This manual delves into the wide variety of real-life skills young men will need as they move to life on their own in today's world. Guidance is given on personal care, social skills, food preparation, work and money management, sports how-to's, and vehicle and tool usage. Author Jonathan Catherman is an educational consultant and youth trainer specializing in character and leadership development, but he really focuses on practical skills in this book. His goal here is to help young men gain respect and avoid embarrassment.
This self-help guide is divided into 10 chapters. Each starts with a two-page overview featuring tips from an expert in their field, then drills down to specific steps. Each step is only 2 or 3 sentences. Everything is to-the-point and clear. For instance, the Clothes & Style chapter starts with thoughts from Nate Retzlaff, an apparel design consultant who has worked with Nike, Adidas, Dakine, Reebok, X-Games, and ESPN, among others. Sections include how-to's like: Wash Laundry, Dry Laundry, Iron a Shirt, Iron Slacks, Shine Shoes, Tie a Tie, Sew on a Button, Treat a Stain, Fold a Shirt, Fold No-Pleat Pants, and Hang Slacks. The section on ironing a shirt breaks the process down into 9 clear steps.
To make sure that he gets the reader's attention, the author starts out the book with a chapter on Women and Dating. Successive chapters include Social Skills and Manners, Work & Ethics, Wealth and Money Management, Grooming & Personal Hygiene, Clothes & Style, Sports & Recreation, Cars & Driving, Food & Cooking, and Tools and Fix-It. Every one of these chapters contains plenty of useful ideas that can be put into practice daily. Besides the easy-to-follow steps, each section ends with some expert advice.
The author has obviously had plenty of experience working with young men, and distills his years of experience into this easy-to-follow guide. Let his experience be your guide.