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The Good Men Project is pleased to present this list of books written by members and participants of our highly engaged community.
While these books are being featured in the month of June for Father’s Day and our #ModernDayDad campaign, they will be of interest to a wide range of readers.
- The book description is provided.
- Each book title and cover photo is linked to a landing page where you can purchase the book.
- All books are alphabetical by the author’s last name.
- This list may be updated from time to time.
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Conaway, Cameron — Man Box: Poems
Poetry. ASIN: B07CK4MK22 (ebook). Published by Lasting Impact Press, an imprint of Connection Victory Publishing Company (April 2018)
Man Box illuminates the seemingly insignificant patriarchal forces that manifest into a toxic masculinity capable of damaging lives and our planet. “Man Box can open up important conversations in gender studies classes everywhere.” —Dr. Joe Boehman. “Cameron Conaway has created a collection of poems from deep in the heart and soul of an ever-changing and healing masculinity. He masterfully uses personal experience and perspective to make visible what so many of us feel but never question, much less articulate. Each poem is an invitation to the reader to feel, to reflect, and to change.” —Dr. Tom Schiff. “In this exquisite collection, Conaway breaks the manacles of manhood by bravely disrupting its ‘lexicon of destruction.’ In dialogue with texts that range from ancient to popular culture, his poems explore the myriad ways that boys are ‘the first victims / and the second perpetrators …broken to see / the world as theirs but not / until they murder it.’ The strength of these poems comes from the tenderness and vulnerability they unapologetically express—and the dazzling prosody by which they express it. If ever a book of poetry had the promise to make a vital impact on our contemporary culture, it is Man Box.” —Christina Cook.
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Diamond, Jed — Healing the Family Father Wound: Your Playbook for Personal and Relationship Success
Non-fiction. ISBN 13: ISBN: 978-1-64381-004-1 (spiral-bound). Published by Lasting Impact Press, an imprint of Connection Victory Publishing Company (August 2018)
Designed to accompany My Distant Dad: Healing the Family Father Wound (see below), this spiral-bound workbook will help adults process their experiences with an absent or distant father to move toward healing. Disconnected males, without a strong sense of inner guidance, can become abusive towards women and destructive towards men. We’ve seen this with the outpouring of sexual abuse allegations involving many prominent men. More than 20 million children live in a home without the physical presence of a father. Millions more have dads who are physically present, but emotionally absent. If it were classified as a disease, fatherlessness would be an epidemic worthy of attention as a national emergency. It is written by long-time psychotherapist working in the field of men’s health, Dr. Jed Diamond, and includes exercises with journal pages to write out your thoughts and feelings related. This is a first printing, first edition spiral-bound workbook printed in Tennessee, USA. Limited quantities available.
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Diamond, Jed — My Distant Dad: Healing the Family Father Wound
Memoir: Diamond, Jed. ISBN-13: 978-164-3810-065 (paperback), ASIN: B07Q3J5RXW (audiobook). Publisher: Lasting Impact Press, an imprint of Connection Victory Publishing Company (August 2018).
Heal your family father wound and understand why you struggle in your love life, worry about money and success, allow male anger to negatively influence your life. There is one problem that surpasses all others in its impact on men, women, and society: the family father wound. Without the support of their fathers, men become disconnected from their true selves, feeling that others are controlling their lives. The family father wound may be the most pervasive, most important, and least recognized problem facing men and their families today. However, the family father wound, resulting from physical or emotional absence, has been largely ignored. Disconnected males, without a strong sense of inner guidance, can become abusive towards women and destructive towards men. We’ve seen this with the outpouring of sexual abuse allegations involving many prominent men. More than 20 million children live in a home without the physical presence of a father. Millions more have dads who are physically present, but emotionally absent. If it were classified as a disease, fatherlessness would be an epidemic worthy of attention as a national emergency. The male anger and rage we see in everything from domestic violence to school shootings have their roots in trauma resulting from growing up in families with disconnected and dysfunctional fathers. Yet, this childhood wounding can be healed. My Distant Dad is the first book to address the father wound and its impact on men and women through the personal experiences of a world-renowned expert on men’s health.
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Goldstein, Ken — From Nothing: A Novel of Technology, Bar Music, and Redemption
Fiction. ISBN-13: 978-1611882544 (hardcover). Publisher: Story Plant (June 2018)
Moving to the classic rock beat of legends, here is a novel about Silicon Valley backroom deals and redemption that tells the story of our lives through the soundtrack of our lives. Populated with a wide array of colorful characters, brimming with reflections on everything from love to God to the price of commitment, and backed by a soundtrack you won’t be able to get out of your head, From Nothing is an engaging work of fiction that will resonate like your favorite song. It’s the story of Victor Selo. A wannabe rock star turned tech savant, Victor wagered his Silicon Valley executive position on a corporate inside straight and lost. Having security escort him out of the building was the best thing that happened to him that day. The rest left him in the hospital, broken, broke, and with no prospect. A shadowy stranger with questionable motives offered Victor a chance to get his life back – and better – if he simply cooperates. It would require becoming invisible, hiding in the spotlight, playing guitar in a Vegas cover band. Reluctantly, Victor accepts and begins an odyssey he never could have imagined, involving a charismatic lead singer who owns the stage but aspires to own an Elvis wedding chapel, a mesmerizing woman who can play anything on her keyboards and can play with Victor’s head, and two specters from his old life offering competing devil’s bargains. Suddenly, multiple futures open for Victor, each comes with potentially catastrophic risk.
