men’s minds. Combine this with the environment of, ‘we live in a society which is openly hostile to men.’ Consequently, this negative concoction, resulted in disorientated and aimless young men who reflected nothing of the strong men of previous generations.
This ‘strong men’ statement was harped on numerous times throughout the book, and each time with a different angle of research, complimented by historical examples. This content was confronting but relevant, and was key for the necessary mindset and behaviour change. As the author quoted from Gene Simmons,
‘The reality is, it is a jungle out there, young men need to be better informed, and information gathering has become difficult.’ However, through information, comes preparation and this book is the tool to enable that.
Potentially, men can ignore the loud screaming social media voices, hollow of reason and logic, and instead use reality to their advantage.
Ideally, if this book shaped and motivated men to be strong men, with a purpose and disciplined work focus. With distractions such as porn mitigated, and a relationship with a woman prioritised and established. This then provides a foundation towards building a family, and would be an outstanding legacy for the author.
So, absolutely, this book is recommended to all males, and particularly young males. The awareness the author had in numerous disciplines, coupled with the fundamentals to promote masculinity and the re-education on the strong men being necessary for society, was outstanding.
Personally, this book will promote behaviour changes, with intention to learn and absorb the book’s points for future healthy discussions.
June 16, 2021
There is knowledge in here, especially for those who do not read a lot but, for me, it was nothing special. His writing style is very basic. He also has inserted way too many quotes and excertps for other's books and it makes the book way longer than he needed it to be.
Would be a much better book, in my opinion, if he shortened it by 200 pages or so and didn't repeat himself so much.
Would be a much better book, in my opinion, if he shortened it by 200 pages or so and didn't repeat himself so much.
June 12, 2021
I’ve read a lot of man-o-sphere books. This is just angrier, harsher, and poorly written. Go read Jack Donovan or Dieda instead. The author practically quotes 50% of those books anyway. (And a lot of Ayn Rand too).
November 18, 2021
This is like Jocko Wilinks on speed. Avoid. Parrots the same thing every chapter and likes to hate on zoomers so that the author can feel better.
August 21, 2024
I'm not going to lie; some parts of the book offended me, though that doesn't mean everything was wrong. Stefan repeats himself a lot throughout the book; I think it could have been shorter. I also felt there was too much unnecessary information about history and politics, which were essential to his points, I think he could have been more concise. Some of his assertions, for example, about religion and evolutionary theory, have been discussed extensively by philosophers and scientists in the past. Today, people often mock those who still debate these subjects.
Some of his conclusions broadened my perspective. One of them is how the state, when powerful enough, creates its own religion, essentially having no religion at all, as seen in communism.
"All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." This quote, along with his mentions of kings, reminded me of kings sitting alone on their thrones, resting their heads on their arms, lost in thought. I will try to incorporate this practice more into my life.
The idea that teenagers were "invented" after World War II really sums up today's situation that many university students drift aimlessly without a clear direction. There was no such middle period in the past; men used to go straight to work, learn about life, become real men, marry at a much younger age, and support their families.
The denial of the spiritual realm and the decline of human creativity is a valid concern. I need to think more about this. He also talks about the importance of clearing one's mind of all noise, emphasizing the need for time to achieve mental clarity (infinite intelligence).
"A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything." This reminds us of the importance of having values. It also reminded me that I need to define my own values and boundaries in this life.
"When value-added jobs disappear, so does the middle class." I need to research this further. It's an intriguing topic, especially when considering today's unequal distribution of wealth and the potential impact of AI on job displacement.
The loss of intergenerational knowledge from fathers to sons and mothers to daughters is evident. Schools are now tasked with raising children, often without imparting any values. Parents, especially in this era where parenting becomes abstract due to work demands, encourage this by relying on schools to take care of their kids. As a result, children grow up without values or intergenerational knowledge. "Man is the only animal that cripples his children's ability to survive". The traditional master-apprentice relationship is now one of the few ways to pass on knowledge if the individual recognizes the value of a mentor.
Some important quotes:
- "Legality is a matter of power, not justice."
- "Ideas can never be killed; they can only be fought with equal or greater ideas and truth, not with bullets, missiles, or aircraft carriers."
- "Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul."
