Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Raising Boys by Design by Gregory L. Jantz, PhD. and Michael Gurian - Book Review

Raising Boys by Design
From the publisher: Your son was created for great things, but he needs your help to appreciate his unique male design and to grow into the strong, loving man God created him to be.

Packed with doable strategies and eye-opening examples of what’s really going on inside a boy’s brain, Raising Boys by Design offers a practical blueprint to help you build a HERO—one who values Honor, Enterprise, Responsibility, and Originality. Among other things, you’ll learn how to help your son:
• strengthen his character, resilience, and self-discipline
• nurture genuine compassion and empathy
• process words and emotions in ways that fit his brain chemistry
• succeed in school and hone crucial life skills
• develop a healthy perspective of sexuality
• avoid the pitfalls of media and technology
• embark on a lifelong adventure of faith

This unique resource combines the latest research in brain science with timeless truths from the Bible to reveal the deepest needs shared by every boy of faith while also leading you to fresh insights for honoring the unique personality, talents, and God-given design of your son in particular.

You can help your son thrive today as the hero he is meant to be when you learn the secrets of
Raising Boys by Design

As a father, teacher, and coach, I was very interested in reading Raising Boys by Design.  I'm always looking for helpful information for the long journey of raising my son to be a man of God.  Gregory Jantz, PhD. and Michael Gurian did a fine job in conveying some interesting ideas through their new book. 

One of the things that interested me the most about reading Raising Boys was the authors' approach, combining the latest in brain science with Biblical truths in order to meet all the unique requirements of raising boys.  The authors cite several studies that address how a boy's brain processes information differently from a girl's brain.  They also look at how the impact of testosterone during adolescence affects a boy's development physically, mentally, and emotionally.  They believe these are important items to consider when helping a boy become a man, and based on what I've seen, I would agree.  Another item that they consider significant is that a boy receives certain things from both a mother and a father, and without the influence of someone of each gender, there may be gaps in his development.  These topics are covered in the early chapters.

In the later chapters, a variety of practical approaches are presented.  They include topics on character and self-discipline, the emotional life of boys, developing healthy sexuality, school, the impact of technology, rites of passages, and the authors' new vision of Christian manhood.  I particularly liked the chapter dealing with school and how it can help or hinder a boy's development.  I also found the chapter about rites of passage interesting.  Having encountered this idea in several others places besides just this book, I found myself imagining how a rite of passage would look for my son.  The authors present their idea in the form of the acrostic HEROIC: Honor, Enterprise, Responsibility, Originality, Intimacy, and Creativity.  It is presented through Following Jesus: A Heroic Quest for Boys.  All the topics include Biblical approaches tied in with a look at the biological make-up of boys.

While I thought this book was interesting upon first reading it, it is as I reflect back on some of the ideas presented that I'm better able to soak up the information.  To that effect, I would give this book 4 stars (out of 5) and recommend it to parents of fathers, and anyone who may have daily interactions or roles in the development of boys.

I received a review copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review.


Your son was created for great things, but he needs your help to appreciate his unique male design and to grow into the strong, loving man God created him to be.

Packed with doable strategies and eye-opening examples of what’s really going on inside a boy’s brain, Raising Boys by Design offers a practical blueprint to help you build a HERO—one who values Honor, Enterprise, Responsibility, and Originality. Among other things, you’ll learn how to help your son:
• strengthen his character, resilience, and self-discipline
• nurture genuine compassion and empathy
• process words and emotions in ways that fit his brain chemistry
• succeed in school and hone crucial life skills
• develop a healthy perspective of sexuality
• avoid the pitfalls of media and technology
• embark on a lifelong adventure of faith

This unique resource combines the latest research in brain science with timeless truths from the Bible to reveal the deepest needs shared by every boy of faith while also leading you to fresh insights for honoring the unique personality, talents, and God-given design of your son in particular.

You can help your son thrive today as the hero he is meant to be when you learn the secrets of Raising Boys by Design. - See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=223379#sthash.5ngZKEZx.dpuf
Your son was created for great things, but he needs your help to appreciate his unique male design and to grow into the strong, loving man God created him to be.

Packed with doable strategies and eye-opening examples of what’s really going on inside a boy’s brain, Raising Boys by Design offers a practical blueprint to help you build a HERO—one who values Honor, Enterprise, Responsibility, and Originality. Among other things, you’ll learn how to help your son:
• strengthen his character, resilience, and self-discipline
• nurture genuine compassion and empathy
• process words and emotions in ways that fit his brain chemistry
• succeed in school and hone crucial life skills
• develop a healthy perspective of sexuality
• avoid the pitfalls of media and technology
• embark on a lifelong adventure of faith

This unique resource combines the latest research in brain science with timeless truths from the Bible to reveal the deepest needs shared by every boy of faith while also leading you to fresh insights for honoring the unique personality, talents, and God-given design of your son in particular.

You can help your son thrive today as the hero he is meant to be when you learn the secrets of Raising Boys by Design. - See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=223379#sthash.5ngZKEZx.dpuf
Your son was created for great things, but he needs your help to appreciate his unique male design and to grow into the strong, loving man God created him to be.

Packed with doable strategies and eye-opening examples of what’s really going on inside a boy’s brain, Raising Boys by Design offers a practical blueprint to help you build a HERO—one who values Honor, Enterprise, Responsibility, and Originality. Among other things, you’ll learn how to help your son:
• strengthen his character, resilience, and self-discipline
• nurture genuine compassion and empathy
• process words and emotions in ways that fit his brain chemistry
• succeed in school and hone crucial life skills
• develop a healthy perspective of sexuality
• avoid the pitfalls of media and technology
• embark on a lifelong adventure of faith

This unique resource combines the latest research in brain science with timeless truths from the Bible to reveal the deepest needs shared by every boy of faith while also leading you to fresh insights for honoring the unique personality, talents, and God-given design of your son in particular.

You can help your son thrive today as the hero he is meant to be when you learn the secrets of Raising Boys by Design. - See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=223379#sthash.5ngZKEZx.dpuf

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