When my first son was born, I was worried. I had somehow made it through a number of my life’s milestones intact, but would I be able to teach a boy of my own to navigate the world’s challenges with confidence and joy? To make matters even more challenging, I went ahead and had two more boys. With all the male-oriented questions I’ve gotten from my kids, I’ve managed to maintain their faith in me, but there have been too many occasions on which I felt a bit disappointed that I couldn’t show them how to play chess or distinguish a water beetle from a cockroach.

Then, a handsome red-cloth covered book with gold lettering came in the mail. Although I was expecting this review copy, its appearance felt like the arrival of a secret tome meant only for a special society of intrepid adventurers. Truth be told, The Dangerous Book for Boys (http://www.dangerousbookforboys.com/) is hardly an exclusive item, but it is a throwback in the style of its presentation and the content it presents. Brothers Conn and Hal Iggulden have crafted a resource book for men and boys to learn about scores of things that are classically male.

Reading through the pages of clever and informative text, charts, graphs, and illustrations is like absorbing the history of boyish knowledge. Among the myriad facts and lessons are details on making paper airplanes, tying knots, understanding dinosaurs, poring over pirate lore, getting familiar with important poems and Shakespeare, navigating via the stars, and teaching dogs tricks. There’s even a special chapter on girls that offers advice on being a gentleman, among other infinitely valuable tips.

In an age of computer games and mind-numbing TV, this book encourages boys to get out there and sample life, which makes it a marvelous gift for boys and for fathers who want to show more of the world to their kids.