- "Through sin, we become pure, and if you starve the demons long enough, they will die, and you shall live."
Reading the final, knowing that he had passed away, moved me deeply. In reference to this I want to end with my favorite quote from the book:
"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones." ― Marcus Aurelius
Some of his conclusions broadened my perspective. One of them is how the state, when powerful enough, creates its own religion, essentially having no religion at all, as seen in communism.
"All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." This quote, along with his mentions of kings, reminded me of kings sitting alone on their thrones, resting their heads on their arms, lost in thought. I will try to incorporate this practice more into my life.
The idea that teenagers were "invented" after World War II really sums up today's situation that many university students drift aimlessly without a clear direction. There was no such middle period in the past; men used to go straight to work, learn about life, become real men, marry at a much younger age, and support their families.
The denial of the spiritual realm and the decline of human creativity is a valid concern. I need to think more about this. He also talks about the importance of clearing one's mind of all noise, emphasizing the need for time to achieve mental clarity (infinite intelligence).
"A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything." This reminds us of the importance of having values. It also reminded me that I need to define my own values and boundaries in this life.
"When value-added jobs disappear, so does the middle class." I need to research this further. It's an intriguing topic, especially when considering today's unequal distribution of wealth and the potential impact of AI on job displacement.
The loss of intergenerational knowledge from fathers to sons and mothers to daughters is evident. Schools are now tasked with raising children, often without imparting any values. Parents, especially in this era where parenting becomes abstract due to work demands, encourage this by relying on schools to take care of their kids. As a result, children grow up without values or intergenerational knowledge. "Man is the only animal that cripples his children's ability to survive". The traditional master-apprentice relationship is now one of the few ways to pass on knowledge if the individual recognizes the value of a mentor.
Some important quotes:
- "Legality is a matter of power, not justice."
- "Ideas can never be killed; they can only be fought with equal or greater ideas and truth, not with bullets, missiles, or aircraft carriers."
- "Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul."
- "Through sin, we become pure, and if you starve the demons long enough, they will die, and you shall live."
Reading the final, knowing that he had passed away, moved me deeply. In reference to this I want to end with my favorite quote from the book:
"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones." ― Marcus Aurelius
October 24, 2024
Thirty-year-olds are the most annoying to me. When you’re in your thirties, you KNOW you know everything.
— Don McMillan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffg-H...)
This book is a boring, repetitive, incoherent rumbling with little actionable advice. The author was only 31, but the book feels like listening to a grumpy old man complaining that things aren’t as straight as they used to be. I gave up after a few chapters.
First, I disagree with the premise. While “strong men create good times” sounds compelling, little data supports it. There are plenty of examples of strong men creating chaos and war, such as Lucius Cornelius Sulla paving the way for the demise of the Roman Republic. And I doubt that the post-war world was a great time to live, at least outside the United States.
Second, central ideas are poorly elaborated or simply wrong:
* A real man should work hard every day of his life. What a great way to burn out.
* Religion is good, and it helped the Western world get out of the dark ages. How about Enlightenment?
* The human brain is convincing evidence of intelligent design. What?
* The extra seven dimensions in the highly speculative string theory are spiritual. I guess the author forgot to consult with physicists.
And the list goes on and on.
Lastly, the quintessence of advice is to man up and embrace the suck. I don’t need a six-hundred-page book for that. There are much better books on how to be more productive and masculine with clear, actionable, working advice: Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success, The Masculine in Relationship: A Blueprint for Inspiring the Trust, Lust, and Devotion of a Strong Woman, The Value of Others: Understanding the Economic Model of Relationships to Get (and Keep) More of What You Want in the Sexual Marketplace, etc.
December 9, 2022
I have read the book in its entirety without skipping a single chapter and I have to say, I was intrigued and inspired by the concepts explained in the book until the author started to make outrageous claims about Islam and Muhammad (pbuh).
Before you see this as a rant of an intolerant Muslim who bases his arguments in emotions, I encourage you to read further, till the end, as I read the book, in its entirety.
As a 31 year old "strong man" who claims to base his findings in logic and reasoning, the bare minimum that the author could have done is at least read the biography of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He could've done the common courtesy of exploring the Quran and shariah law on his own before making claims about Islam based on what *drumroll* the American media has fed him through movies.
