Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Before purchasing the book some time ago for my son, I read the "1 star" reviews first. The complaints there fell generally into one of two camps. Either it wasn't edgy enough or it was like a watered down version of the boy scout manual. Shameful as it is to say, I didn't purchase it based on these reviews. I am an eagle scout and was brought up with a love for knowledge and exploration and yet, I hated much of the scouting program. To my mind it was too diluted and attempted at every turn to turn the mantra "safety first" into "the whole world should be bubble-wrapped but isn't, so don't ever risk anything". Childhood is the time to make mistakes while the stakes is still small and the consequences are generally mild. But due in large part to the litigious and politically obsequious climate in our society, I find myself chafing at the restrictions of our pretend adventures. A watered-down scout handbook was the last thing I wanted. I happened upon a copy in-store and took the time to peruse its pages. I was astonished by the broad expanse of the knowledge it contained. While the book certainly caters to younger minds, I found myself giddy that there were other people in the world who valued the skills of bushcraft as well as the sciences, literature and history. But most of all I found that the book captured an overall narative of the virtues of manliness, which are, contrary to popular opinion, patience, kindness and humility. This narrative is well evinced by a quote inscribed in the first few pages: "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". I have only returned to leave this review as I needed a copy for my youngest boy as well.