Non fiction books are hard for me to lose myself jn. So when Justin said he was adapting IEWU and then started i wanted to learn more about the man. Loved it

Justin Baldoni is such an inspiration because he is such a genuine, compassionate, and brave human. This book will make you love him even more.
Man Enough is an exploration of masculinity and how society views what it means to be a man. It is common to hear about feminism and to break down the gender norms of being a women but rarely is the same done for men. Baldoni talks about his real life experiences with what it truly means to be a man. His honest and raw accounts are what make this book.
While some might think it is geared more toward men, I think it is a great read for anyone and makes you think twice about how we define genders.

Loved this book. As a woman totally enjoyed this peek into the male psyche. The author was searingly honest and really gave an insight into all facets of being a good man in today’s world.

I was first introduced to Justin Baldoni when he was on Jane the Virgin.  When I saw that he had a book out, I had to check it out.  I was actually very surprised by how open he was in this book, called "Man Enough" which is an exploration of masculinity.  You always hear about how growing up as a young girl is difficult due to all the media pressure on the perfect body, perfect makeup looks, etc and I never really thought that young boys also had similar things to face when they were growing up as well.  I think Justin did a great job explaining difficulties that he and other men will face growing up, sometimes coming out of his comfort zone and being quite vulnerable and telling stories from his youth that may be considered embarrassing.  But I think that it is important to share these stories - so if a young boy going through similar situations picks up this book he will know he is not alone.  I think reading it as a female also opened my eyes a bit as well because I definitely thought guys had it so much easier and after finishing the book I am not sure that is so true anymore!  He touches on a lot of great subject and even if you don't know him from an actor, I think it would be a beneficial read! 

I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

I have a low bar when it comes to "celebrity" books or memoirs, but I really appreciated Justin Baldoni's perspective, thought, and insight. While I am not a male, I am raising a son and I think constantly about what society is telling our boys (and girls, and nb children, etc. I just personally am raising a son). Celeb or not, Justin has dove headfirst into this conversation and is bringing it to the forefront to dissect the topic at hand.

At first I was excited about this book because I am a big fan of all of Justin’s work and the good that he always tries to spread. Going into this book I assumed it would be like any other biography but I can say this was not the case. Baldoni holds nothing back and no topic is off limits. This book goes into depth about what it is like growing up being a boy and being pushed early on into being a man. Women always question why men don’t talk about their feelings, or they don’t say much or why do they act a certain way around the guys, etc. This book dived head first into subjects not many are willing to talk about out loud or acknowledge within themselves. Language is a powerful thing and feeling all the emotions shouldn’t be something anyone is ashamed of but embrace it. Baldoni shows that there is strength to be found when feeling vulnerable and has started the conversation. Reading it, you can tell Baldoni put everything he had into his writing. Even though the book is called “Man Enough” I believe everyone can learn something from this book and walk away with an entirely different perspective on everything they ever actually thought!

Unfortunately after reading close to half of the book, I found myself unable to finish due to lack of interest. I think that the book is commendable, divulging into the issues of masculinity and being man enough to express feelings in a society where it's basically seen as being soft or taboo. The content is relevant but the writing felt redundant and some experiences just didn't feel strong enough to support the idea. I know that Baldoni reiterates that he knows that he grew up in a world of more privilege than some, but some examples just wouldn't necessarily resonate with all cultural groups; and that's okay, but it also means that not everyone can relate. With memoirs it's the person's truth, and for that I think the novel is very personal to Baldoni. I think that some issues Baldoni talks about wouldn't necessarily affect other men the same way, but I think the foundation of his books rings true and does spark a conversation of where our men are today in their own struggles that aren't necessarily talked about.

I'm going to be honest. I don't know Justin Baldoni from his acting career. I have never watched Jane the Virgin. I know Justin Baldoni through all the good he is trying to do in the world and I think that makes this book even better for me. This is a book that I needed in my life. As the mom of two boys, this book is important so that I can understand a little of what they are going through. I have also been talking to my husband about this story at length and he will be reading it as well.
Baldoni puts into words how it feels to grow up being a boy and how they are pushed to be man enough, or just enough. Growing up and going through teenage girl angst you really don't think about the boys going through the same thing. I never really throught about a boy dealing with the same body issues, the same mental struggles, because it just isn't talked about. Boys are often told if they are crying or expressing feelings they are acting like a girl, but having human emotions is actually just normal. Why are boys taught that it isn't ok to cry? These boys are called dergatory names for being human and having emotions. Why are we teaching our boys that this is how it should be?
This book explores all of the ways Baldoni didn't feel like he was "enough". Truthfully, we have all had these feelings of inadequacy, but it is refreshing to hear that someone like him, an actor, a celebrity, has felt these same feelings and how he is exploring them instead of letting them control him.
There are so many things Baldoni says in this book that resonate with me, so many things I have heard people say to the men and boys that surround me and this opened my eyes to the fact that one comment could change the way a child feels about themselves forever. We need to be cognizant, we need to do better. I need to do better as I parent my young boys. This is a book I will come back to just to remind myself that my boys are strong enough, man enough, the way they are. We don't need to put boys down to build them up, to make them stronger, because inside it is just breaking their spirits.
I cannot wait for my husband to read this book because I know that some of these things have been said to him growing up, he thinks showing emotion is weak. I know first hand what supressing emotion can do to a person and I want him to know that he is enough and letting me see everything is so strong. There is strength in vulnerability. Thank you so much for sharing your story Justin.
Thank you to Justin Baldoni, Netgalley and HarperOne for an early copy of this book.

Let me start off by saying I am probably not the target demographic of this book, but with that I still found it super informative and took a lot of key points away from this book. I Ioved Justin Baldoni on Jane the Virgin and followed him online because of it. There, I was introduced to his show Man Enough and his work of breaking the the macho man mentality. the book was really informative and honest. It was based in science and had a lot of good backing from prominent researchers. I can't imagine the feeling he had writing all of this out for the public but I am so glad he did. I would love to see more men open up about this and become more vulnerable to the people around him. And just because I am a girl didn't mean I didn't take anything from this. I too have many of these same issues and it gave me a new opinion.

I am a longtime fan of Baldoni's. I am so excited that he is taking his life work and putting it into the world.

There were some great small nuggets of wisdom packed into this book but i found this mainly to be a memoir, of sorts. I enjoyed learning how Justin became who he is but I wouldn't label this a self help necessarily.

I am a white woman so therefore I am not his target aideience. I wish this book worlds of success but it wasn't necessarily for me.

I thought this going to be a book about male empowerment to show men can be the best when they are vulnerable. It was to an extent but it seems like the author complains about some of his problems a little bit and tries to give advice as best as he can about his own experiences. The author felt vulnerable because some of his life choices and decisions. Overall, this just ok. It was nice to have an author that does manly things speak about men needing to be vulnerable and it is not a sign of weakness. We all knew there are plenty of books about female empowerment, so that was a nice change.

This was better than I thought it was going to be but I was not blown up by the insights or observations. Some may find this enlightening. As a woman, it was ok-ish. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley, Justin Baldoni and Harper One for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/27/21