A Better Man Audiobook By Michael Ian Black cover art

A Better Man

A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son

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A Better Man

By: Michael Ian Black
Narrated by: Michael Ian Black
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About this listen

A poignant look at boyhood, in the form of a heartfelt letter from comedian Michael Ian Black to his teenage son before he leaves for college, and a radical plea for rethinking masculinity and teaching young men to give and receive love.

“As a parent of both boys and girls, I find myself rebuffing the gender-based cultural assumptions that are foisted on them more frequently than I could have ever imagined. Thank you, Michael Ian Black, for challenging society’s antiquated approach to raising boys and deepening the conversation about what we actually want for our kids. Sir, you are a good egg.” (Samatha Bee, host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee)

In this thoughtful, inspiring, and deeply personal audiobook, comedian, actor, and father Michael Ian Black gets (mostly) serious about the trouble with masculinity. In the form of a heartfelt letter to his college-bound son - but with ideas sure to resonate for many parents - he reveals his own complicated relationship with his father, explores the damage caused by the expectations placed on boys to “man up", and searches for the best way to help his son be part of the solution, not the problem, in a world in which the word masculinity now goes hand in hand with “toxic".

Part memoir, part advice audiobook, Black delivers a poignant answer to an urgent question: How can we be, and raise, better men? A Better Man is for parents, yes, but it is also for anyone looking for a path forward as we navigate the complex gender issues of our time.

©2020 Michael Ian Black (P)2020 Recorded Books
Biographies & Memoirs Fatherhood Gender Studies Relationships Celebrity Young Adult Funny Heartfelt Witty
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What listeners say about A Better Man

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should be required reading for any male oriented group

the best book ive read in 2024. I think every single male should put politics aside and read this book, when it comes down to it everything is about DIGNITY and we.lose sight of that. If I had a son moving off to college, I absolutely would give this to them. a very different michael ian black than from his talking heads on vh1/mtv

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Good advice can be boring. This is not.

A well supported and funny look at what it means to be a better man.

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Loved it

As a father to a young son, this was exactly what I wanted and needed. I loved this book. Funny, sweet, and smart, it speaks to my own hopes and thoughts about sharing with my son what it means to, one day, become a man.

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Thank you

Just a big thank you for the author. It shouldn’t take that much bravery to speak to your son that way, but I guess it’s the point of the book. Anyone with a son, young or old, should take a listen.

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No matter what

As a single mother who is a feminist, I find myself often pinning the world’s problems. I will not do that anymore. I will encourage his tender heart and silly humor and watch him shine like the gem he is. I needed to hear this thank you Michael!

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You get me MIB, you get me

As the parent of two teenage boys, this book spoke to so many of the fears, hopes, dreams, and anxiety I feel as they get closer and closer to leaving home. A beautiful letter to a son in today’s world with an increasingly complex view of masculinity. You did it again, Michael Ian Black.

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Terrific and recommend

Quick paced, heartfelt, warm and funny. He nails it and I indeed to steal most of his ideas for myself and my son as we move through life.

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Not what I expected. Start slow but gets better.

I expected more comedy, but was pleasantly surprised at this love letter to his son, which shares advice on what it means to be a man today.

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Every man needs to hear this

This is the book that every man wishes their Dad wrote them. In typical Michael Ian Black style, it is humorous but also realistic. After listening to the introduction alone, I recommend this book to numerous friends. This is a very heartfelt book with current modern day advice. He talks about consent, hiding in depression, and the differences between sex, love and intimacy.

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Better Than The Bible

Clearly when MIB wrote “A Better Man,” he was alluding to being a better man than Jesus was...and boy did he deliver. I ran this book through every test imaginable, and it beat the Bible in every category of every test (including taste). If you’re looking for one book to make as your sole guide for parenting, this is your book!

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