Dangerous Book for Boys

[emb021]

Anyone seen this new book recently released in the US?

 

It was first published in the UK last year, and became a best seller. The authors, brothers Conn and Hal Iggulden, have come out with an American edition of this work.

 

I first heard about it when Conn was interviewed on the Colbert Report (you can see the interview on-line at Comedy Central's 'motherload' area). The book on amazon.com has a good interview with the author. It strikes me as a sort of 21st century version of Beard's American Boy's Handy Book or B-P's Scouting for Boys.

 

I found that there is a website for the book: http://www.dangerousbookforboys.com/

 

There are also two trailers for the book on YouTube, both done in the UK. I think the 2nd one a bit better:

(2nd one is also on Amazon).

 

This is what one of the authors says: (taken from amazon.com page on the book):

"I am [a father] 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.

...

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. "

 

Here is a list of some of the topics in the book:

The Greatest Paper Airplane in the World

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Five Knots Every Boy Should Know

Stickball

Slingshots

Fossils

Building a Treehouse

Making a Bow and Arrow

Fishing (revised with US Fish)

Timers and Tripwires

Baseball's "Most Valuable Players"

Famous Battles-Including Lexington and Concord, The Alamo, and Gettysburg

Spies-Codes and Ciphers

Making a Go-Cart

Navajo Code Talkers' Dictionary

Girls

Cloud Formations

The States of the U.S.

Mountains of the U.S.

Navigation

The Declaration of Independence

Skimming Stones

Making a Periscope

The Ten Commandments

Common US Trees

Timeline of American History

 

I have the book on order, but it hasn't shown up.

 

[ABCDE]

I bought two of the books at Borders in Stamford, CT last Friday night. They where 30% off. (I love a bargain)

 

One was for my 40 year old brother, the other for my 8 year old son.

 

They both love it!!! I even like looking at the book. Every time you open it, you find something new.

 

I wish I had bought the book a week before just for the paper airplanes. In our Pack meeting last thursday, the boys all had paper airplanes and flew them to see who's went farthest.

[WVCubDad]

It's on my gotta get list (2 copies - 1 for me and one for my son!) Didn't know about the web site, thanks.

 

John

Tiger Den Leader

Pack 13

Potomac District

Shenandoah Area Council

[msnowman]

This is on my must by list for Nephew (13). I told him about the book and he says he must have it. Anything to get them reading and outdoors more.

 

YiS

Michelle

[emb021]

Here is an interesting podcast which is an interview with one of the authors on the 'Glenn and Helen' Show:

 

http://politicscentral.com/2007/05/16/the_glenn_and_helen_show_conn.php