He talks about how the enemy uses subversion tactics (quoting Yuri) through media, and he himself quotes movies like Fight Club (which is indeed a great movie). He doesn't realize that he himself is a victim of western media subversion. I highly encourage everyone (including the author) to read Reel Bad Arabs, which details how Hollywood vilified a group of people.
Moreover, the Shariah Law, as the author calls it, has no ruling to throw acid on women's faces to discipline them (which he would've known if he actually explored the topic like a reasonable and logical man he claims to be). This is not only preposterous and miles away from the teachings of Islam, but also contradicts the basic principles of humanity.
Lastly, the author seems to have no idea about the history of world religions as a whole. While I understand that the wants the men of his country to be strong enough to defend themselves and their country in case of a barbaric invasion, the level of desperation exhibited at places in the book is hilarious. Islam not only succeeds Christianity and Judaism in the chronology, it also honors and respects all their respective personalities (which includes but is not limited to Moses, Mary and Jesus) but also promotes a message of peace. I also encourage you to pick up the book Muhammad by Martin Lings to read more about him. Being a Muslim does not make you a terrorist, being a terrorist makes you a terrorist.
I tried to root all of my points in logic and reasoning, as suggested by the author, without taking anything to the heart. I encourage everyone to explore things on their own, without taking anything at face value.
Before you see this as a rant of an intolerant Muslim who bases his arguments in emotions, I encourage you to read further, till the end, as I read the book, in its entirety.
As a 31 year old "strong man" who claims to base his findings in logic and reasoning, the bare minimum that the author could have done is at least read the biography of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He could've done the common courtesy of exploring the Quran and shariah law on his own before making claims about Islam based on what *drumroll* the American media has fed him through movies.
He talks about how the enemy uses subversion tactics (quoting Yuri) through media, and he himself quotes movies like Fight Club (which is indeed a great movie). He doesn't realize that he himself is a victim of western media subversion. I highly encourage everyone (including the author) to read Reel Bad Arabs, which details how Hollywood vilified a group of people.
Moreover, the Shariah Law, as the author calls it, has no ruling to throw acid on women's faces to discipline them (which he would've known if he actually explored the topic like a reasonable and logical man he claims to be). This is not only preposterous and miles away from the teachings of Islam, but also contradicts the basic principles of humanity.
Lastly, the author seems to have no idea about the history of world religions as a whole. While I understand that the wants the men of his country to be strong enough to defend themselves and their country in case of a barbaric invasion, the level of desperation exhibited at places in the book is hilarious. Islam not only succeeds Christianity and Judaism in the chronology, it also honors and respects all their respective personalities (which includes but is not limited to Moses, Mary and Jesus) but also promotes a message of peace. I also encourage you to pick up the book Muhammad by Martin Lings to read more about him. Being a Muslim does not make you a terrorist, being a terrorist makes you a terrorist.
I tried to root all of my points in logic and reasoning, as suggested by the author, without taking anything to the heart. I encourage everyone to explore things on their own, without taking anything at face value.
May 19, 2024
What a disappointment.
Does this have some good ideas? Yes.
Do I agree with many of the things the author says? Yes.
Is western civilization in decline, particularly in the front of morals and character? Yes.
Are men becoming weaker? Absolutely
However, this is hardly the solution.
First of all, it reads more like a blog written by a 17 year old whose main sources are a couple of redpill forums than a book. The author himself states that he wrote this in "11 days after fasting in the jungle of Costa Rica". Yeah, that's cool and all but you just can't write a 600+ page book in 11 days and expect it to be well written. That's not how it works.
It lacked structure, repeated itself, lacked sources... The amount of quotes this book had was ridiculous, and I honestly didn't find any new idea or information in here, since it's just a big mix of what wiser men said.
Also, what the fuck is up with the pictures at the beginning of each chapter? I couldn't take this book out because many of them were straight up pornographic.
The author also made some ridiculous statements, such as that pyramids were built by a "superior being", denying Darwinian evolution and staying that Hitler was a strong man.
The first part of the book, he just constantly asks the reader (almost as if he cared way too much) to please not get offended. Ok, I got it the first time!
He also rumbles a lot about politics, why Trump is the greatest man alive and it honestly surprised me that he didn't say the White House's staff are reptilians.
