Monday, December 17, 2007

The Dangerous Book for Boys

© By Albert A Rasch


“Recapture Sunday afternoons and long summer days."

"The perfect book for every boy from eight to eighty.”


The Dangerous Book for Boys


By Conn and Hal Iggulden

I recently picked this wonderful book as a Christmas gift for my son Blake.

With so many other interests pulling at them, I am frequently at a loss as to what to get them. Traditionally, I make them some weapon of war. Their gifts include: shields, swords, staffs, and flails, anything that keeps them occupied and occasionally unconscious.

It was with wonder and amazement that I found this tome on the shelves of my local book seller. This magnificent book was written with the right proper attitude; a certain knowledge that a boy must be allowed to be a boy, without too much mollycoddling. There are chapters on tree house building, go-kart making, bow crafting, and rabbit hunting. Chapters on weather, astronomy, trees, and artillery. There are whole pages on famous battles, famous people, and famous documents.

If I had the wherewithal, I would forward this book to every kid our family knows, I think it is that important. What I would give to see the face of some child, stuck in an antiseptic suburban world, when he opens this book!

I quickly devoured the whole book in one sitting late into the night. Do you know the rules for rugby? You’ll find them on page 61. Need the Navaho Code Talkers list? Page 100. Forgot how to shoot marbles? Page 207 has the all the information you need to crack aggies again!

I am telling you this as an grown man with a kid’s penchant for trouble; get the book. You will enjoy reading it even if you don’t do a single thing in it.

Regards,

Albert A Rasch

The Hunt Continues...

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What amazed me when this book came out was all the uproar over the fact that it was a book for boys. Oh the horror!

I've not read the book, but it does sound like a lot of fun. You'll have to let us know if your boys enjoy it.

Albert A Rasch said...

Kristine,
I must have missed the show.

I'll google it up and see what the hub-bub was all about!

Thanks,
Albert A Rasch

Anonymous said...

Albert,

If remember correctly, the uproar was mainly over the idea that the book was gender specific. I didn't pay all that much attention, as that stuff usually gives me a headache.

I believe the subsequently came out with The Dangerous Book for Girls or something like that. I guess that equalized things.

Editor said...

am planning on getting ththose two books for the kids at Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Albert A Rasch said...

Folks,

The hub-bub was that it:

"...encouraged boys to do things where they could hurt themselves..."

I wish those detractors would come to my house! I have to keep my kids from doing things that won't cost them an eye or spleen!

Merry Christmas!
Albert

Cathy Smith said...

Albert,
Just catching up on my new blogging friends latest postings. I think this book sounds great. I plan on finding it for my 8-year old nephew for his 9th birthday in April.