The Advice Your Father Should Have Given You

I like that in The 21st Century Man, you’re giving men health advice.

Susan: Why not just Google? Why do I have to buy this big, heavy, thick book?

Dr. Judson: Because I did all the work for you! I got the best sources of information and the best work and edited the heck out of it to make it as compact and easy to read as possible and ensure that the data is up-to-date.

It’s not like a doctor is high on the mountain and coming down to give you information. These authors relate to you and try to provide you with their best information as if you were their best friend, cousin, or brother.

Susan: One aspect I like about this book, The 21st Century Man, is you’re giving men health advice. It’s the foundation of health for the mid-life man to overcome the things that go wrong with our bodies. However, much more is the advice your father should have given you had he thought about it, but the download never happened. 

A FATHER’S ADVICE

There are life skills and the big picture. It’s like a guidebook for being a man. I was surprised by that and thought it would be more doctor-like. The therapy chapters are excellent. Tell me about those because I haven’t read them yet. It’s a little long to read, so I’m working my way through it.

Dr. Judson: Robert Juan Figlio is the head of the California psychological association, and he wrote terrific chapters on work-life balance and vitality. What guy out there doesn’t struggle with work-life balance? It’s nice to know other people do. 

Brett Mclaughlin is the founding dean of Cal North State University in the Department of Psychology. He wrote chapters on depression and anxiety. 

Susan: Everybody gets depressed and anxious. I noticed in those chapters was how do you know if it’s a problem versus a part of life. What’s that point at which you say, “It’s okay. This is worse than what you go through as a human being?”

Dr. Judson: There are chapters on divorce, written by a divorce attorney, and one on fatherhood. It covers the gamut of mental, emotional, and social health. Let’s be honest; those are what make life work worth living. That’s what’s important to men in the end.