There's no wrong way to be a woman. There are countless wrong ways to be a man.

James Breakwell should know. He's tried just about all of them. Journalism. Pig ownership. Felony lawn gnome theft. Whatever masculinity is supposed to be, this can't be it. But can you really fail at something no one can quite define? Apparently.

Now, in a series of funny, sharply observed, and occasionally poignant essays, everyone's favorite internet-famous father of four daughters lays down a lifetime of lessons in what it means to be a man. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll wonder what really happened to those creepy lawn gnomes on that deserted country road. (Spoiler alert: They're right behind you.)

If you ever wanted to know how to fail at altruism, dodge the priesthood, and stumble your way into unexpected wisdom, this book is for you.

How to Be a Man (Whatever that Means) presents a vision of manhood that looks very different from what you'll see on TV. And that's a good thing. Probably.

About The Author

James Breakwell

James Breakwell is a professional comedy writer and amateur father of four girls ages 7 and under. His Twitter account @XplodingUnicorn has more than 640,000 followers who check in with him daily as he fails as a parent and a human being.

Breakwell's comedy went viral in April 2016 when Buzzfeed featured his kid-centric jokes in an article that quickly drew more than 2 million views. His @XplodingUnicorn account grew by more than 400,000 followers in the following months. His jokes have been featured by USA Today, US Magazine, DailyMail.com, Metro.co.uk, Huffington Post, 9GAG, theCHIVE.com, CollegeHumor.com, various ABC and Fox TV news affiliates, and countless other TV, radio, and Internet outlets.

His articles have appeared in Reader's Digest, The Federalist, and AskMen. He has been a guest multiple times on HLN's The Daily Share, and they haven't banned him yet. He can open most jars on the first try and is only a little afraid of the dark. He still can't load the dishwasher right.

Product Details

Publisher: BenBella Books (June 1, 2021)
Length: 218 pages
ISBN13: 9781950665907

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Raves and Reviews

"
“How to Be a Man is like reliving the crazy things we all did growing up, and surviving to chuckle about them today. Expect to laugh and roll your eyes at Breakwell’s stories. How to Be A Man will keep the reader entertained from beginning to end. But be warned . . . the writing is addictive and the book is hard to put down.”

—Cynthia D'Alba, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

""Masculinity is a perfect topic for James Breakwell, who knows a good joke when he writes one. He uses his life experience like a sculptor, chiseling away what man is not, and what's left looks kind of like Michelangelo's David in clown pants.""

—Doug French, cofounder of Dad 2.0

""Breakwell deftly punctures the main myths of modern masculinity, leaving behind something more genuine and engaged and a whole lot funnier.""

—Chad Orzel, author of How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog and Breakfast with Einstein

“Buy this book for the dude in your life right now! He’ll laugh, sure. He’ll laugh real hard. But he will also realize once and for all that masculinity is a huge sham.”

—Clint Edwards, author of I’m Sorry... Love, Your Husband and Father-ish

“This book isn’t just for men. Women will also laugh out loud at James’ tales of making sense of crazy family stories and the ups and downs of life—and ultimately be inspired to realize that the right way to be a man (or a woman) is simply to embrace who you really are.”

—Jen Fulwiler, standup comic and bestselling author
"

"""How to Be a Man is like reliving the crazy things we all did growing up, and surviving to chuckle about them today. Expect to laugh and roll your eyes at Breakwell's stories. How to Be A Man will keep the reader entertained from beginning to end. But be warned . . . the writing is addictive and the book is hard to put down.""
—Cynthia D'Alba, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

""Masculinity is a perfect topic for James Breakwell, who knows a good joke when he writes one. He uses his life experience like a sculptor, chiseling away what man is not, and what's left looks kind of like Michelangelo's David in clown pants.""
—Doug French, cofounder of Dad 2.0

""Breakwell deftly punctures the main myths of modern masculinity, leaving behind something more genuine and engaged and a whole lot funnier.""
—Chad Orzel, author of How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog and Breakfast with Einstein

""Buy this book for the dude in your life right now! He'll laugh, sure. He'll laugh real hard. But he will also realize once and for all that masculinity is a huge sham.""
—Clint Edwards, author of I'm Sorry... Love, Your Husband and Father-ish

""This book isn't just for men. Women will also laugh out loud at James' tales of making sense of crazy family stories and the ups and downs of life—and ultimately be inspired to realize that the right way to be a man (or a woman) is simply to embrace who you really are.""
—Jen Fulwiler, standup comic and bestsellin"