The following is from the book’s publicist:

“Zephyr, Alabama, is an idyllic hometown for eleven-year-old Cory Mackenson — a place where monsters swim the river deep and friends are forever. Then, one cold spring morning, Cory and his father witness a car plunge into a lake—and a desperate rescue attempt brings his father face-to-face with a terrible, haunting vision of death. As Cory struggles to understand his father’s pain, his eyes are slowly opened to the forces of good and evil that surround him. From an ancient mystic who can hear the dead and bewitch the living, to a violent clan of moonshiners, Cory must confront the secrets that hide in the shadows of his hometown — for his father’s sanity and his own life hang in the balance…”

Boy’s Life holds a place in my “Mount Rushmore” of coming-of-age novels that I believe every man should read and then re-read at various points in his life. My father gave me his copy when I was 11, telling me I would like it based on my imagination and my penchant for riding my bike and exploring the creeks in our semi-rural Maryland subdivision.

I remember thinking that I would never be able to finish it because it was by far the longest book that I had ever read up to that point in my life. I had just finished and enjoyed Crash Club, another of his recommendations, so I eagerly started reading this one and became instantly enamored by the new world I had stepped foot into. While this is a longer read as far as fiction goes, McCammon’s character development and sub-plots keeps it interesting.

I remember wondering what life must have been like growing up in rural Alabama in the 1960s when milk was still delivered to your doorstep (this plays prominently in the story). Parts of the story reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Like Cory, I spent summers in Maryland riding my bike around our neighborhood looking for adventures. I look forward to re-reading this childhood favorite this coming summer now that I have a son of my own who just learned to ride his bike coupled with the realization that we now live in an idyllic rural setting just outside a very small town that bears resemblance to Zephyr, Alabama.

This book would be ideal for any boy who’s around 13 or older, especially one who doesn’t like to read. In my experience as an educator, people who say this just haven’t a book or genre that they’re interested in yet. Boys in this age group are undergoing a lot of change. While they need help and guidance along the way, they also want to figure some things out on their own. This book will make them think about what’s real and what’s not, good and evil, and the pleasures and pains of being young.

I read this book for the first time in fifth or sixth grade – well before I was of driving age. I recall that this was the book that really got me interested in reading for enjoyment. My dad had a clever little incentive system for me and my brother to read books in order to earn money to buy Sega Genesis games. I read Crash Club the first time for “Sega money”, and then re-read it shortly thereafter just for fun.

It’s funny how certain things evolve and take on new meanings, yet always come back to basic principles over the course of a man’s life. Cars, how they tick, and where they could take us were some of these things for me. I read this book again in a couple of sittings out on my apartment balcony one summer during college shortly after I got my Corvette. The car reinvigorated my love of American muscle and the book reminded me of the bond that exists between a guy and his car when they take care of one another. Crash Club brought it all back.

As someone who teaches high school, it makes me sad that so few guys are into cars, engines, and cruising these days. Even the independence that comes with getting a driver’s license seems to be far less important than it was to my generation. Crash Club captures this spirit that has largely been lost.

If you’ve never read this book, you need to. Even though it’s written for the high school and junior high demographic, a man of any age will find the story engaging. Crash Club will take you back to the days when every drive was exhilarating, especially if you had a fun car.

The author gives us lessons on friendship, relationships, and respecting the responsibility that we have to ourselves and others when we get behind the wheel. Even though it’s not set in contemporary times, I can think of several reluctant readers from past years of teaching who would undoubtedly enjoy Crash Club and probably want to read the two books that came before it in the series, even though it’s an excellent stand-alone read.

I keep very few non-reference books on my bookshelf these days, even though I’m a voracious reader. I just prefer the convenience and economy of using our local public library. Crash Club, however, will always have a home on my shelf. It’s an old first-edition hardback copy from 1958 (the year the book was first published) with a yellowing and cracked plastic dust jacket.

If someone told me that I could only read one book for the rest of my life, this would be it. In fact, I keep this book at my bedside and try to read a chapter each day to keep these principles at the forefront of my conscience. Some of the anecdotes are a bit dated, but the principles remain more relevant than ever.

This is a must-read for anyone, but especially those in sales and those who manage others. My own professional career took off when I started to practice what I learned in this book. It’s disconcerting that How to Win Friends and Influence People isn’t required reading in management training programs. Companies could save millions of dollars every year (and make millions more based on the almost guaranteed results) if they simply made Mr. Carnegie’s book a part of their leadership training regimen.

I would introduce this book to any young man in their early teenage years. While some of the historical references will be unfamiliar to them, they will understand enough of it. It’s an easy enough read, and while teenage male brains haven’t fully developed their capacity for empathy, it’s never too early to plant the seed and get them thinking about others – especially when it’s their own relationships, finances, and happiness that will benefit.

I have done impromptu “A/B” testing with store employees using some of the principles in this book. I can tell you without a doubt that they work, as they are based in human nature. Compliment a cashier for something or even just use their name, and watch what it does to the expression on their face and their countenance.

Some people give the title of the book a sideways glance, thinking that this book is about how to manipulate others to make them do what you want or to make them like you. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, as it’s actually about how to be a selfless human being who can figure out how all parties can get what they want and feel good about themselves at the same time.

While I think every man of any age should make reading a part of his day, the lessons contained in this book are so important that even reluctant readers can’t afford to not have in their lives.