Fiction Fantastic

The first time I took notice of Terry Crews was in White Chicks, and although I didn't really follow his career, I always enjoyed the movies and shows that I saw with him in it. This book was a fascinating look into his life and how he used to perceived it vs how he sees it now --Hindsight plays a huge part in this memoir, and it does get you thinking... well, it got me thinking about how I perceive my past actions and how I'll see my current actions in the future. It's a good way to gain some perspective, I think.

Basically the book chronicles his struggles and victories in a very easy to follow timeline, and I found that it flowed along well. I also didn't get that overpowering feeling like he was holding details back... he laid it all out on the table, even when it put him in a bad light, and there was more than enough dodgy lighting.

He seems like a very determined kind of person, which is awesome and worked for him - it also shows you how hard work and never giving up can get you where you want to be. That said, stubborn and reckless can also be added to his character traits, and there were definitely a couple of places where I thought he was being either an idiot or an asshole (or both). He is very much what we currently think of as an "Alpha" male... I kind of understand though, he didn't have great examples growing up, and he put a lot of pressure on himself to be a real man. His dad wasn't a lot of help when it came time for him to figure out what that really meant, so of course he was going to make some mistakes along the way.

I think it's unfair how boys are made to believe that they needed to be tough and never show their feelings in order to be a real man. I consider myself a feminist, but being a feminist isn't just about women's rights and empowering women. It's about gender equality, and there is a lot of pressure on guys to act a certain way. As a mother of a boy, I feel it's so important for us to raise sons who don't feel like they have to fit a certain profile in order to be thought of as a real man. Like what's the alternative anyway?

Anyway, manhood was a fun and easy read, and I'll definitely keep my eyes open for more entertainment by Terry Crews.