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Manthropology, The Science of why the Modern Male is not what he used to be.

"If you are reading this, then you - or the man you have bought it for - are the worst man in history."

Wow, talk about a take no prisoner's statement for the first line in a book! I bought Manthropology a little while ago on a whim and haven't been able to put it down since. You see, as a history buff I have always wondered how in the hell ancient man achieved the feats of physical prowess he did. From hunting mammoths with spears, to doing battle in full armour with heavy weapons for hours on end, to doing back breaking manual labour for years on end without any true physical breakdown.

I have always been astounded at these feats I read about, especially when I compare them to "normal" men are capable of today. If you read my post What is Happening to Modern Man? then you already know I have had a deep seeded disappointment with the physical and mental toughness of "normal" men these days. For the most part men have turned into complete girly men. From skinny jeans, to effeminate hair, to physical decay and a lower sperm counts, men are not the great warriors and fearless hunters they used to be.

Men have been civilized, but has it gone too far? I think so, and so does Peter McAllister. After reading his book my suspicion of the decay of manliness was confirmed. We are wimp-i-fying, and I don't like it!

My dad used to tell me stories of his grandfather, my great-grandfather, Uncle Jake. Uncle Jake was a simple man who never really learned English after he moved to Boston. With no language, or writing skills, he did what men did back then for money. Hard manual labour. Most of the time Jake worked as a long shore man. Carrying crates, boxes and sacks out of ships and onto the docks. He did this all day, five or six days a week for about 40 years.

As a young man my dad was a butcher, and a big strong one at that. He would always challenge his grandpa, Jake, to arms wrestling matches. You know what, not once, even when Jake was in his sixties, did my dad beat him. Apparently Jake's grip would crush my dad's hand so bad that it wasn't even a fight. You see, Jake came from a different world. He was from the old country, where you grew up doing back breaking labor and kept doing it until you died. To be strong wasn't a nice attribute, it was how he and other men of his time earned a living. The weak just didn't get good jobs until after WWII, so damn near everyone was strong because they had to be!

I do love this book though. Manthropolgy is a fun and easy read that backs up a great story of manly devolution with hard facts and science. If you are a real man, this is a must read. After you hit the weights and eat a steak that is.