That being said, the book did have some good ideas (most of them taken from others, but whatever) and I agree with a lot of what the author states. There is truly an epidemic of "manliness" in Western society and our values are degenerating more every day, our sexuality out of control and the extreme left's (wokes) influence increasing.
Some of the knowledge contained in here could indeed help the reader become a stronger, more masculine man, and I think it's definitely better than the self-esteem and feminist ideologies we are being pushed constantly with.
I believe this book had huge potential, and it's a shame the author didn't work harder on this and spent longer writing it.
Does this have some good ideas? Yes.
Do I agree with many of the things the author says? Yes.
Is western civilization in decline, particularly in the front of morals and character? Yes.
Are men becoming weaker? Absolutely
However, this is hardly the solution.
First of all, it reads more like a blog written by a 17 year old whose main sources are a couple of redpill forums than a book. The author himself states that he wrote this in "11 days after fasting in the jungle of Costa Rica". Yeah, that's cool and all but you just can't write a 600+ page book in 11 days and expect it to be well written. That's not how it works.
It lacked structure, repeated itself, lacked sources... The amount of quotes this book had was ridiculous, and I honestly didn't find any new idea or information in here, since it's just a big mix of what wiser men said.
Also, what the fuck is up with the pictures at the beginning of each chapter? I couldn't take this book out because many of them were straight up pornographic.
The author also made some ridiculous statements, such as that pyramids were built by a "superior being", denying Darwinian evolution and staying that Hitler was a strong man.
The first part of the book, he just constantly asks the reader (almost as if he cared way too much) to please not get offended. Ok, I got it the first time!
He also rumbles a lot about politics, why Trump is the greatest man alive and it honestly surprised me that he didn't say the White House's staff are reptilians.
That being said, the book did have some good ideas (most of them taken from others, but whatever) and I agree with a lot of what the author states. There is truly an epidemic of "manliness" in Western society and our values are degenerating more every day, our sexuality out of control and the extreme left's (wokes) influence increasing.
Some of the knowledge contained in here could indeed help the reader become a stronger, more masculine man, and I think it's definitely better than the self-esteem and feminist ideologies we are being pushed constantly with.
I believe this book had huge potential, and it's a shame the author didn't work harder on this and spent longer writing it.
October 26, 2022
Summation - You don't have to be an asshole to be a "real" man, but hold on while I drop trou, spread my cheeks, and tell you how to do it.
I learned my lesson. I got this one without looking into it. And I'm sorry I wasted my time and money. I get that maybe this guy was successful in business. But that seems to be where his credibility ends. His book is horribly written, poorly edited (if at all), contradictory, and naïve. The author seems to believe that if men just stopped masturbating, threw away their TV's, didn't buy from Starbucks, quit eating bacon, and would revert back to the 50's all would be well. Of course it's not that simple, but he really struggled making a coherent argument. And I have difficult time accepting his premise when much of it is untested in his own life. He bashes his father over and over (quite a respectable and manly thing to do) and from what I can tell has no family of his own. That's fine, but it makes what he proposes about being a real man in that realm a bit shaky. Not that he can't speak to something he knows little about and get it right, but this one area is exemplary of the entire book. It comes across as just a lot of talk and never really goes beyond the surface. If I had to guess from what he shared of his own life, he could probably benefit from a safe space and a good hug. Seems that he has much to work through in finding out what a real man is all about. And I don't say that to be mean. It's sad really.
This book is a hastily written stream of consciousness that connects a bunch of interesting statements from a handful of other books that he may or may not have read. In fact, the best thing I got from this book was a list of books that I'm fairly confident are much better than this one.
Not to say that the content of this one (other than what was quoted from everyone else) is void of value. He has some decent ideas wrapped up in all the stupid shit. But how much shit must one consume to get that bit of undigested corn?
Don't waste your time.
