A Better Man is a personal and ultimately hopeful letter from Michael Ian Black to his son as he starts college. Inspired by the Parkland shooting, Black challenges our current definitions and expectations of masculinity and offers suggestions to create and live as a better man. He acknowledges the intersectionality of race, gender, and class privilege, and is realistic in presenting his perspective as a straight, white, financially comfortable, man. Black emphasizes the importance of recognizing that all people are entitled to dignity, emotions, and the right to be themselves, and the importance of connecting with others. Humor prevents the work from becoming too much like a lecture. While it is addressed to a young man, there are questions and ideas that I believe are valuable to any reader. Recommended for anyone who needs a bit of hope and a reminder that we all can be better.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

A Better Man is a letter from a father to a son reaching maturity, but is more a treatise against toxic masculinity. Told as stories of the author's past and how it informed him growing up and as a father and "being a man." It reads as an honest account, heartfelt, and appropriately self-critical of himself and society as a whole. Not a funny book, but what a great example of the work we all must continue to do to create a more equitable and supportive experience for women. #ABetterMan #NetGalley

A wonderful book written for any young man growing up. Author/comedian Michael Ian Black lays out advice on masculinity and ultimately how to be "a better man" in a heartfelt and humorous way. Part memoir, part love letter to his son, the book recounts his own struggles with traditional masculinity and how it often leads one to disconnect from their emotions. A great gift for the teenager who is on their way to becoming a man, an adult male who needs more guidance, and the girls and women who have men in their life. It is also quite often very funny.

I have been a fan of Michael Ian Black's for years. I must admit I was expecting something a little lighter and more humorous. That being said, the author raises relevant issues regarding masculinity and what it means to be a man, especially in the age of #MeToo.