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Dangerous Books for Boys #1
O Livro Perigoso para Garotos
Equal parts droll and gorgeous nostalgia book and heartfelt plea for a renewed sense of adventure in the lives of boys and men, Conn and Hal Iggulden's The Dangerous Book for Boys became a mammoth bestseller in the United Kingdom in 2006. Adapted, in moderation, for American customs in this edition (cricket is gone, rugby remains; conkers are out, Navajo Code Talkers in), The Dangerous Book is a guide book for dads as well as their sons, as a reminder of lore and technique that have not yet been completely lost to the digital age. Recall the adventures of Scott of the Antarctic and the Battle of the Somme, relearn how to palm a coin, tan a skin, and, most charmingly, wrap a package in brown paper and string. The book's ambitions are both modest and winningly optimistic: you get the sense that by learning how to place a splint or write in invisible ink, a boy might be prepared for anything, even girls (which warrant a small but wise chapter of their own).
Conn and Hal Iggulden are two brothers who have not forgotten what it was like to be boys. Conn taught for many years before becoming one of the most admired and popular young historical novelists with his Emperor series, based on the life of Julius Caesar, and his newly embarked series on Genghis Khan, while Hal is a theater director. We asked Conn about their collaboration.
Amazon.com: It's difficult to describe what a phenomenon The Dangerous Book for Boys was in the UK last year. When I would check the bestseller list on our sister site, Amazon.co.uk, there would be, along with your book, which spent much of the year at the top of the list, a half-dozen apparent knockoff books of similar boy knowledge. Clearly, you tapped into something big. What do you think it was?
Conn and Hal Iggulden are two brothers who have not forgotten what it was like to be boys. Conn taught for many years before becoming one of the most admired and popular young historical novelists with his Emperor series, based on the life of Julius Caesar, and his newly embarked series on Genghis Khan, while Hal is a theater director. We asked Conn about their collaboration.
Amazon.com: It's difficult to describe what a phenomenon The Dangerous Book for Boys was in the UK last year. When I would check the bestseller list on our sister site, Amazon.co.uk, there would be, along with your book, which spent much of the year at the top of the list, a half-dozen apparent knockoff books of similar boy knowledge. Clearly, you tapped into something big. What do you think it was?
[image]Iggulden: In a word, fathers. I am one myself and I think we've become aware that the whole "health and safety" overprotective culture isn't doing our sons any favors. Boys need to learn about risk. They need to fall off things occasionally, or--and this is the important bit--they'll take worse risks on their own. If we do away with challenging playgrounds and cancel school trips for fear of being sued, we don't end up with safer boys--we end up with them walking on train tracks. In the long run, it's not safe at all to keep our boys in the house with a Playstation. It's not good for their health or their safety.
You only have to push a boy on a swing to see how much enjoys the thrill of danger. It's hard-wired. Remove any opportunity to test his courage and they'll find ways to test themselves that will be seriously dangerous for everyone around them. I think of it like playing the lottery--someone has to say "Look, you won't win--and your children won't be hurt. Relax. It won't be you."
I think that's the core of the book's success. It isn't just a collection of things to do. The heroic stories alone are something we haven't had for too long. It isn't about climbing Everest, but it is an attitude, a philosophy for fathers and sons. Our institutions are too wrapped up in terror over being sued--so we have to do things with them ourselves. This book isn't a bad place to start.
As for knockoff books--great. They'll give my son something to read that doesn't involve him learning a dull moral lesson of some kind--just enjoying an adventure or learning skills and crafts so that he has a feeling of competence and confidence--just as we have.
Amazon.com: You made some changes for the U.S. edition, and I for one am sorry that you have removed the section on conkers, if only because it's such a lovely and mysterious word. What are (or what is) conkers?
Iggulden: Horse chestnuts strung on a shoelace and knocked against one another until they shatter. In the entire history of the world, no one has ever been hurt by a conker, but it's still been banned by some British schools, just in case. Another school banned paper airplanes. Honestly, it's enough to make you weep, if I did that sort of thing, which I try not to. Reading Jane Austen is still allowed, however.
Amazon.com: What knowledge did you decide was important to add for American boys? I notice in both editions you have an excellent and useful section on table football, as played with coins. Is paper football strictly an American pastime? I'm not sure I could have gotten through the fourth grade without it.
Iggulden: I like knowing the details of battles, so Gettysburg and the Alamo had to go in, along with the Gettysburg address, stickball, state capitals, U.S. mountains, American trees, insects, U.S. historical timelines, and a lot of others. Navajo code talkers of WWII is a great chapter. It probably helps that I am a huge fan of...
319 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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April 18, 2015
"[men and boys] may conquer different worlds when they grow up, but they'll still want these stories for themselves and for their sons." ← The fuck?
What I fail to understand is this : Why in the world this book is aimed at boys?
It's by no means a real review because I only skimmed it, and I'm not sure I'll come back to it. Therefore I can't judge if the historical/scientific facts are accurate or not. I'm not saying that all that we find in it isn't interesting for children . That's not the point here.
Call me crazy. Call me delusional. Call me stupid, while you're at it.
But.
To me this kind of book is sexism in disguise. Why? Because it perpetuates the stereotypes which say that science, history, adventure is for boys and for boys only (and their dads). The fact is, I work with children every day and I'm sick of it. Sick to see boys don't dare to play with a doll because they are mocked. Sick to see girls don't dare to say that they love science because that's not for them.
Of course the advices they give to boys about girls are kind. Of course. They say that boys have to treat girls with respect. But they remain so fucking patronizing, I'm drowning in it.
"By this, we do not mean the physical differences, more the fact that they remain unimpressed by your mastery of game involving wizards, or your understanding of Morse Code."
YOU DON'T SAY?!
