The Making Of A Man

What exactly is manhood? How do guys get there? Tim Brown won the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame and starred in the NFL for seventeen seasons. He left the game as a Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders legend and one of the most respected men in sports. Now “Mr. Raider” shares his amazing journey—the triumphs, the heartbreaks, the struggles with women, Al Davis, and God—as well as the principles and priorities that made him the man he is today. Much more than a sports memoir, The Making of a Man reveals how faith, family, honor, and integrity have everything to do with true manhood and a life well-lived. Whether you are a rabid fan or have little interest in football, a young boy or already facing the fourth quarter of your life, these pages will both challenge and inspire you to become the man you’ve always known you could be. Back Cover: When a man comes into your life and shows you something about yourself that you didn’t know was in you, it’s remarkable. The Apostle Paul did that for Timothy, encouraging him to preach and teach and reminding him, “Do not neglect your gift” (1 Tim. 4:14). Paul was a mentor to Timothy, ready to point out the gifts of his protégé and willing to help develop those gifts and pass on his knowledge. Lou Holtz did the same for me, as well as for a whole lot of other guys. That’s what a mentor does. I’ll always be grateful that he inspired me to believe in myself. —Tim Brown Former Heisman Trophy Winner and NFL All-Pro “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Tim for over thirty years now. I’ve seen him beat the odds in many different areas of life, especially as a father and a mentor. I believe this book will help bring out your true greatness as you read stories about Tim’s successes and struggles, and as you’re inspired by his commitment to integrity as well as the life principles and the faith that have carried him through.” —Carey Casey, CEO, National Center for Fathering / fathers.com “Over the years, I’ve respected Tim Brown as an NFL opponent, a teammate, and a friend. In The Making of a Man, you will read what has made Tim the man he is today and learn vital lessons on what being a man is all about. Whether young or old, every guy should read this book.” —Jerry Rice, NFL Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Three-Time Super Bowl Champion

A POWERFUL MEMOIR AND MANIFESTO CHALLENGING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BLACK MAN IN BRITAIN “A blisteringly honest take on contemporary Britishness that manages to be both nuanced and shocking. Highly recommended.” Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish) You’re a black man. Aggressive. Athletic. Feared. Fetishised. Policed. Politicised. It’s limiting. It’s tiring. And it’s not true. What makes a man in the 21st century? For generations ‘being a man’ has meant behaving in a very particular way. It has meant being strong, sexually assertive and overtly heterosexual. Assumptions around masculinity have been the root cause of countless problems which, to this day, continue to affect the whole of society. When the question of masculinity intersects with race, these assumptions too often mutate into pernicious prejudice in ways that are particularly damaging for the men themselves. In this groundbreaking and revealing book, actor, activist and writer Obioma Ugoala – a man of mixed Nigerian and Irish heritage – examines the ways in which his life has been affected by people failing to address their own prejudices about what they conceive a Black man to be. As well as talking about these – often shocking – experiences he take a broader cultural and historical view to challenge notions of race and masculinity that have over centuries become embedded in British society, poisoning the public discourse and blighting people’s lives. With unflinching honesty and deep humanity, this unique and important book challenges us all to face our personal failings while offering a vision of a more positive future if we dare to do better. When first published as The Problem with My Normal Penis the book met resistance from some who considered the title unnecessarily provocative. In this updated edition, Ugoala addresses the reception his book received and the light this shed on the very issues of race and masculinity that he was addressing. ‘Whipsmart and refreshingly vulnerable. In this book, Obioma Ugoala brilliantly exposes the systems and the individuals that have long perpetuated dangerous and irresponsible ideals around Blackness and masculinity.’ Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie "A valiant venture of a book that is somehow both tender memoir and unflinching excavation of the sociological blights that affect both self and society. Looking outward, inwards and forward, it lucidly explores complicated truths. Hopeful and honest, uncomfortable and encouraging, it is a book this country needs." Bolu Babalola, author of Love in Colour “An urgent, personal, compassionate book that never backs away from the difficulty of what we are facing but provides a forgiving mirror and a useable map so we can truly reflect & navigate. Obioma Ugoala’s treatise should be a set text for a world in crisis.” Deborah Frances White 'In his enquiring memoir, he astutely explores where the expectations of his race and masculinity meet, unpicking and challenging his past experiences of prejudice. His personal stories are told in the context of the wider culture, and the book is a compassionate rallying cry to be more conscious.' Evening Standard

In the autumn of 2012, Maxim Februari—known until then as writer and philosopher Marjolijn Februari—announced his intention to live as a man. The news was greeted with a diversity of reactions, from curiosity to unease. These responses made it absolutely clear to Februari that most of us don’t know how to think about transsexuality. The Making of a Man explores this lacuna through a deeply personal meditation on a profoundly universal aspect of our identities. Februari contemplates the many questions that sexual transitions entail: the clinical effects of testosterone, the alteration of sexual organs, and its effects on sexual intimacy; how transsexuality figures in the law; and how it challenges the way we talk about sex and gender, such as the seemingly minor—but crucially important—difference between the terms “transsexual” and “transgender.” He analyzes our impressions of effeminate men and butch women, separating apparent acceptance from actual prejudice, and critically examines the curious requirement in many countries that one must demonstrate a psychological disturbance—a “gender identity disorder”—in order to be granted sex change therapies. From there he explores the seemingly endless minutiae changing genders or sex effect, from the little box with an M or an F on passports to the shockingly sudden way testosterone can adjust physical features. With his characteristically clear voice combined with intimate—sometimes moving, sometimes funny—ruminations, Februari wakes readers up to all the ways, big and small, our world is structured by sex and gender.

The transformation from boy into man requires intentional guidance, education, and good role models. As a boy grows toward manhood, his parents can instill in their son the values and character traits needed to succeed in life. Highlighting famous Christian men throughout history and the character trait that made each an outstanding model of manhood, parenting expert Rick Johnson gives moms and dads intentional strategies to help mold their sons into honorable men. The book includes men such as •Martin Luther King Jr. •George Washington •John Wooden •Abraham Lincoln •Jedediah Smith •Benjamin Franklin •Leonardo da Vinci •and more With passion and practicality, Johnson covers all aspects of a young man's development, including his work ethic, education, and integrity.

David was a shepherd and a king, a soldier and a poet, a sinner and a saint. He was also a man after God's own heart. In this Christian classic, Alan Redpath blends insights from 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, and Psalms to demonstrate how God shapes those who are responsive to his love. Despite his many faults, David became a man who wondrously understood and reflected the mind of God. Both men and women will find themselves identifying with David's struggles and triumphs, giving them a glimpse of how God is continually shaping them as well.

The authors present a process for helping men who struggle daily to find the true meaning of authentic manhood and define the building blocks for living a fulfulling life.

Originally published in 1988, this book analyses the effect of public boarding school on those boys who grew to manhood under its influence. With access to over 2000 letters written by parents to the Head Master and governors of Ellesmere College in the period 1929-50, it raises issues about the construction of masculinity in the mid-twentieth century. The author demonstrates from these candid letters the concerns of a small group of parents bringing up their sons: their aspirations, plans, fears and problems. She shows how parents’ plans changed, sometimes very dramatically, due to the Second World War, and demonstrates the differences between social groups as diverse as clergy, widows and farmers in bringing up their sons. The author also presents fascinating and elusive evidence about the sons themselves and the effects of their schooling on their models of masculinity, sexuality and attitudes to women. This book places the particular concerns of a relatively small group within the much wider contexts of education, social and gender structure.

This book helps 12-to-17-year-old Christian boys make it through the critical transition to manhood, despite the pressures and temptations of contemporary society.