Notes on Being a Man

By: Scott Galloway

Narrated by: Scott Galloway

Bestselling author, NYU professor, and cohost of the Pivot podcast Scott Galloway offers a path forward for men and parents of boys.

Boys and men are in crisis. Rarely has a cohort fallen further and faster than young men living in Western democracies. Boys are less likely to graduate from high school or college than girls. One in seven men reports having no friends, and men account for three of every four deaths of despair in America. Even worse, the lack of attention to these problems has created a vacuum filled by voices espousing misogyny, the demonization of others, and a toxic vision of masculinity. But this is not just a male issue: Women and children can’t flourish if men aren’t doing well. And as we know from spates of violence, there is nothing more dangerous than a lonely, broke young man.

Scott Galloway has been sounding the alarm on this issue for years. In Notes on Being a Man, Galloway explores what it means to be a man in modern America. He promotes the importance of healthy masculinity and mental strength. He shares his own story from boyhood to manhood, exploring his parents’ difficult divorce, his issues with anger and depression, his attempts to earn money, and his life raising two boys. He shares the sometimes funny, often painful lessons he learned along the way, some of which include:

• Get out of the house. Action absorbs anxiety.
• Take risks and be willing to feel like an imposter. Don’t let rejection stop you.
• Be kind. That’s the secret to success in relationships.
• Find what you’re good at; follow your talent.
• Acknowledge your blessings—and create opportunities for others. Be of surplus value.
• Being a good dad means being good to the mother of your children.
• Life isn’t about what happens to you—it’s about how you respond to it.

With unflinching honesty, Scott Galloway maps out an enriching, inspiring operator’s manual for being a man today.

Live n love

Scott this book is needed and lucky for me, excellent. Your insight is invaluable for any gender who takes the time to read/listen. Thank you.

Must Read for Men Aged 20-40

A role model for young men like me. His success is not in his net worth, but reflection. Thank you, Mr. Galloway

I’ve bought three copies… so far!

Galloway’s book is a moving memoir full of great advice for young men. His final chapter, a letter to his sons, made me cry. Our three sons will be getting this book for Christmas, and I’ll also give a copy to a friend whose son is going through a rough patch.

Men need this

The author’s experiences recounted in this book closely paralleled those in my own life, and Scott’s descriptions of himself and his feelings are similar to mine about myself. I’ve often wondered how others have dealt with the same types of situations I have, and interestingly we both learned and applied many of the same lessons.

Yet not having had fathers, we choose to be present for our own sons, and we fathered ourselves, vicariously living fatherhood through the eyes and experiences of our sons. He didn’t put it that way but I bet he’d similarly characterize it.

Unlike him, I feel G-d fathers us in the absence of others to mentor us, so I’ve come to different conclusions on some matters of how one forms relationships with women, and how those relationships are sustained, one that fits better in the frame of a “traditional” perspective. He speaks from his own, more secular worldview. Yet nevertheless, this book touched me to the core, and helped me to gain greater understanding by looking through the eyes of another person with experiences like my own.

I feel many men could benefit by reading to or listening to this book. I’m grateful he decided to pay forward the reward of his experiences.

Good for sons and dads, and moms of boys

You don’t need to agree with everything he says about every topic, but you’ll take some good things away from this one.