Finally, my bit of advice for boys who read this : They're explaining that if a boy sees a girl who is in need of help to lift something, he has to do this : "Approach the object and greet her with a cheerful smile, whilst surreptitiously testing the weight of the object. If you find you can lift it, go ahead. If you can't, try sitting on it and engaging her in conversation." ← Don't do that. That's stupid. I won't FORGET my box if you sit on it. WTF?!
What I fail to understand is this : Why in the world this book is aimed at boys?
It's by no means a real review because I only skimmed it, and I'm not sure I'll come back to it. Therefore I can't judge if the historical/scientific facts are accurate or not. I'm not saying that all that we find in it isn't interesting for children . That's not the point here.
Call me crazy. Call me delusional. Call me stupid, while you're at it.
But.
To me this kind of book is sexism in disguise. Why? Because it perpetuates the stereotypes which say that science, history, adventure is for boys and for boys only (and their dads). The fact is, I work with children every day and I'm sick of it. Sick to see boys don't dare to play with a doll because they are mocked. Sick to see girls don't dare to say that they love science because that's not for them.
Of course the advices they give to boys about girls are kind. Of course. They say that boys have to treat girls with respect. But they remain so fucking patronizing, I'm drowning in it.
"By this, we do not mean the physical differences, more the fact that they remain unimpressed by your mastery of game involving wizards, or your understanding of Morse Code."
YOU DON'T SAY?!
Finally, my bit of advice for boys who read this : They're explaining that if a boy sees a girl who is in need of help to lift something, he has to do this : "Approach the object and greet her with a cheerful smile, whilst surreptitiously testing the weight of the object. If you find you can lift it, go ahead. If you can't, try sitting on it and engaging her in conversation." ← Don't do that. That's stupid. I won't FORGET my box if you sit on it. WTF?!
July 5, 2007
Boys will be boys, but only if they get outside where they belong and off the God damned Ritalin.
Boys aren't girls. They're genetically different, and need to be treated differently and raised differently. Boys like bugs and dirt clods and farts, but they also need tales of loyalty and courage and honor and adventure and, yes, violence. They compete, and physically. They like to blow shit up. They like systems that are clear and cut-and-dried. They like straightforward thinking. That's why they invented math and science and railroads and stuff.
"The Dangerous Book for Boys," which recalls the boys' how-to manuals of the early 20th century, is a shameless -- what's to be ashamed of, after all? -- celebration of boyness. Among the gems boys will find here:
- Every boy needs a Swiss army knife, matches and a magnifying glass
- How to shoot, skin, cook and eat a rabbit and tan its skin
- What maritime signal flags mean
- A chapter on artillery
- Famous battles and the strategies that won them
- How to treat girls
- First aid tips
- Identifying cloud formations
- How a sailboat sails against the wind
- How to make a battery out a roll of quarters
- How to skip stones across a pond
- Lessons in Navajo code-talking
- Good grammar
Fifty years of feminization -- notice I didn't say feminism, which in its finest form is quite a different thing that simply seeks to redress a few ancient wrongs and assure women enjoy the same rights as men -- have attempted to strip boys of their essential boyness, and with disastrous effect. It's no wonder that losing wars is now considered acceptable, even inevitable when we live in a culture that insists that every kid on a bike has got to wear a helmet, of all things, and that rambunctious boys are put on drugs to "help" them "manage" their emotions (and in classrooms where kids get only a few minutes of recess a day, for crying out loud); where TV is used as a surrogate for parenthood and computer games act as stand-ins for real, hands-on learning.
We've become a civilization of pussies and cowards, coddled by an elite of by limp-wristed "effeminazis" of both genders.
That's what makes "The Dangerous Book for Boys" so refreshing. While aimed at boys, it's really a book about manhood and about what kind of men we want to be. It's not the slobbering, pizza-stuffing, slobovian "manliness" of the sort exhibited on "The Man Show" and in ads for cheap beer. It's the old fashioned type of manhood; the type the prizes actions with honor and adventure tempered by discipline -- with a lot of laughter and a few nasty scrapes along the way. And it's a damned fine book, one you'll enjoy whether you're a boy or a tom-boy or a just a girl who likes real boys.
Boys aren't girls. They're genetically different, and need to be treated differently and raised differently. Boys like bugs and dirt clods and farts, but they also need tales of loyalty and courage and honor and adventure and, yes, violence. They compete, and physically. They like to blow shit up. They like systems that are clear and cut-and-dried. They like straightforward thinking. That's why they invented math and science and railroads and stuff.
"The Dangerous Book for Boys," which recalls the boys' how-to manuals of the early 20th century, is a shameless -- what's to be ashamed of, after all? -- celebration of boyness. Among the gems boys will find here:
- Every boy needs a Swiss army knife, matches and a magnifying glass
- How to shoot, skin, cook and eat a rabbit and tan its skin
- What maritime signal flags mean
- A chapter on artillery
- Famous battles and the strategies that won them
- How to treat girls
- First aid tips
- Identifying cloud formations
- How a sailboat sails against the wind
- How to make a battery out a roll of quarters
- How to skip stones across a pond
- Lessons in Navajo code-talking
- Good grammar
Fifty years of feminization -- notice I didn't say feminism, which in its finest form is quite a different thing that simply seeks to redress a few ancient wrongs and assure women enjoy the same rights as men -- have attempted to strip boys of their essential boyness, and with disastrous effect. It's no wonder that losing wars is now considered acceptable, even inevitable when we live in a culture that insists that every kid on a bike has got to wear a helmet, of all things, and that rambunctious boys are put on drugs to "help" them "manage" their emotions (and in classrooms where kids get only a few minutes of recess a day, for crying out loud); where TV is used as a surrogate for parenthood and computer games act as stand-ins for real, hands-on learning.
We've become a civilization of pussies and cowards, coddled by an elite of by limp-wristed "effeminazis" of both genders.
