Growth into Manhood : Resuming the Journey

Rating:
Summary: Among the Most Helpful Books on Men
Review: Out of the dozens of books grappling with the idea of being a man, Medinger's book is the clearest and most tangible literature available. Too many books on men are content to either say, "There's a male crisis," and leave it at that; perhaps more common is material telling men to simply "be good people." Medinger recognized the crisis, diagnoses the problem, and proposes a challenging but sincere solution. And - imagine this - he's on target. A central work to homosexuality concerns and men's studies in general.

Rating:
Summary: Among the Most Helpful Books on Men
Review: Out of the dozens of books grappling with the idea of being a man, Medinger's book is the clearest and most tangible literature available. Too many books on men are content to either say, "There's a male crisis," and leave it at that; perhaps more common is material telling men to simply "be good people." Medinger recognized the crisis, diagnoses the problem, and proposes a challenging but sincere solution. And - imagine this - he's on target. A central work to homosexuality concerns and men's studies in general.

Rating:
Summary: When you're ready
Review: There are many good books about struggling with unwanted same-sex thoughts or for some, actions. This book is outstanding, but I couldn't read it the first time I found it because I wasn't ready for the religious background of the book. It's not heavy-handed, but it is part of the book. After two years of reading and a year of therapy I have found a path for healing and growth, and was ready for this book. When you are ready for that..... read this outstanding book. I can't recommend it enough. Also read Cohen's, Coming Out Straight and Van Den Aardwig's, The Battle for Normality.

Rating:
Summary: a message full of hope
Review: This book hits the nail square on the head. For those who don't believe in God, it may be a difficult read, because the author bases a lot of the healing from unwanted homosexual attractions on a strong and solid relationship with God.

I would say that the key point in the book is not necessarily how to abolish your same-sex attractions (although i believe that is possible as well), rather it is focused on encouraging a man to feel like a man. Men who experience same-sex attractions simply do not feel like men; we can't identify ourselves as a MAN...that word doesn't seem to fit us. Thats exactly how i feel, and this book has given me a very feasible plan to which i know that i can and will obtain true manhood through healing from God (along with additional counselling and other resources).

This book isn't the bible for recovery. It is a starting point...an additional resource to be used to enhance your understanding about homosexuality, and to gain a deeper understanding of yourself or someone you know who struggles. If you are daring enough to see where God will take you if you are willing, take a little insight from this book and rely on God for the rest.

Rating:
Summary: Like talking to an exceptionally wise uncle
Review: This book is like a gift from a warm, wise and perceptive uncle. As I read it, I feel like I am being mentored by a good man who is telling me about myself in ways I could not find words for. One memorable point is his use of the word "nonman" to explain how I have often felt--can't identify with other men very well yet certainly not a woman. His clear and systematic articulation of what the problem is and how to fix it and his constant encouragement all along the way is wonderful. Even his writing style and the look of the book is attractively masculine. This is a Christian book but even non-Christians would probably enjoy and certainly benefit from Medinger's insights. I highly recommend it, along with Frank Pittman's "Man Enough."

Rating:
Summary: Realistic and powerful handling of gender-identity issues.
Review: This book is the helpful product of the author's Biblically informed experience, from dealing with both himself and those he has served for over 25 years in the Exodus ministry. In distinction from other excellent books on the subject of same-sex attraction, this one focuses on identity issues, and argues that it is a boy's arrested gender-identity development that prompts him to grow up craving male affirmation in unhealthy, excessive, ultimately idolatrous ways. The author writes about the practical outworkings of overcoming the profoundly spiritual, psychological, and emotional challenges presented by the struggle for sexual wholeness. This book helped me significantly.

Rating:
Summary: Don't be afrain to grow up
Review: This book, if you let the truth drill into the core of who you are, will change your life. So many of us, homosexual or even weak hetersexual, refuse to face the facts. At some point in our life we experienced something traumatic, real or even imagined. It injured us in such a way that we withdrew into ourselves and our fantasies.
I think I always knew this, but I was afraid to admit it. More, I had no idea how to get beyond my self-pity and feelings of being victimized.
Alan Medinger's book gave me the road map I needed, a road map gleaned from painful experience. Just reading the back page in the bookstore I began to feel something working in me. I realize now it was the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth.
In Christ, and with the power of the His Spirit, I know I can be the man God always wanted me to be. And you (if you're a man, of course) can too.

Rating:
Summary: Don't be afrain to grow up
Review: This book, if you let the truth drill into the core of who you are, will change your life. So many of us, homosexual or even weak hetersexual, refuse to face the facts. At some point in our life we experienced something traumatic, real or even imagined. It injured us in such a way that we withdrew into ourselves and our fantasies.
I think I always knew this, but I was afraid to admit it. More, I had no idea how to get beyond my self-pity and feelings of being victimized.
Alan Medinger's book gave me the road map I needed, a road map gleaned from painful experience. Just reading the back page in the bookstore I began to feel something working in me. I realize now it was the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth.
In Christ, and with the power of the His Spirit, I know I can be the man God always wanted me to be. And you (if you're a man, of course) can too.

Rating:
Summary: Good insights
Review: This would be a good book for you if:

1). You believe that the fact that humans are male and female,
and can experience the qualities of masculinity and
femininity, is reflective of a divine intent and not the
result of accidental evolution.

2). You are a man who experiences sexual attractions and
emotional longings for other men, but who also has the
intellectual integrity and emotional courage to ask what
these obvious desires for maleness/male connection
signify and what experiences in your past may have
contributed to them, and if you have a sneaking suspicion
that conventional gay orthodoxy doesn't provide all the
answers, despite whatever oversimplifications or
judgmental attitudes that professing Christians have
exhibited.


Rating:
Summary: Well, I've actually met the author of this book
Review: Well, unlike probably most of the people that have posted a review, I've met the author of this book. He came to my school to give his story and talk about how he "turned away" from homosexuality through prayer, etc. I was in class for a protion of it, so I thought I'd read some of the book before speaking to him. I was just about to blow up within the two pages that I opened up to. But not for the reasons you'd imagine. I was mad because he misrepresented something I beleive in to further his argument. Don't beleve a word he says about evolution. Pretty much everything he says on evolution is dead wrong or a misconception. Like how he says macroevolution has been disproven and microevolution is right. That doesn't make sense. They are the same thing. You don't have macroevolution without microevolution. He also says natural selection "creates", no it doesn't. Where within the four points of natural selcection or for that matter in Darwin's "Origin of Species" does it say natural selection creates. I might have missed some of his presentation, but I think he was wrong when he started talking about gender roles. He said gays feel attracted to big strong muscular men so they can feel their strong arms around them. That the effeminate men make fun of the jocks, but secretly want to be like them...like REAL men. I don't feel comfortable in a group of 20 jocks with build bodies and talking about "pussy" (i think its crude and innaproriate. you should respect women! and that was the impression I got how he sees masculinity) so does that mean I haven't reached manhood? But the real kicker came when he told us we have to generalize. I am proud to say that I am like no one else in the world. One of a kind. I beleive that you can't just generalize an entire group of people. Lets use his example and for the sake of the argument, say that the effeminate guys are really jealous of the "real" men. What about the "real" men that are attracted to other guys? Generalization is wrong and that is why I stopped reading. I hope this helps.