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Hopkins, Walt and Simons, George — Seven Ways to Lighten Your Life Before You Kick the Bucket
Non-fiction. ISBN-13: 978-0993000287 (paperback). Publisher: Libri Publishing (April 2016)
A bucket list is a list of
things to do before you die. This book is a guide to
ways to live before you die. Whether you have a bucket list or not, the stories and insights in this book offer you seven clear ways to lighten—and enlighten—your life before you kick the bucket. George Simons and Walt Hopkins (international consultants) have learned a lot about living well while getting older—and they generously and intimately share those learnings with men and women concerned about aging. The text does draw from the perspective of the men’s movement in which both George and Walt have been long engaged and addresses challenges of aging, motivation, and the quality of everyday life. Both are concerned with mythopoetic elements, frequently citing narrative and poetic elements that go to the heart of the male experience in particular the challenges of aging.
Seven Ways addresses the challenges both men and women face in making our behavior coherent with our integrity and our purpose. It cites multiple personal experiences and stories to propose concrete action steps that the reader can develop and choose in order to implement his or her dream and, in the process, enhance the quality of life. With Mark Twain-like humor and age-old wisdom, it’s a guide to kicking out what brings you down and picking up the things that make you happy.
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Krasner, Stephen — A Broken System: Family Court in the United States (Vol. 1; Vol. 2)
Non-fiction. ASIN: B07B5L77QX (ebook, Vol. 1), ASIN: B07HMQGG5G (ebook, Vol. 2). Publisher: Lasting Impact Press, an imprint of Connection Victory Publishing Company (2018)
A Broken System: Family Court in the United States, is an anthology of articles. It breaks down the often complicated systems adversely impacting so many parents and children today. We have a problem in the arena of divorce and custody in the United States. We have a system that is not impartial and often serves as a breeding ground for disingenuous and unethical actions committed by players in the legal arena and sometimes (knowingly and unknowingly) enabled by the very court’s people believe will determine fact from fiction. Many parents and children have an uphill challenge awaiting them as they seek what many others before the law and courts seek: fairness and the right to be heard. The books present research, facts, and interviews with the many people embroiled in these systems allowing the reader an inside look at the implications, adverse impact and potential remedies to the problems these ordeals present each and every day.
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Luzzi, John and Miggs, Don — Dads Know Best
Non-fiction. ISBN-13: 978-1684016921 (hardcover). Publisher: Mascot Books (February 2019)
Dads Know Best–the first book in The Know Best Books series–is a real-talk book about parenting from unlikely experts John Luzzi and Don Miggs. It pulls back the curtain on the first few years of parenthood, tells new dads all the things their friends and mentors didn’t have the heart to tell them, and reminds grandparents or second-time parents what they signed up for. There’s no sugar-coating. No pandering. No clichés. Just honest advice from two fathers who did everything wrong but ended up getting it right. From navigating epic diaper blowouts, to managing pregnancy cravings, to learning about the wonderful world of nipples, Don Miggs and John Luzzi have you covered. They’ll teach you how to be there for your baby mama and take care of your kid without losing your mind in the process. After all, they know best. Don and John are veteran songwriters, performers, and producers. Don is also a radio host of the weekly FM show Miggs & Swig. Fueled by the love of his wife and their two boys, Don believes he can do most anything he tries, and they’ll be there when he falls flat on his face. John lives in Seattle with his wife and young son, and has spent most of his years pursuing his passion for music as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Not being able to get through a single book on parenting but still wanting to be a better dad than everyone he knew, he was driven to seek out brutally honest advice on fatherhood.
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Paisner, Daniel — A Single Happened Thing
Fiction. ISBN 13: 9780984764839 (paperback), ISBN 13: 9780984764853 (ebook), Publisher: Relegation Books (March 2016)
It’s the late Nineties on the Upper West Side and book publicist David Felb (née Felber, née Felberstein) can sense his world shrinking. He is stuck in the slow lane at “a venerable second-tier publishing house” and feeling the encroaching changes technology will bring as he struggles to maintain a bond with his wife and three young daughters. Into the void steps Fred “Sure Shot” Dunlap, a tweed-clad, waxed-mustached nineteenth-century baseball legend with still impeccable timing who died penniless and obscure and seems to need something from Felb. Or is it the other way around? Felb dutifully goes to weekly psychiatrist appointments at his wife’s insistence, but when his hard-to-reach baseball-mad teenage daughter develops her own fascination, he can feel a chance to recapture something lost. Daniel Paisner’s enchanting new novel about neurosis, intimacy, and balancing familial needs while juggling two careers and the demands of modern life is also a charming and memorable parable about losing your mind and finding yourself in the age of anxiety.