That's what makes "The Dangerous Book for Boys" so refreshing. While aimed at boys, it's really a book about manhood and about what kind of men we want to be. It's not the slobbering, pizza-stuffing, slobovian "manliness" of the sort exhibited on "The Man Show" and in ads for cheap beer. It's the old fashioned type of manhood; the type the prizes actions with honor and adventure tempered by discipline -- with a lot of laughter and a few nasty scrapes along the way. And it's a damned fine book, one you'll enjoy whether you're a boy or a tom-boy or a just a girl who likes real boys.
September 8, 2007
I bought this for my little brother's eleventh birthday. I knew my parents were finally breaking down and buying him video games, so I thought this would be an appropriate gift. Poor kid, it was already well-thumbed by the time I finally got around to giving it to him. Yes, The Dangerous Book for Boys can certainly be enjoyed by twenty-something girls, too.
It's crazy informative. Do you know how to skin a rabbit? I do now. Or how to build a go cart? Race ya. Or what went down at the Battle of Thermopylae? Or what an objective pronoun is? See? All very useful information. It's also pretty darn funny. It advises young boys that when they're older, flowers really do work with girls. But it warns not to try it now--they'll just look awkward. You get the idea.
Basically, this is the best book ever, whether you're a boy with a long summer ahead of him, or a grown-up who remembers what those summers were like.
Please buy it for every kid you know.
It's crazy informative. Do you know how to skin a rabbit? I do now. Or how to build a go cart? Race ya. Or what went down at the Battle of Thermopylae? Or what an objective pronoun is? See? All very useful information. It's also pretty darn funny. It advises young boys that when they're older, flowers really do work with girls. But it warns not to try it now--they'll just look awkward. You get the idea.
Basically, this is the best book ever, whether you're a boy with a long summer ahead of him, or a grown-up who remembers what those summers were like.
Please buy it for every kid you know.
July 6, 2021
Un libro bellissimo che diventerà il mio regalo per compleanni/natale a tutti i ragazzi adolescenti che conosco.
Vi lascio le immagini, spero si vedano, dell'indice perché ci sono delle chicche meravigliose
Cosa mi è piaciuto di più?
1) tutte le parti che mi hanno insegnato a fare qualcosa di "manuale": costruire arco e frecce, costruire una casa sull'albero o la manutenzione della bici
2) mi ha fatto sorridere il capitolo sulle ragazze e i consigli che il libro fornisce (tra cui: lavati! 😂)
3) Ho scoperto molte cose su geografia, storia, letteratura, fai da te, sport e molto altro, di cui non ricordavo di aver fatto a scuola e/o che sicuramente a scuola non ci dicono per il poco tempo a disposizione. Una vera miniera di informazioni!
4) Ho adorato i 10 libri/10 film/ le 10 canzoni che un vero uomo deve conoscere. Non ve li dico 🙃 perché vi consiglio vivamente di prendere e tenere questo libro nella vostra libreria.
Posso solo dire una cosa: leggetelo, ma soprattutto regalatelo!
Vi lascio le immagini, spero si vedano, dell'indice perché ci sono delle chicche meravigliose
Cosa mi è piaciuto di più?
1) tutte le parti che mi hanno insegnato a fare qualcosa di "manuale": costruire arco e frecce, costruire una casa sull'albero o la manutenzione della bici
2) mi ha fatto sorridere il capitolo sulle ragazze e i consigli che il libro fornisce (tra cui: lavati! 😂)
3) Ho scoperto molte cose su geografia, storia, letteratura, fai da te, sport e molto altro, di cui non ricordavo di aver fatto a scuola e/o che sicuramente a scuola non ci dicono per il poco tempo a disposizione. Una vera miniera di informazioni!
4) Ho adorato i 10 libri/10 film/ le 10 canzoni che un vero uomo deve conoscere. Non ve li dico 🙃 perché vi consiglio vivamente di prendere e tenere questo libro nella vostra libreria.
Posso solo dire una cosa: leggetelo, ma soprattutto regalatelo!
December 9, 2007
I finished The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden.
I had a couple reasons for picking up this book. First, it’s a relatively new release, but it’s made to look all old and retro/cool. The ‘fancy’ script on the cover, the heavy hardback binding, and pretty end papers on the inside all = old. But it’s not. I knew it was a newer book, but I still managed to get roped in by the old-time feel of it. Even the print and illustrations have the old time feel. Think 1960’s text book/manual. So the binding and sheer ‘pretty book’ factor had me.
Also, I’m a boy. And I’d like to read about dangerous things. All kinds of stuff I could build or try. All of it dangerous! So those two factors had me also.
Yeah, I don’t think I recommend this book to anyone. The only way this book is dangerous is if you dropped it from high atop a skyscraper at an unsuspecting crowd below. Or used it as a blunt object to pound some (insert your own thought here) into the authors. Or set fire to it hoping you never have to see it again and it catches something around it of value on fire as well. Or,…. I’m out.
It’s 200+ pages of ho-hum. I still pretty much consider myself a kid at heart and there wasn’t much of anything in there that I really wanted to try to build or do. The few things in there that looked effort-worthy had terrible directions and illustrations. I consider myself a person that can visualize something if you describe it to me. Even with terrible directions, I can usually figure things out. I had a heck of a time understanding some of the steps that were described in more than a few ‘try this’ items. And a couple of those had pictures accompanying the directions!!!
An admirable thing this book tries to do is inform the reader. There’s a decent amount of history and other ‘important stuff every boy should know’ type things in there. I understand that I’m not the target audience for this book, but the info was written in such a way that I almost question its accuracy. Not quite to the point that I’d go looking something up and actually learn about it, but almost. Maybe that’s how this book is dangerous. It tricks you into trying to figure things out for yourself because it’s written so poorly they figure you’ll have to research the topic(s) yourself to get a clear picture of it.
