There are three books that I think every young man should read. They inspire character and teach what it's like to become a man. In no particular order, they are:

1. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay (also a movie) (the young man should be at least a teenager)
2. That Printer of Udells by Harold Bell Wright
3. Kipling's Stories for Boys by Rudyard Kipling (a large collection of stories, the most important, in my mind being: The Drums of the Fore and Aft, Wee Willie Winkie, Baa Baa, Black Sheep, and To Be Filed for Reference. You can buy a smaller book called, Kipling's Boy Stories that has 3 of the 4 but doesn't include To Be Filed for Reference. Luckily, Google has digitized To Be Filed for Reference if you search for it at print.google.com)

If there was a fourth, and I think there should be, it would be "As a Man Thinketh." You know that I created mp3s of me reading that if you would like to download them here.

So, if you're buying Christmas gifts for a young man, you may want to consider those three or four books. If your young man is really young, you may consider getting just Kipling's Stories for Boys and another book called, "The Dangerous Book for Boys." That last one includes lots of fun things and activities they can do, but wasn't mean to necessarily inspire manhood except for the acquisition of certain skills. Your comments on any of these are welcome.

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