Iron John

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View books by Robert Bly.

Magnificent - Rated
With eye-popping surprises every few pages, it unravels the compelling symbolism behind fairytales from all over the world. If I had met this book during adolescence, I would have had a better emotional life but what an outstanding discovery nonetheless at 40.

Buy it for your teenager, whether girl or boy: its about where they are at now, they will be pulled in.

A difficult book to read, but worth it - Rated
This might have been the most difficult book to read that I've ever read. Everything is layered with meanings and depths, and the reader wonders to what extent the author planned this. It is clearly prose written by a poet, who is more comfortable with symbolism than he is with direct statement.

This is also one of the most important and memorable books that I've read. Robert Bly weaves ancient mythology, modern sociology, and Jungian psychology into a book that challenges men to be more than they are and closer to what they could be. He helps to redefine masculinity and pushes everyone to be more fully human. This book is not for the faint of heart, but is worth the time and effort needed to read it.

An refreshing and insightful view for both Men and Women - Rated
A refreshing change from more commercialised books, this is thought-provoking and challenging to our framework of who we are as Men, how we each got to where we are, what we may be / are missing in our lives and where we can go from here.

Lent to me by a single Mum in her 30's, she read this for insight into how her son (2 years old) needs to be positively influenced by strong mentor males. I feel this book can help give understanding to any male-female relationships (same age, son/mother, daughter/father, etc).

Not meant as an excuse to act 'macho' (which has negative connotations these days); instead this text guides Men on how to be Men whilst still maintaining all the other communication and caring skills learned of our time!