Anyway, I’m not going to waste any more of my time on this one…and neither should you.
I had a couple reasons for picking up this book. First, it’s a relatively new release, but it’s made to look all old and retro/cool. The ‘fancy’ script on the cover, the heavy hardback binding, and pretty end papers on the inside all = old. But it’s not. I knew it was a newer book, but I still managed to get roped in by the old-time feel of it. Even the print and illustrations have the old time feel. Think 1960’s text book/manual. So the binding and sheer ‘pretty book’ factor had me.
Also, I’m a boy. And I’d like to read about dangerous things. All kinds of stuff I could build or try. All of it dangerous! So those two factors had me also.
Yeah, I don’t think I recommend this book to anyone. The only way this book is dangerous is if you dropped it from high atop a skyscraper at an unsuspecting crowd below. Or used it as a blunt object to pound some (insert your own thought here) into the authors. Or set fire to it hoping you never have to see it again and it catches something around it of value on fire as well. Or,…. I’m out.
It’s 200+ pages of ho-hum. I still pretty much consider myself a kid at heart and there wasn’t much of anything in there that I really wanted to try to build or do. The few things in there that looked effort-worthy had terrible directions and illustrations. I consider myself a person that can visualize something if you describe it to me. Even with terrible directions, I can usually figure things out. I had a heck of a time understanding some of the steps that were described in more than a few ‘try this’ items. And a couple of those had pictures accompanying the directions!!!
An admirable thing this book tries to do is inform the reader. There’s a decent amount of history and other ‘important stuff every boy should know’ type things in there. I understand that I’m not the target audience for this book, but the info was written in such a way that I almost question its accuracy. Not quite to the point that I’d go looking something up and actually learn about it, but almost. Maybe that’s how this book is dangerous. It tricks you into trying to figure things out for yourself because it’s written so poorly they figure you’ll have to research the topic(s) yourself to get a clear picture of it.
Anyway, I’m not going to waste any more of my time on this one…and neither should you.
May 13, 2009
Its about time we, as parents and especially as fathers, stop appoligizing for boys being boys.
Get them outside, get them engaged and if all else fails run the crap out of them - they won't break and far fewer will need Ritalin. Another positive is that the "Dads" will look less like pot bellied pigs (present company included)...
Boys need REAL stories of REAL men being heros... this book has it.
Boys need tactile adventures... this book delivers it.
It might not be PC, but running around playing 'war' or 'Cowboys and Indians', stick ball, and building a tree house is what boys want and need.
This book is a refreshing antidote to the education system (and some parents) that constantly scream "Sit Down and be Quiet !" to all children, especially boys. Its an even larger solution to those hyper-vigilant folks that seem to think making a gun with thumb and pointer finger and yelling "bang" at your friends when playing will lead you to become the next Columbine shooters. Don't get me started on the idea of sitting "Indian Style" in the classroom !!
Boys need to have stories about and be taught how to take risks and how to make small mistakes, so later in life they have a knowledge base to draw from when faced with life's larger challenges.
Its a great book for parents that want their boys to grow into REAL men and for those parents that want their little girls to grow up and appreciate / marry REAL men.
Get them outside, get them engaged and if all else fails run the crap out of them - they won't break and far fewer will need Ritalin. Another positive is that the "Dads" will look less like pot bellied pigs (present company included)...
Boys need REAL stories of REAL men being heros... this book has it.
Boys need tactile adventures... this book delivers it.
It might not be PC, but running around playing 'war' or 'Cowboys and Indians', stick ball, and building a tree house is what boys want and need.
This book is a refreshing antidote to the education system (and some parents) that constantly scream "Sit Down and be Quiet !" to all children, especially boys. Its an even larger solution to those hyper-vigilant folks that seem to think making a gun with thumb and pointer finger and yelling "bang" at your friends when playing will lead you to become the next Columbine shooters. Don't get me started on the idea of sitting "Indian Style" in the classroom !!
Boys need to have stories about and be taught how to take risks and how to make small mistakes, so later in life they have a knowledge base to draw from when faced with life's larger challenges.
Its a great book for parents that want their boys to grow into REAL men and for those parents that want their little girls to grow up and appreciate / marry REAL men.
March 18, 2019
Would'be been an effective book if the illustrations and instructions were understandable. Still, good for some ideas though. But the way the colonialism, oppression, robbery, pillage and invasion of British empire has been glorified as examples of 'adventure', 'bravery' and 'noble mission' is simply outrageous, not to mention an outright lie. Suppose I'd skip his so called historical fictions too.
November 10, 2019
Good book. The boys know what they are interested in begining from the history and biology to sports and Britain. Is a good book.
October 17, 2015
I will admit I have had this book for some time - but I thought it was about time I finished it and listed it. The good (and I guess bad) thing about this book is that like any annual it has a series of articles on various subjects meaning it is perfect to dip in and out of when ever you feel like it - which also makes it potentially impossible to finish!
Now this book is a mixture of articles as I say which generally means there is something there for everyone and yes I did learn a thing or two reading it. I guess part of my reluctance was that for a while at least the book (and all the subsequent sequels, specials and versions, meant that it was everywhere. I guess it was for a time the equivalent to the Da Vinci Code or The Time Travellers Wife or those "fifty shades" books)
That aside though I do have one special reason for reading this and enjoying it. When I was growing up I sometimes went through my fathers books and I discovered a number of "Boys Own" annuals from the 1950s -the kind where it teaches you about the Zulus on one page on the next how to ride a horse and the next how to make your own fireworks (it was the homemade explosives that caught my attention).
This book has tried to recapture some of that summer excitement where nothing was impossible with a little ingenuity and imagination. Seems such a far cry from the world we live in today. And for that alone I think book should be applauded BUT i think also this is part of the books failings as people bought it I feel to recapture that lost something not realising that the book alone will not fix that feeling but rather act as a reminder of what we have potentially lost or at least misplaced. Here I could go on and on about you can give people the tools to fix things but unless the motivation is there it is all wasted (horse and water spring to mind) but I will resist the temptation to preach. But I do feel that is why for a while at least this book was everywhere.