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Rich, John D — Positive Parenting: A Practical and Sometimes Humorous Approach To Applying The Research In Your Home With Gender Inclusivity, Mutual Respect, and Empathy – and NO Spanking!
Non-fiction. ISBN-13: 978-1643810119 (paperback). Publisher: Lasting Impact Press, an imprint of Connection Victory Publishing Company (February 2019)
We all want to be good people and good parents to our children. This is why I created my website, DrJohnRich.com, and why I wrote this book bundle (Positive Parenting, Practical Parenting, and How Did You Get Him To Eat That). My name is Dr. John D Rich, Jr. I am an educational psychologist and an associate professor of Psychology at Delaware State University, with expertise in effective parenting and teaching. I also have a lot of life experience to go along with my academic knowledge. My goal is to help you incorporate effective parenting and teaching practices with your children. I was moved to write because I want to share what I know about my own life as an educator and a parent of two great boys, as well to share all of the high-quality research out there about effective parenting and education, using language and stories that would be accessible to a wide audience. Most parents desire to raise well-behaved, successful children, and most educators desire to positively impact the students in their care. I am convinced that the effort you invest to understand and apply what we academics know about effective parenting can create exciting benefits for you and your children. It is my hope that this book bundle will be a resource for parents and educators to learn and discuss best practices that will help us all positively influence the next generation.
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Stalter, Michael D. — How to Cope, Manage the Household, and Make Love When Your Wife Has Cancer: Practical Guidance for the Husband-Caregiver
Non-fiction. ASIN: B01AL0XOZG (ebook). Publisher: Connection Victory Publishing Company (January 2016)
You may not have thought about it unless it has happened to you, but life changes when a person is told “You have cancer.” Not only does life change for the patient, but also for the family members, especially the caregiving spouse. Statistics indicate that husbands are not typically willing to be a caregiver to their terminally ill wife. Maybe part of that is feeling overwhelmed, feeling helpful or how to be useful. This e-book will help you, providing practical guidance. As a husband-caregiver, you can have a huge influence on how your wife deals with her illness. Your care and encouragement can help your wife stick with demanding cancer treatment. If you are committed to your wife and the marriage vows you made to her, you too can beat the statistics with some knowledge, faith, hope, and the guidance in this e-book. By the author of Still Have Faith: A Husband’s Story About a 21-Year War With Breast Cancer.
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Vruno, Mark J. — Curbing Human Trafficking: Sex slavery is a horrific international crime against women, men, and children. You can help stop it.
Non-fiction. ASIN: B078DXTY3C. Publisher: Connection Victory Publishing Company (December 2017)
Curbing Human Trafficking is a journalistic view of the horrific realities of this internationally-problematic crime. The author highlights the trafficking crimes and criminals in Chicago and its suburbs as well as the people and one of the agencies who are committed to improving not only the statistics but the lives behind the numbers. Vruno interviews a federal judge and discusses case reports of the Department of Justice. He introduces the not-for-profit Women At Risk (WAR), International which works diligently to save those who were enslaved and then helps them to find a new life. It isn’t a man problem. Globally, approximately 20 million women, men, and children are victims of human trafficking. Vruno informs the reader on likely targets’ psychographics and demographics. Perhaps the most important aspect of Curbing Human Trafficking is that it will open the reader’s eyes to this fast-growing crime and to recognize the signs of a person being trafficked. It gives tips on questions to ask and how to intervene safely. WARNING: This story contains graphic content that some readers may find disturbing.
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Weiss, Avrum Geurin — Change Happens: When to Try Harder and When to Stop Trying So Hard
Non-fiction. ISBN-13: 978-1442211490 (hardcover). Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (November 2011)
Most of us are unsure when to try harder to bring about change in our lives and when it is best to stop trying so hard. Trying harder is the “All-American” approach. Whether it’s dating, dieting, or dealing with a job crisis, we like to believe that we can change just about anything if we are only willing to work hard enough. Not trying so hard is counter-intuitive; it may even seem like laziness or a lack of will power to stop trying so hard. Nonetheless, there are times when trying harder is the definition of insanity; doing the same thing over and over again and expecting something different to happen. So how does one know when it is better to try harder or when to stop trying so hard? Extensive psychological research makes it clear that neither of these approaches used alone is as effective as learning how to integrate the two together. Action without insight frequently leads to disappointment. Change Happens successfully articulates common experiences that we rarely put into words, shows how the process of change looks in the lives of real people, and gives examples and illustrations of different kinds of situations to help readers identify and apply the insight to their own lives. Weiss brings together some of the most compelling contemporary psychological thinking on the process of change and shows how these insights play out and help transform the lives of real people.
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Featured photo credit: Kyle Pearce on Flickr.com
