Saturday, March 1, 2008

The Dangerous Book for Boys


I don't know if you've heard about this wonderful book. It's been on the best-seller list in the UK and USA for a long while now. I managed to score it @ Costco this weekend for a mere $13.50 a copy (hard-bound.) My father is a bit of a Renaissance Man, and, I can't think a guy who'd love this book more, so I bought a copy for him. In addition, I'm having a rocket kit mailed to accompany the book for several more hours of fun! *grin* (Afterall, mom needs just one more reason to get upset with dad, who, much to mother's dismay, loves to fly his remote-controlled helicopters in the family room downstairs.)

Any birthdays or special occasion coming up for the men in your life? Honestly, you've got to check out this book

Some chapter headings:
-Making a Bow-and-Arrow
-The Five Knots Every Boy Should Know
-Understanding Grammar (Parts I, II, and III)
-Famous Battles (Waterloo, The Alamo, Gettysburg, etc. complete with field maps)
-A Simple Electromagnet
-Making a Battery
-Building a Rocket
-The Declaration of the Independence
-The Moon
-Marbling Paper and Grinding an Italic Nib
-Intro to Shakespeare
-Girls
-Timers and Tripwires
-Latin Phrases Every Boy Should Know
-The Game of Chess
-Seven Wonders of the World
-How to Cook a Rabbit
-How to Play Poker
...the list goes on and on.


When one opens the cover of the book, one encounters this quote:
"Don't worry about genius and don't worry about not being clever. Trust rather to hard work, perserverance and determination. The best motto for a long march is 'Don't grumble, plug on.' You hold your future in your own hands. Never waiver in this belief. Don't swagger. The boy who swaggers -- like the man who swaggers -- has little else that he can do. He is a cheap Jack, crying his own paltry wares. It is the empty tin that rattles most. Be honest. Be loyal. Be kind. Remember that the hardest thing to acquire is the faculty of being unselfish. As a quality, it is one of the finest attributes of manliness."

--Sir Frederick Treves Sgt. in Ordinary to HM the King

2 comments:

Dave said...

Speaking of rockets... Rocket-Day 2006 & 2007. You should come next year.

L said...

I bought this for my nephews for their birthday (turning 11). It looks seriously fun!