Anyway back to the book - it is a great tome to read through and it does have some fascinating articles to read and I am glad I have a copy and I have no intention of getting rid of it any time soon.
Now this book is a mixture of articles as I say which generally means there is something there for everyone and yes I did learn a thing or two reading it. I guess part of my reluctance was that for a while at least the book (and all the subsequent sequels, specials and versions, meant that it was everywhere. I guess it was for a time the equivalent to the Da Vinci Code or The Time Travellers Wife or those "fifty shades" books)
That aside though I do have one special reason for reading this and enjoying it. When I was growing up I sometimes went through my fathers books and I discovered a number of "Boys Own" annuals from the 1950s -the kind where it teaches you about the Zulus on one page on the next how to ride a horse and the next how to make your own fireworks (it was the homemade explosives that caught my attention).
This book has tried to recapture some of that summer excitement where nothing was impossible with a little ingenuity and imagination. Seems such a far cry from the world we live in today. And for that alone I think book should be applauded BUT i think also this is part of the books failings as people bought it I feel to recapture that lost something not realising that the book alone will not fix that feeling but rather act as a reminder of what we have potentially lost or at least misplaced. Here I could go on and on about you can give people the tools to fix things but unless the motivation is there it is all wasted (horse and water spring to mind) but I will resist the temptation to preach. But I do feel that is why for a while at least this book was everywhere.
Anyway back to the book - it is a great tome to read through and it does have some fascinating articles to read and I am glad I have a copy and I have no intention of getting rid of it any time soon.
July 6, 2007
I know that the book is at the top of British non-fiction best-sellers but i would guess many of them are sitting on coffee tables rather than being avidly read. It was quite interesting to read again of famous battles or heroic figures. I really did want to find out how to make a proper paper aeroplane but had no interest in electromagnets or secret ink made from body fluids. I know the rules of football and don't want to know about cricket. I found the interesting sections too short and would rather look up a more specialised book on specific topics. However, I am sure many a 'boy' will pick it up from the coffee table and exclaim over memories of marbles and conkers - and maybe even latin phrases and the stars.
April 25, 2020
I LOVE IT... I am as deeply feminist as they come. I taught my son to knit, crochet, cook, clean, and iron, but I taught my stepdaughter to throw hay, carry feed, raise animals, and put on makeup.
I don't think that being a woman and believing that I can do whatever males can (within reason) means that I have to take from them the things that make them MALE. as I would not like them to take from me what makes me female. Face it.. we live on this planet together.
I worked in a male-driven profession (policing), so I was there setting battling for that equality so many like to tout today. I am very aware of my equality as I EARN it.. and it was often the hard way. In the end, I know that I can do whatever I want, doesn't mean that men can't do somethings better than I or that I was a female can do some things better than them. But at the end of the day, nothing in this book should irritate anyone's feminine ire, just because it says BOYS on the cover. The book is directed at the essence of males as remembered by the author. CELEBRATE those differences. This book is boyish.... and while I enjoyed it as well... it is really boyish... and that is just the way it is.
My son was this guy when he was a kid, and all the little dead-end boys that packed up in my backyard (I lived on acreage) were JUST BOYS... from letting them look in the window at me while I slept, to setting my porch on fire (accidentally), to shooting out the barn light... these are things that boys do and I cherish those memories even if they don't.
I assure you, I will be finding this in hardcover and this will be my SON's Christmas present... that way HE can pass this down to his son... I feel like I have hit the jackpot here... it is so full of summer information...
5 stars!
Happy Reading!
I don't think that being a woman and believing that I can do whatever males can (within reason) means that I have to take from them the things that make them MALE. as I would not like them to take from me what makes me female. Face it.. we live on this planet together.
I worked in a male-driven profession (policing), so I was there setting battling for that equality so many like to tout today. I am very aware of my equality as I EARN it.. and it was often the hard way. In the end, I know that I can do whatever I want, doesn't mean that men can't do somethings better than I or that I was a female can do some things better than them. But at the end of the day, nothing in this book should irritate anyone's feminine ire, just because it says BOYS on the cover. The book is directed at the essence of males as remembered by the author. CELEBRATE those differences. This book is boyish.... and while I enjoyed it as well... it is really boyish... and that is just the way it is.
My son was this guy when he was a kid, and all the little dead-end boys that packed up in my backyard (I lived on acreage) were JUST BOYS... from letting them look in the window at me while I slept, to setting my porch on fire (accidentally), to shooting out the barn light... these are things that boys do and I cherish those memories even if they don't.
I assure you, I will be finding this in hardcover and this will be my SON's Christmas present... that way HE can pass this down to his son... I feel like I have hit the jackpot here... it is so full of summer information...
5 stars!
Happy Reading!
February 7, 2008
Disclaimer - I listened to the audio version, which was abridged.
I really liked this book, alot. I have to assume though it'd be better in written form, rather than audio. For one thing there's more of it, since the audio version is abridged, but I also hope there are some helpful illustrations. For example when discussing latitude and longitude.
I think most boys would pick topics in this book that interest them, rather than read it straight through. And I think there are sections that will interest boys of different ages. Meaning if they read parts at 9, they might read other parts at 12 that they had passed before. It can "grow" with them.
Since I love history I particularly liked the sections on the famous battles, and interesting historical events.
Over all, two thumbs up!
I really liked this book, alot. I have to assume though it'd be better in written form, rather than audio. For one thing there's more of it, since the audio version is abridged, but I also hope there are some helpful illustrations. For example when discussing latitude and longitude.
