The Man You’re Made To Be

Reviewed by:

G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

The Man You’re Made To Be

Author:

Martin Saunders

Publisher:

Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge

Publication Date:

September 2019

Format:

Paperback

Length:

176 pages

OVERVIEW

“This is a book about the man you’re made to be,” Martin Saunders writes in his introduction, “but it’s also about the man you’re made to be.” In other words, culture shapes how men view themselves as much as anything else, so it’s important to step back and understand the bigger picture: who God made each man to be. Saunders devotes the rest of the book to exploring this idea, looking at how men should view concepts like:

• Biological sex versus gender
• Jesus as the model for masculinity
• Emotional health
• Lust and temptation
• Healthy male friendship
• Proper attitudes toward women

Saunders does something unusual in this book. Men’s development books written by Christians tend to focus on helping other Christian men, giving a theological blueprint for how to be a God-focused man in contemporary culture. Saunders writes for non-Christians as well as Christians. His ideas are all Biblically-centered, but he only gives the basics so readers not familiar with the Bible will still be able to understand what he’s talking about it. In many cases he makes asides telling non-Christian readers these ideas are still worth considering even if they don’t believe in Jesus and encouraging them to really think about their spiritual beliefs. He also integrates a lot of humor into the book, which makes for an amusing as well as a compelling read. A solid, entertaining book for young men trying to figure out the basics to a successful life.

ASSESSMENT

Rating 1 to 5 stars

4 stars

Suggested Audience

Young men who are Christians or leaning toward Christianity seeking a simple book that explains how to live better and navigate today’s culture.

Christian Impact

This book will help men understand basic moral concepts while also providing plenty of entertainment value.