Man Made

“To man up, Stein goes all Plimpton . . . MAN MADE reminds us of his wonderful ability to find surprise within a cliché . . . hilarious.”-New York Times Book Review

The smudge looked suspiciously penis- like. The doctor confirmed: “That's the baby's penis!” which caused not celebration, but panic. Joel Stein pictured having to go camping and fix a car and use a hammer and throw a football and watch professionals throw footballs.

So begins his quest to confront his effete nature whether he likes it or not (he doesn't), by doing a twenty-four-hour shift with L.A. firefighters, going hunting, rebuilding a house, driving a Lamborghini, enduring three days of boot camp with the U.S. Army, day-trading with $100,zero, and going into the ring with UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture.

Seeking help from a panel of experts, including his manly father-in-law, Boy Scouts, former NFL star Warren Sapp, former MLB All-Star Shawn Green, Adam Carolla, and a pit bull named Hercules, Stein expects to learn that masculinity is defined not by the size of his muscles, but by the size of his heart (also, technically, a muscle). This is not at all what he learns.

“Wonderfully poignant.” —Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Steve Jobs

“Despite his best efforts, I'm not sure if Joel Stein will ever be a man, but he made me laugh out loud trying in Man Made.” —Andy Borowitz, New York Times–bestselling author and humorist

“In between all the comedy, the book is often a perceptive account of how men relate to each other and a surprisingly tender story about the love that exists between fathers and sons.” —San Francisco Chronicle