I think most boys would pick topics in this book that interest them, rather than read it straight through. And I think there are sections that will interest boys of different ages. Meaning if they read parts at 9, they might read other parts at 12 that they had passed before. It can "grow" with them.
Since I love history I particularly liked the sections on the famous battles, and interesting historical events.
Over all, two thumbs up!
Currently reading
July 23, 2007My dad and I are reading this, getting ready for Asa's arrival. There is so much stuff in here!
My dad and I were reading the Latin Phrases everyone should know. When we came to “Pater familias” I deferred to my father and said, “Look Dad, you: Head of Household.”
I thought it a loving moment between son & father. He came, looked over my shoulder at the alphabetical list and pointed out the next phrase, saying, “And this one is you…” Persona non grata.
My son’s Granddad Kloss is quite the comedian. I wonder if Granddad Van Ert is going to double team me; Kloss and Van Ert the comedy duo Granddads!
My dad and I were reading the Latin Phrases everyone should know. When we came to “Pater familias” I deferred to my father and said, “Look Dad, you: Head of Household.”
I thought it a loving moment between son & father. He came, looked over my shoulder at the alphabetical list and pointed out the next phrase, saying, “And this one is you…” Persona non grata.
My son’s Granddad Kloss is quite the comedian. I wonder if Granddad Van Ert is going to double team me; Kloss and Van Ert the comedy duo Granddads!
July 31, 2011
This is a glorious book that is certainly not limited to use by young boys. It is a veritable bathroom reader (in a sense) for adolescence and manhood, covering activities, histories, reading lists, technology, skills, and fun that we all nostalgically attach to our young masculinity. The book is sturdy, organized haphazardly, but that adds to the urgency of its contents that seem to whisper out of the pages as a book that could easily be required reading for hiking on a summer day, or lazily staying inside in a rain storm, or basically any application. Veering away from it being called "the dangerous book for *boys*," I think the text is also suitable for girls, men, parents, the elderly, the young, or any possible person with any small sense of adventure or the mischief associated with discovery. While I have not read the "girls" version of the text with the same idea, it is safe to say that this book is one of the most fun that I have had with a text of this sort, and I can't wait until my son is older so I can share it with him. It can be read straight through, read in bits and left on the bedside table, or used as a reference when you are finished. I can't wait to see what fun can be had with this book as my son gets older and we can do a bunch of the activities in it as a family!
January 11, 2019
I picked this up some time ago, thinking it might be interesting for my grandson. To my surprise, it was pretty interesting for me as well, as a compendium of Boy Scout-type activities and pursuits and a collection of stories drawn from heroes of history, and some basic astronomy, celestial navigation, and how to play rugby. I was charmed, in particular, by the authors' praise of Dungeons & Dragons, and by their list of books every boy should read, which included many of my own favorites. I think I'll leave it laying around on the coffee table and see if the title induces him to pick it up. It's meant for fathers and sons to share, really, but that will work better if it's their idea, not mine.
August 29, 2008
Just like the Daring Book for Girls, as soon as my husband and I peeked into this book we had to have it. EVERY boy should own a copy of this book and girls can gets lots out of it, too. It's full of cool stuff that every boy should know, like: everything you need to know about sports, astronomy, famous battles, good books, and things like how to make a paper hat, boat, and water bomb; first aid, pirates, games, secret inks, knots, dinosaurs - something that really grabbed my eye was 'how to chart the universe' - very cool stuff. I have a copy ready for my son to look through as he gets older.
March 11, 2009
This is one of those books that tells you how to do/about hundreds of awesome things - how to make a bow and arrow, how to build the best paper airplane, stories of Scott's trip to Antarctica, famous battles, how to build a treehouse, the seven wonders of the ancient and modern worlds, the ten commandments, cyphers, invisible inks, advice on girls - it's really fantastic and i want my own copy. sadly there's either no comparable book for girls or it assumes all girls want to do is learn to sew and make lemonade. anyway. good book, at the end of it.
April 13, 2018
Dr. Michael Thomson observed that “Girls behavior is the gold standard in schools; boys are treated like defective girls.”
In a society where we increasingly condemn traditionally “boyish” behavior, it is not only refreshing but significant to see a book written for boys about the natural world, masculine pastimes and the kind of history that I thrived on as a young man (see entire section written on Famous Battles).
The Dangerous Book for Boys is an outstanding book for men of all ages but particularly important as an unapologetic guide to boyhood.
4/5 - Would buy for child.
In a society where we increasingly condemn traditionally “boyish” behavior, it is not only refreshing but significant to see a book written for boys about the natural world, masculine pastimes and the kind of history that I thrived on as a young man (see entire section written on Famous Battles).
The Dangerous Book for Boys is an outstanding book for men of all ages but particularly important as an unapologetic guide to boyhood.
4/5 - Would buy for child.
Want to read
July 7, 2008What a cool book!
My nephew has this book. He was showing my son all the cool things they could do- build airplanes, treehouses, forts, etc.
Now my son wants the book. We'll probably get it for him when he's a bit older.
My nephew has this book. He was showing my son all the cool things they could do- build airplanes, treehouses, forts, etc.
Now my son wants the book. We'll probably get it for him when he's a bit older.
June 6, 2007
This is the Books of Knowledge and American Boys' Handy Book rolled into one and updated for the modern age.
August 15, 2009
Great book for boys, for reference or otherwise. Some inaccuracies, but overall a great product and a good read. Will likely also be enjoyable for more adventuresome girls...
May 16, 2015
I buy this book for every boy I care about. It is perfect tinder for a young mind to fan the flames to the fire of personal wonder for the rest of their lives.
December 21, 2012
WIDER READING FOCUS: Factual/How to guide to life.
