The Guy Book: An Owner's Manual (Maintenance, Safety, and Operating Instructions for Teens) Paperback – January 8, 2002

I ordered this book for my 13 year old son because I was having trouble approaching him with "the talk". Of course, I read it first and I could not have been happier with the content. It introduced everything I wanted to talk to him about and a lot of things I had never even thought of. Yes, the author deals directly with sex, fantasies and even touches on group masturbation. She DOES NOT condone the behavior. She simply states that it is known to happen and talks about how a boy should deal with the situation should he be approached by a friend, of the same age group, and he is uncomfortable. She also talks about what he should do if he is ever approached by someone older or a relative. She makes it very clear that this behavior is not ok and should be reported. The author also talks about fantasies. Young boys are known to fantasize. It is no secret that occasionally they find themselves attracted to a related female (or male!!), either older or the same age. This is not a new phenomenon (ever heard of the Oedipus Complex?). The author makes it very clear that, while a temporary crush or even a fantasy is normal, acting on the feelings is absolutely not. She explains in no uncertain terms that incest is illegal and never ok. The book deals directly with the act of sex, what it is and why we do it. She describes all methods of birth control as well as abortion. Again, she never condones any behaviors. She simply states the facts in a way a teenage boy can understand. There is also an entire section on the emotional and physical consequences of having sex before you are ready. The author talks about STD's, unwanted pregnancies and the emotional turmoil that can accompany having sex before you are ready. She explains that, even though someone's body may be mature enough to have sex, their mind may not be. She reminds the reader that he is still a child, but she does so in a way that is well received even by teenagers. She gives boy's good, solid advice on dealing with girls and how he should behave around her and around her parents. She is upfront about the importance of respecting not only others, but yourself. If you are an ultra-conservative parent who does not want your child to know anything about sex or birth control, you should probably look elsewhere. Yes, the author treats homosexuality as a natural part of life. If your beliefs vary, this is not the book for you. If you are a less-conservative or liberal parent who understands that teenagers will be teenagers and will make their own choices in life and you simply want to arm your child with the knowledge he needs to make smart decisions, it doesn't get any better than this book.My son, who rolled his eyes and said "Moooooooom" when I gave him the book, read the entire thing in one night and felt comfortable enough with the content that he even came to me to discuss some things afterward. He admitted it shed some light on some things he had never even thought about and answered a couple of questions he was just too embarrassed to ask. Definitely an A+ read in our book!!

I strongly recommend buying this book and reading it through as a parent. There are some things in there I never would have thought of and many things I have thought of, but didn't know a good way to say. Even if I didn't give the book to my son just the mere fact I read it (and my husband reads it) is tremendously helpful.The topics are wide-ranging--not just things of a 'what is happening to your body' but also the WHY of what is happening and HOW to take care of yourself. Also, how NORMAL many differences are. Yes acne sucks, but if you understand why it's happening it helps. Other topics include bullying, bras, dating, basic hygeine, deoderants, doing laundry, jockstraps, drugs, suicide, piercings, abuse, dealing with potential pervs/predators, sexual harassment (ie how NOT to do it) etc. This is a non-exhaustive list but it gives you an idea!I have read some of the other reviews regarding content. Some might be controversial in some families of course--whether it's the topics on fighting, homosexuality, piercings, abortion or whatever. I did not find anything too preachy per se from my point of view, though I can see how some topics do call for parental discussions. Definitely topics for discussion.It's our job to teach our children how to grow up and be adults and this book takes some of the most difficult topics and makes them more approachable.The ONLY part I really had trouble with was an error of fact regarding reproduction. I do have to explain to my son at some point the lining to the uterus does not literally transform itself into the placenta...this was mentioned twice and so what at first I thought was a slight error in the description was actually perpetuated and even more clearly 'not-quite-right' the second time.Other than that, this is an all 5 star book in my opinion.Again, as a parent buying the book, check out the table of contents first, read the index, and read the book before you give it to your kiddo. He may not talk too much about it, but it helps.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!JTG

I remembered growing up and how uncomfortable I was when adults would try to talk to me about adult matters related to male/ female relations. I didn't want to force that clumsy conversation/ on him before he was ready. I decided to search for a book that might help explain any questions he may have. I noticed that he is paying more attention to girls now. I expected him to go right to ares relating to females. After I gave him the book I noticed that he had a page marked. I was curious about what portion had him so interested. I flipped open the book after he'd left it on his bed. It seemed he was most interested in, how to tie a tie (how cute). Wow. If I had tried to discuss anything more"adult" , it would have been wierd, for both of us. When he is ready to find out anything else, related to growing up, he only needs to flip through the table of contents. It's all in there for the boys. Thank You!!!

I did a fair amount of research and purchased two books that I hoped would be appropriate to give to my son sometime after he turns 12. After reading the first book (which I have reviewed elsewhere) I was very disapointed and discouraged. When I read the next book, though, the book by Mavis Jukes (who I did not even realize is a woman until my wife point that out to me later), I was quite pleased. I read this book cover to cover (as should you before you give it to a child) and found it to be spot on with regard to all the topics important to me. You will find an intellegent discussion of STD, sex, girls, dating, etc... The book is well written, accurate, factual, informative, and (I think) fun for boys. I learned stuff, too! I am recommending it to all my friends with similarly aged boys.

A book like this should do a lot of straight talking. But in an effort to be cool this ones uses a lot of car metaphors. That would be great if the young man for whom it was intended knew how cars worked.