I Rarely Unconditioally Recommend a Book...

A Season of Life, by Jeffrey Marx. If you have kids, even if you don't and want to know how be a Man, this is the book.

I rarely recommend books, but I've already told two co-workers about it. Two with sons. And I'm not quite finished the book yet. It's that good.

It's about football. But much more than that. It's about building a man. The right definition of a man. And that if you don't teach these things to your kids, someone else (like the drug dealer on the corner street) or something else (like the media) will define it for them.

And that's how we get so messed up. The vicious cycle continues. That we have such unfulfilling relationships with our fathers. Because they were never taught how to be a man, and thus never passed those important lessons down to us. The stuff in this book. That's why a song like The Living Years by Mike and Mechanics touched and resonated with so many grown men.

We men are emotional icebergs. And this book made me think about my father and also an incident at a company party four years ago. The co-worker was so drunk he was going around telling all the other guys, "I love you man." People were slightly embarrassed and thought strange, but it was ok only because he was drunk.

And now, because of this book, why is it strange? Why can't a guy tell another guy he loves him?

And I'm trying to adapt these principles to raising my two little girls. I want to:

• Every day, tell them I love them.
• Be comfortable in your skin. You are not defined by boys, money or media.
  
• It's all about relationships -- you to your family, and others, and not about money or possessions.
• Success and happiness is about having a higher purpose outside yourself. Have a positive impact on others. Leave the world a better place than you entered it.

Run to your library and check out this book.