Despite having quite an intimidating book title that no mother would ever think of giving to her child, you really need take a peek inside before making that snap judgment. Within the pages is an interesting encyclopedic guide to what all little boys should know. This handy hardback actually covers tit bits of various subjects of the National Curriculum. Some of which include: science; making a battery, why is the sky blue? PE; a diagrammatic illustration of the laws of football. Geography; the seven wonders of the world & various questions about the world. Math; how do we measure the world's circumference? English; Five Poems Every Boy Should Know & understanding grammar 1/2/3. Some of the more controversial material; How to Play Poker, skimming stones, girls(just in case you are wondering it is all quite innocent, the advice goes if you like a girl be nice, don't break wind and make her laugh!) as well as a section on hunting and how to cook a rabbit.
A text targeted at the upper end of key stage 2. This book would make an excellent addition to every boys Christmas stocking. Containing full colour pictures and diagrams and language which is accessible to young children. Learning is made fun as it mixes core facts and information with more controversial skills little boys may want to learn. At 293 pages it is quite long, however rather than reading from page to page it is more of a "pick up and find an interesting chapter" type book.
Despite having quite an intimidating book title that no mother would ever think of giving to her child, you really need take a peek inside before making that snap judgment. Within the pages is an interesting encyclopedic guide to what all little boys should know. This handy hardback actually covers tit bits of various subjects of the National Curriculum. Some of which include: science; making a battery, why is the sky blue? PE; a diagrammatic illustration of the laws of football. Geography; the seven wonders of the world & various questions about the world. Math; how do we measure the world's circumference? English; Five Poems Every Boy Should Know & understanding grammar 1/2/3. Some of the more controversial material; How to Play Poker, skimming stones, girls(just in case you are wondering it is all quite innocent, the advice goes if you like a girl be nice, don't break wind and make her laugh!) as well as a section on hunting and how to cook a rabbit.
A text targeted at the upper end of key stage 2. This book would make an excellent addition to every boys Christmas stocking. Containing full colour pictures and diagrams and language which is accessible to young children. Learning is made fun as it mixes core facts and information with more controversial skills little boys may want to learn. At 293 pages it is quite long, however rather than reading from page to page it is more of a "pick up and find an interesting chapter" type book.
May 20, 2018
ARROWS, SECRET INK, AND... GRAMMAR?
The Iggulden boys have resurrected the spirit of the old Childcraft books and BSA Cub Scout manuals with their delightful THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS. DANGEROUS has a bit of everything, certainly enough to keep you reading (wonders of the world, famous battles, amazing people) and learning (chess, rugby, crystal making) and building (bows and arrows, go-carts, chemical batteries) for years. Printed as a pleasantly bound, old-style book, TDBFB is a refreshing break from the electronic garbage that has flooded (and is drowning) our minds and souls. Need to brush up on your first aid skills… who doesn’t? The basics are in there. Put away your crApple gizmo and look up at the night sky again; TDBFB has basic star maps for navigation. Never learned knots because you were too busy swiping the bipolar-mind cancer-suicide screen? Basic rope skills are included. How about lowering your IIR (imbecile index rating) by doing a bit of grammar review, reading a little Shakespeare and Robert Frost, and learning common Latin phrases? The Igguldens have provided a freighter-load of intellectualism that can’t fail to impress your friends and enemies. I'm eager to be off for the summer... so that I can build my first bow-and-arrow!
The Iggulden boys have resurrected the spirit of the old Childcraft books and BSA Cub Scout manuals with their delightful THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS. DANGEROUS has a bit of everything, certainly enough to keep you reading (wonders of the world, famous battles, amazing people) and learning (chess, rugby, crystal making) and building (bows and arrows, go-carts, chemical batteries) for years. Printed as a pleasantly bound, old-style book, TDBFB is a refreshing break from the electronic garbage that has flooded (and is drowning) our minds and souls. Need to brush up on your first aid skills… who doesn’t? The basics are in there. Put away your crApple gizmo and look up at the night sky again; TDBFB has basic star maps for navigation. Never learned knots because you were too busy swiping the bipolar-mind cancer-suicide screen? Basic rope skills are included. How about lowering your IIR (imbecile index rating) by doing a bit of grammar review, reading a little Shakespeare and Robert Frost, and learning common Latin phrases? The Igguldens have provided a freighter-load of intellectualism that can’t fail to impress your friends and enemies. I'm eager to be off for the summer... so that I can build my first bow-and-arrow!
December 11, 2009
I borrowed this book from my older sister who got it for her three little boys. As I read it I found myself wishing I had had this book when I was a little boy. I especially liked the part about talking to girls (a part I really could have used as a lad). As I have been reading other reviews of this book I have found it funny how so many people seem to get so hung up on the fact that it is called the Dangerous book for BOYS. As if somehow Federal Law prohibited any woman or girl from reading or liking the book. Personally, I’m glad it’s aimed at boys. There seems to be far to much of an effort to erase the distinction between boys and girls that I think it’s great that someone is trying to teach boys that it’s normal and awesome to be a dirty, adventurous, bug-loving, toy gun shooting, star gazing, catapult building, tree house sleeping, bike riding, booby-trap building, knot tying, stickball playing, paper airplane making, secret code writing, tree climbing and totally awesome BOY!!! And to do it all without stupid helmets and kneepads. I think I will be getting this book for my son when he’s a bit older and we can do some of this stuff together.
April 24, 2010
This book is my favorite of all time. The reason that this book is my favorite is because it is filled with all sorts of activities and facts for little dudes that nobody does anymore. I like the old days, the ones that I wasn’t even alive for. This book takes the reader back to the days when little dudes entertained themselves by reading about famous explorers, and made periscopes and pinhole projectors and marbled paper. I’ve always been a little boy at heart, and this book makes me wish I had lived just a few decades earlier, or even the early 1900s. This book is worth more to me than my own bed. If the government suddenly went for a pro-censor campaign, I would do everything I could possibly do to save this book. This book would probably be one of the first to be burned, because of its blatant anti-technology sentiments, and the government needs technology to control and influence us. That just makes me want to puke. If we ever get to the point where the Terminator actually exists, I think I’d rather kill myself than deal with the government. Sorry, getting off topic. I REALLY LOVE THIS BOOK!
