Some books are harder to review than others. Sit me down with a book of Chekov short stories, A Light In August by Faulkner, or similarly ambiguous and heady material and I might not be able to churn out a great review fast. Other books though, present their inner secrets and hidden meanings to you within a few minutes of reading the first words. And such is the case with a book like The Alphabet Of Manliness, the first by popular blogger <a href = "http://maddox.xmission.com/">Maddox</a>.
As the name suggests, The Alphabet Of Manliness is an alphabet book crossed with a how-to guide of some sorts. Inside, you'll learn about such things as Copping A Feel, Boners (and how to hide them in public), Enlightenment, Chuck Norris, and Pirates. Each of these makes up a separate entry (or letter) in the book, of which there are 26.
Each entry is short, around four to six pages on average, and contains surprisingly well-drawn illustrations. The writing is clean, spare, and to the point. This complements the humor which is, needless to say, not exactly nuanced. You may have gotten that though just by reading the title or looking at the back cover, where it proudly displays hate rhetoric against Maddox under the title "What People Are Saying About Maddox."
A large portion of The Alphabet Of Manliness is designed to offend the easily offended, with a special interest in enraging women. Some will no doubt find this book more humorous than others, although it's hard to see anyone who doesn't enjoy this humor or visit Maddox's website regularly even picking up the book.
All in all, the intended audience should be very pleased with The Alphabet Of Manliness. Those who don't enjoy the narcissistic, shock-oriented and often crude humor presented here, though, should look elsewhere.
Article comments
1 - LumberJackPaul
I've been looking forward to this book for a lifetime it seems. Maddox does not let down. It's a fantastic book for anyone. I do mean anyone. Children should be read this book before they can speak. I think more people would think twice about saying something stupid if there was the definite possibility of repercussion. This book is fun to read as well as educational. There is useful information and thoughtful outlooks contained in it that most people don't think of often enough. Read this book. You will not regret it. You might regret it if you don't read it and you meet someone who has. This book will go down in history as one of the greats. In my opinion we are plagued by the most non-manly men in history. This book will serve as a reminder two all males who pluck their eyebrows or shave anything other than their faces.
2 - Moe Lester
touch me