Synopses & Reviews
While women have forged ahead in the workplace and society, men are finding themselves increasingly marginalized, socially, professionally, economically and#151; enough so that one book on bestseller lists recently has been titled
The End of Men. This has led to calls for a menand#8217;s movement and courses are being taught, but they are failing to find traction among men. The reason should be plain: where once
Iron John stood as an archetype, along with the King, Warrior, Lover and Magician, those roles have become sadly outdated. The old archetypes of manhood no longer apply.
In this book, the author of six books on energy medicine, Native American spirituality and mindfulness, outlines why the current courses on menand#8217;s empowerment are failing and offers a new way of looking at male roles that edates the modern era. It is a and#147;back to the futureand#8221; approach to manhood that actually is better suited for the male psyche, having existed for thousands of years in all parts of the globe. Modernized, this and#147;survival kitand#8221; for the male gender can revitalize male and female relations on a more balanced and time-honored footing. This book serves as a self-help manual for men, a guide for menand#8217;s retreats, and a primer for wives, daughters, mothers and female friends to help the men in their lives adopt a newer, healthier way of living in balance with a society that is rapidly shifting its roles.
Other books on this topic repeat tired stereotypes of the and#147;king,and#8221; and#147;lover,and#8221; and#147;warrior,and#8221; and#147;magicianand#8221; and similar shorthand versions of menand#8217;s roles; but those roles no longer hold much value in todayand#8217;s society. In a society where women have more education and higher earning capacity than men, a woman can be and#147;king.and#8221; Women no longer sit idly waiting to be awakened by a Prince Charming; they are active lovers, emancipated from the Sleeping Beauty archetype. If men try to adopt outdated and#147;loverand#8221; roles, they find themselves alone, even pitied. Women are warriors, and magicians, and welders, firefighters and CEOs. An and#147;Iron Johnand#8221; who wishes to retreat into what he is taught is his strength in masculinity and#151; the wild man of ancient times and#151; will find himself alienated and out of step with reality. Conversely, if men try to adopt feminized versions of menand#8217;s roles, they will find themselves equally marginalized. Women donand#8217;t need men to be women. Nor do they need men who patronize them. This book teaches men how to be men in a new (yet time-tested way) by reevaluating how they were brought up and determining which behaviors are suitable for adopting, and which are suitable for rejecting.
About the Author
Jim PathFinder Ewing is an award-winning journalist, workshop leader, inspirational speaker and author in the fields of mind-body medicine, organic farming and eco-spirituality. He has written about, taught and lectured on Reiki, shamanism, spiritual ecology, integrative medicine and Native American spirituality for decades. He is the author of six books (Findhorn Press) on the spiritual aspects of food, sustainability, mindfulness and alternative health, published in English, French, German, Russian and Japanese. His writing has appeared in Inner Self magazine, Sacred Hoop, Daily Om, Indie Shaman, All Things Healing, Healium, Awareness, and other publications, and he is a perennial favorite in About.comand#8217;s Readers Choice Awards. He is a frequent guest on radio talk shows, such as Beyond 50 Radio, Just Bee Wellness, New Connexion, The Wendy Garrett Show and The Donna Seebo Show, among others, a guest lecturer at universities, and an invited presenter at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.