July 22, 2017
My five-year-old and I enjoyed this book. The literature selections and extraordinary stories were just fantastic, far better than I anticipated. The rest of it is exactly what you think, just miscellaneous things that seemed like attending a boy scout group that never tried to earn one badge at a time but did a little of this and a little of that. I can see this book being fantastic curriculum for a grandpa and grandson, making each visit have a theme and a lesson.
But otherwise the purpose of the book is a little confusing. As a mom it was nice to know what Igguldden thinks all boys should know. And yet ... no country boy needs a book like this, telling him to build something. Country boys have been building random things in their Dad's shed since they could walk. Nor does a country boy need a book to tell him to go hunting and fishing. For city boys, surmounting the obstacles to do these things seems immense. Where do they build a chair - on their balcony? So perhaps this book is for suburban boys, helping them learn the skills a country boy learns just by living in the country? Or perhaps, like I said above, it is a curriculum for Grandpas.
But otherwise the purpose of the book is a little confusing. As a mom it was nice to know what Igguldden thinks all boys should know. And yet ... no country boy needs a book like this, telling him to build something. Country boys have been building random things in their Dad's shed since they could walk. Nor does a country boy need a book to tell him to go hunting and fishing. For city boys, surmounting the obstacles to do these things seems immense. Where do they build a chair - on their balcony? So perhaps this book is for suburban boys, helping them learn the skills a country boy learns just by living in the country? Or perhaps, like I said above, it is a curriculum for Grandpas.
March 8, 2018
The plot is not the best because this book is not really a story but more an information book on how to make cool things. But the thing is Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden say on the first page that they didn't have their book when they were a kid. So the plot is that they didn't know what to do with all of their great games and ideas so they wrote a book. They also have some awesome historic tale but that is not their stories.
I learned many things in this book. The thing that stuck with me is how to make a pocket light. First, you get your supplies. Then attach the wires to a light. Next, attach the battery to the wires. Last go explore and make your light awesome. Through that course of actions, you will have an awesome pocket light.
I really liked this book. It had a bunch of fun things to make and stuff like that. It is a really good book because it has stories of battles and expeditions. The main thing is that it is interesting I wanted to read it over and over again. The other thing is that it has so much information.
I learned many things in this book. The thing that stuck with me is how to make a pocket light. First, you get your supplies. Then attach the wires to a light. Next, attach the battery to the wires. Last go explore and make your light awesome. Through that course of actions, you will have an awesome pocket light.
I really liked this book. It had a bunch of fun things to make and stuff like that. It is a really good book because it has stories of battles and expeditions. The main thing is that it is interesting I wanted to read it over and over again. The other thing is that it has so much information.
March 30, 2009
A great coffee table book that parents and grandparents will probably enjoy more than boys. I skimmed through it, briefly, in about 90 minutes. What makes it dangerous? Well, not much, but there is a section entitled "Making a Bow and Arrow," and also "Making Cloth Fireproof."
The other sections are just cool stuff that you always wanted to know more about, like, "Spies: Codes and Ciphers," "Making a Paper Hat, Boat, and Water Bomb," and "The Golden Age of Piracy," to name a few.
My favorite quote comes from the section entitled "Girls." It's a list with 8 pieces of advice.
"7. If you see a girl in need of help - unable to lift something, for example - do not taunt her. Approach the object and greet her with a cheerful smile, while surreptitiously testing the weight of the object. If you find you can lift it, go ahead. If you can't, try sitting on it and engaging her in conversation."
The other sections are just cool stuff that you always wanted to know more about, like, "Spies: Codes and Ciphers," "Making a Paper Hat, Boat, and Water Bomb," and "The Golden Age of Piracy," to name a few.
My favorite quote comes from the section entitled "Girls." It's a list with 8 pieces of advice.
"7. If you see a girl in need of help - unable to lift something, for example - do not taunt her. Approach the object and greet her with a cheerful smile, while surreptitiously testing the weight of the object. If you find you can lift it, go ahead. If you can't, try sitting on it and engaging her in conversation."
May 11, 2013
Kelsey Collins
Iggulden, H., & Iggulden, C. (2007). The dangerous book for boys. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
Genre: Informational
Format: Digital- Kindle
Selection Process: Browsing informational young adult section on Amazon.com.
This book covers what are deemed essential boyhood skills from the two authors, who are brothers. It covers topics like how to build a tree house, how to deal with girls, how to find north, how to tie certain knots, etc. It stimulates some kind of curiosity in the reader- they make the reader want to know more. They give the reader a renewed sense of adventure not only for young adult boys, but adult men as well. This was a bestseller in England, where the authors are from. There is an American version for those in the United States where The Declaration of Independence substitutes for the Patron Saints of Britain. This would make for an enjoyable book for young adult boys, especially one they can share with their fathers.
Recommended.
Iggulden, H., & Iggulden, C. (2007). The dangerous book for boys. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
Genre: Informational
Format: Digital- Kindle
Selection Process: Browsing informational young adult section on Amazon.com.
This book covers what are deemed essential boyhood skills from the two authors, who are brothers. It covers topics like how to build a tree house, how to deal with girls, how to find north, how to tie certain knots, etc. It stimulates some kind of curiosity in the reader- they make the reader want to know more. They give the reader a renewed sense of adventure not only for young adult boys, but adult men as well. This was a bestseller in England, where the authors are from. There is an American version for those in the United States where The Declaration of Independence substitutes for the Patron Saints of Britain. This would make for an enjoyable book for young adult boys, especially one they can share with their fathers.
Recommended.
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