I learned my lesson. I got this one without looking into it. And I'm sorry I wasted my time and money. I get that maybe this guy was successful in business. But that seems to be where his credibility ends. His book is horribly written, poorly edited (if at all), contradictory, and naïve. The author seems to believe that if men just stopped masturbating, threw away their TV's, didn't buy from Starbucks, quit eating bacon, and would revert back to the 50's all would be well. Of course it's not that simple, but he really struggled making a coherent argument. And I have difficult time accepting his premise when much of it is untested in his own life. He bashes his father over and over (quite a respectable and manly thing to do) and from what I can tell has no family of his own. That's fine, but it makes what he proposes about being a real man in that realm a bit shaky. Not that he can't speak to something he knows little about and get it right, but this one area is exemplary of the entire book. It comes across as just a lot of talk and never really goes beyond the surface. If I had to guess from what he shared of his own life, he could probably benefit from a safe space and a good hug. Seems that he has much to work through in finding out what a real man is all about. And I don't say that to be mean. It's sad really.
This book is a hastily written stream of consciousness that connects a bunch of interesting statements from a handful of other books that he may or may not have read. In fact, the best thing I got from this book was a list of books that I'm fairly confident are much better than this one.
Not to say that the content of this one (other than what was quoted from everyone else) is void of value. He has some decent ideas wrapped up in all the stupid shit. But how much shit must one consume to get that bit of undigested corn?
Don't waste your time.
March 25, 2023
Entertaining read.
Although I sympathize with some of the author's ideas for entirely different reasons, the entire scientifical foundation of this book (including data, history, philosophy, etc.) is 2/10 at best. Another critique is that some issues portrayed in this book are only marginally existent and even the author is a victim of media amplifying certain issues (e.g. 1 case in 20.000.000 cases being portrayed as a norm and not an exception).
My point is that by no means you should read this book and go out there arguing with other people about how valid are those ideas, try to impose them, or even try to criticize the world based on this book's perspective. This outlook on social evolution is only 1 idea among other 1000+ out there that determined how we got here in history. Books on history, philosophy, and economics could destroy many arguments presented by the author.
But, nevertheless, this book could certainly be viewed as a perspective that may help many men find meaning in their lives if they lack one (read: self-improvement book) thus overall I give it a 3/5 because it definitely accomplishes this purpose.
Among others, I'll echo another reviewer's point that this book may be valuable if you don't read much, otherwise, if you do, you'll spot that it's extremely superficial, simple, and flawed in such a degree that certain chapters become extremely painful to read.
Although I sympathize with some of the author's ideas for entirely different reasons, the entire scientifical foundation of this book (including data, history, philosophy, etc.) is 2/10 at best. Another critique is that some issues portrayed in this book are only marginally existent and even the author is a victim of media amplifying certain issues (e.g. 1 case in 20.000.000 cases being portrayed as a norm and not an exception).
My point is that by no means you should read this book and go out there arguing with other people about how valid are those ideas, try to impose them, or even try to criticize the world based on this book's perspective. This outlook on social evolution is only 1 idea among other 1000+ out there that determined how we got here in history. Books on history, philosophy, and economics could destroy many arguments presented by the author.
But, nevertheless, this book could certainly be viewed as a perspective that may help many men find meaning in their lives if they lack one (read: self-improvement book) thus overall I give it a 3/5 because it definitely accomplishes this purpose.
Among others, I'll echo another reviewer's point that this book may be valuable if you don't read much, otherwise, if you do, you'll spot that it's extremely superficial, simple, and flawed in such a degree that certain chapters become extremely painful to read.
March 27, 2024
The author share aspects of his own journey in how this book came about. Specifically, at 17 he saw a weak father divorced by his mother. The book itself was written in 11 days following an 18 day fasting retreat in back woods of Central America. This text combines history of the great civilizations of Rome, Ottoman, Greek, British and currently America. To me the cliche "Those who fail to study history repeat history" comes to mind. This books talks about an 80 year cycle where history often repeats. The cycle is as follows: Hard Time create Strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Finally, weak men create hard times. While each empire has survived for greater that 80 years one could say the 80 year is a micro cycle larger cycle,i.e. the rise and fall of an Empire. This text also touches on psychology, sociology and philosophy of the various times. This book is about man and how he reacts and responds in each period what happened to weak men (often put to death), women (raped, impregnated and enslave, thus creating new society) and kids (killed or slaved) as these changes occur. Finishing the book he touches on the decline of America as part of civilization ongoing repeat and states the faces change but the story stays the same. While it was a very long read, as someone who likes history it was very informative.
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