This is a fun little book about what it means to be "manly" in the modern world. The author Grayson Perry -- a cross-dressing British artist who likes to race mountain bikes -- gives a lighthearted but critical argument that the sooner men let go of old-school masculine behaviors, the better his life will be.

He makes a point early on that men are generally conditioned to perform a specific way to fulfill the role of what society deems acceptable for a man, and we mock each other or feel inferior when we fall short of those societal expectations. Some people just don't fit that perfect idea of masculinity that has been internalized by us through our parents, grandparents, teachers, government, books, and movies. Some, if not many, of those people start to berate themselves for being different from what a man is "supposed" to be. And to top it off, they probably don't know how to talk about it.

Perry has a lot of fun breaking down other stereotypically masculine behaviors and it's fun to read. Not an academic work by any means, but it might make you think critically about a few things. The traditional idea of masculinity is outdated. A better idea of masculinity, Perry argues, is one that promotes flexibility, acceptance, and openness. There's no one way to be manly. And for the love of your God or lack thereof, it's ok to have feelings.