The Warrior Poet Way by John Lovell; My review.
In a world where masculinity is toxic and a woman cannot be defined, boys are left stagnant and confused. More than 25% of fathers are absent from the lives of their children. What does it mean to be a man? Fewer people know with each passing generation. Among the voices answering this question is John Lovell, author of The Warrior Poet Way.
The duality of a masculine code calling a man to be both warrior and poet is badass. John’s book is fun and insightful. More importantly, it kicks at that dormant purpose within a man, begging him to take action in his own life.
The book is a quick and easy read covering a broad range of topics through the narrow lens of masculinity. I listened to John read the book on Audible and found it just as immersive as my favorite podcasts. Of course I bought a physical copy, and so should you.
This book answers important questions. For me one such question was regarding fear. It was once my duty to go into chaotic and dangerous situations and establish order. What I noticed was sometimes I felt little or no fear and did my duty like a well-oiled machine. Other times, the paralyzing grip of fear would constrict me, requiring more effort to work through it. I produced evidence of my courage but could not deny that a coward lurked within. I was confused as to which defined me. Upon listening to John’s book, I discovered, to my relief, that all courageous men have an inner coward. Until then, it hadn’t occurred to me to think of fear in this way. I simply believed one was either courageous or a coward. Now it makes sense. Just like in Eden, we are given the choice.
Masculinity is dangerous and has always needed a code to make it the good kind of dangerous. The Samurai had bushido and the medieval warriors their chivalry. Historic societies recognized the need for a man to have a code, even if they didn’t always get it right. Modern society seeks to obscure morality thus undermining masculinity or else making it the bad sort of dangerous.
Moses offered a code from God, and Christ gave us the two greatest commandments to summarize it all. John touches on the principles of biblical masculinity offering the modern man an easy guide to understanding and reclaiming his purpose.
For the modern western man who does not understand his purpose, The Warrior Poet Way is a great starting point. I highly recommend this book for any man or any woman seeking to understand men. If you are just here for some cool stories, John has those too. The Warrior Poet Way is an adequate guide for living free and dying well.
“There is nothing wrong with being afraid, of course. What you do with it is what separates the cowards from the heroes.” -John Lovell
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” -Matthew 22:36-40
This concludes my five-star review of The Warrior Poet Way by John Lovell.
-Michael Sean
