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on Being Fully Man, Fully Alive

by Brenten Gilbert

September 13, 2012

@theTRu

Man Alive opens with the story of Welles Crowther. The "man in the red bandana," Crowther was on the scene of the 9/11 attacks and selflessly accounted for numerous lives saved as he escorted others out of the South Tower of the WTC at the expense of his own life. His actions displayed the type of courage we all claim to have and hope we never have to display. Further, in his death, he spent his final hours on earth fully alive.

Patrick Morley is no stranger to books designed to encourage men to be more manly. He's the author or the Man in the Mirror series, which seems to expand every year and he leads a men's Bible study group of the same (or at least similar) name. Man Alive, the latest in his catalog, focuses on the seven "primal" needs of men. In a nutshell, they are companionship, acceptance, purpose, forgiveness, living water, accountability, and impact. Morley describes them differently, but I think this list accurately reflects what he's getting at.

The book itself is chock full of personal stories of first-name-only men whose personal struggles exemplify each need and Morley's guidance and encouragement. It is a surprisingly unrepetitive book, in that there are iterations and re-iterations, but not to the obnoxious extent that many books of this ilk tend to take it. Included amidst the pages are worksheets, gut-check quizzes, and discussion questions in case you share this book (as recommended) with a small group. I enjoyed the book, it was a mildly quick read at about 200 pages, and it offers some good insight along with practical examples.

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