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Secret Men's Business, Manhood: The Big Gig.
This is the most urgently needed book of our time.
Where Steve Biddulph's best-selling Raising Boys talks to parents and teachers, Secret Men's Business talks to young men themselves - in the way that only John Marsden can. It sets out, in direct, honest language, the things every young man needs to know...and the things young men aren't being told.
Not just the obvious. Not just the basic. As John Marsden
"In one way all you have to do to become a man is to stay alive. Physically you'll grow into a man. But to become a man who is mature, independent, responsible and wise, you'll need to do more than just have birthdays."
Young men who read this book will learn how to be strong, how to be honest, how to confront their fears. They'll understand how to deal with men and women, parents and teachers, male friends and female friends. They'll get a sense of the integrity that every true man needs.
They'll find ways to resolve problems without being destructive or self-destructive.
They'll have their questions about sex answered...in clear, straightforward language.
With Tomorrow, When the War Began, John Marsden wrote the most powerful novel for teenagers ever published in this country. Now he has written the most powerful non-fiction work ever made available to young men.
Where Steve Biddulph's best-selling Raising Boys talks to parents and teachers, Secret Men's Business talks to young men themselves - in the way that only John Marsden can. It sets out, in direct, honest language, the things every young man needs to know...and the things young men aren't being told.
Not just the obvious. Not just the basic. As John Marsden
"In one way all you have to do to become a man is to stay alive. Physically you'll grow into a man. But to become a man who is mature, independent, responsible and wise, you'll need to do more than just have birthdays."
Young men who read this book will learn how to be strong, how to be honest, how to confront their fears. They'll understand how to deal with men and women, parents and teachers, male friends and female friends. They'll get a sense of the integrity that every true man needs.
They'll find ways to resolve problems without being destructive or self-destructive.
They'll have their questions about sex answered...in clear, straightforward language.
With Tomorrow, When the War Began, John Marsden wrote the most powerful novel for teenagers ever published in this country. Now he has written the most powerful non-fiction work ever made available to young men.
- GenresNonfiction
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
4 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
John Marsden
90 books1,955 followersThere is more than one author with this name in the database, see f.e. John Marsden.
John Marsden was an Australian writer and school principal. He wrote more than 40 books in his career and his books have been translated into many languages. He was especially known for his young adult novel Tomorrow, When the War Began, which began a series of seven books.
Marsden began writing for children while working as a teacher, and had his first book, So Much to Tell You, published in 1987. In 2006, he started an alternative school, Candlebark School, and reduced his writing to focus on teaching and running the school. In 2016, he opened the arts-focused secondary school, Alice Miller School. Both schools are in the Macedon Ranges.
John Marsden was an Australian writer and school principal. He wrote more than 40 books in his career and his books have been translated into many languages. He was especially known for his young adult novel Tomorrow, When the War Began, which began a series of seven books.
Marsden began writing for children while working as a teacher, and had his first book, So Much to Tell You, published in 1987. In 2006, he started an alternative school, Candlebark School, and reduced his writing to focus on teaching and running the school. In 2016, he opened the arts-focused secondary school, Alice Miller School. Both schools are in the Macedon Ranges.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 20, 2017
Whoa, did this book have an incredible impact on me as a kid.
When you're a teenage boy, there are so many things you want to ask about being a bloke. You want to ask your dad, your brothers, your uncles, even your mates - but you don't, because this is a verboten topic. You're expected to know how to become a man without ever talking about it - because to talk about being a man means you must still be a boy, and the last thing a teenage boy wants to be called is a boy and not a man.
I remember finding Secret Men's Business in the town library and being fascinated that a man had actually sat down and written all of this for us boys to just pick up and learn what we wanted to know. What an absolute champion. Marsden's book tackled a wide range of topics, from the emotional to the sexual and highly visceral - the stuff you really couldn't talk about with your dad. It was a thrilling, captivating read and it hit the mark.
My most vivid memory of the book is of hiding it. I don't think my parents or anyone else knew I was reading it. I only read it in bed, after everyone in the house was asleep. It was hidden in a secret place in my bedroom. In fact, I hid it where I hid my porn magazines, and I would have probably had the same reaction if either item had been unwittingly found. There was a shame that came with reading this - because I felt like I should have already known it all: that manly wisdom should arrive via osmosis or telepathy, not from a book.
But despite that, I was still compelled to read this book. I had to know all the secret stuff that nobody talked about being a man. And I felt better once I'd finished it. I was less insecure; more confident. This book helped shape me as a man. It also helped shape me as a writer. I wanted to incorporate some of these themes, some of this masculine wisdom, into my fiction - if I could find a way to do it well, of course.
John Marsden found a niche with this excellent book, and I'm so glad, because it changed my life for the better.
When you're a teenage boy, there are so many things you want to ask about being a bloke. You want to ask your dad, your brothers, your uncles, even your mates - but you don't, because this is a verboten topic. You're expected to know how to become a man without ever talking about it - because to talk about being a man means you must still be a boy, and the last thing a teenage boy wants to be called is a boy and not a man.
I remember finding Secret Men's Business in the town library and being fascinated that a man had actually sat down and written all of this for us boys to just pick up and learn what we wanted to know. What an absolute champion. Marsden's book tackled a wide range of topics, from the emotional to the sexual and highly visceral - the stuff you really couldn't talk about with your dad. It was a thrilling, captivating read and it hit the mark.
My most vivid memory of the book is of hiding it. I don't think my parents or anyone else knew I was reading it. I only read it in bed, after everyone in the house was asleep. It was hidden in a secret place in my bedroom. In fact, I hid it where I hid my porn magazines, and I would have probably had the same reaction if either item had been unwittingly found. There was a shame that came with reading this - because I felt like I should have already known it all: that manly wisdom should arrive via osmosis or telepathy, not from a book.
But despite that, I was still compelled to read this book. I had to know all the secret stuff that nobody talked about being a man. And I felt better once I'd finished it. I was less insecure; more confident. This book helped shape me as a man. It also helped shape me as a writer. I wanted to incorporate some of these themes, some of this masculine wisdom, into my fiction - if I could find a way to do it well, of course.
John Marsden found a niche with this excellent book, and I'm so glad, because it changed my life for the better.
July 28, 2008
I suppose I probably shouldn't have read this one, being a girl and all; I enjoyed nonetheless!
February 3, 2017
Great book for any female who wants to understand male relationships
September 4, 2012
I'm not a fan of Marsden generally, and his vision of manhood is a tad glibly-Strine for my liking, but on the whole I thought this an interesting read and one I am quite happy to pass on to certain young men of my acquaintance. Most valuable for its insistence on taking responsibility for one's own behaviour, asserting oneself when external conditions are unsatisfactory (e.g. not accepting authority at face value) and the recognition that critical examination of a parent's behaviour and loving them are not mutually exclusive. Treats the reader as an intelligent being worthy of high expectations - nowhere near common enough in today's Australia!
May 6, 2010
A very daring piece I must say, and an altogether very important one at that. I am surprised at his total conviction that his advice is rock solid despite being one of very few books written as guidance to adolescent boys, which leads me to question at least some of the content. But do not let this detract from it being a fantastic book that indeed should be read by any and all young males.
June 17, 2019
At times I was frustrated by the banality of what he was saying and was impatient to move on, especially the section where he goes into explicit detail about every aspect of puberty & explains semen in great detail, but there were also some profound & incredibly practical passages, especially early on.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews