Iron John: A Book about Men 3rd Edition by Robert Bly ( Da Capo Press / Hachette Academic)

The depth of this book is stunning. I love this book so much I bought two additional copies as Christmas presents for my friends.The 25th anniversary edition of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller, with a new afterword by the author--which offers a new vision of what it is to be a man

In this timeless and deeply learned classic, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it means to be a man.

Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men, as well as on reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale "Iron John"-in which a mentor or "Wild Man" guides a young man through eight stages of male growth-to remind us of ways of knowing long forgotten, images of deep and vigorous masculinity centered in feeling and protective of the young.

At once down-to-earth and elevated, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is an astonishing work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.

Robert Bly is a fantastic writer. Part poet, part cultural anthropologist, he has a style that is both lush and crisp at the same time. He is clearly a fan of Joseph Campbell; the structure of his book evokes Campbell's style. However, this is no insult. Few have the talent or skill to write in such a breezy yet lucid fashion. And Joseph Campbell is one of the twentieth century's greatest minds. Clearly, Robert is a helluva writer.

Robert has an ability to explain complicated emotional states with ease. His understanding of what men need is equally profound. And while the book is far from thick I've found my pace through the book to be deliberately slow; every page is so rich with thought it leaves me with much to ponder.

If you're a thinking man who realizes that modern society does not value manhood and that we've been driven away from what men are supposed to be then this book must be read by you immediately. This book acknowledges and explains how deep and multi-layered men really are. This is Fight Club for intellectuals. By it immediately...then buy three more copies for your best friends and make them read it as well. That's exactly what I did!