On November 21, 2019, I celebrated the birth of my son, Jemal. He turned 50 years old. At the moment he was born and I held him for the first time, I made a promise that I would be a better father than my father was able to be for me. I also vowed to do everything I could to bring about a world where men were fully engaged with their families throughout their lives. That was also the beginning of MenAlive and my writing career. November 21st is also the official launch date of my book, 12 Rules for Good Men.
I’ve been very fortunate to be making a living doing the work that I love. 12 Rules for Good Men is my 16th book and follows ground-breaking studies on sex, love, and intimacy that produced international best-sellers Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places, Surviving Male Menopause, The Irritable Male Syndrome: Understanding and Managing the 4 Key Causes of Depression and Aggression and The Enlightened Marriage: The 5 Transformative Stages of Relationships and Why the Best is Still to Come.
12 Rules for Good Men addresses all these issues and much more. It celebrates the gift of maleness and offers twelve actions men can take to improve their lives:
- Rule #1: Join a Men’s Group.
- Rule #2: Break Free From the Man Box.
- Rule #3: Accept the Gift of Maleness.
- Rule #4: Embrace Your Billion Year Male History.
- Rule #5: Recognize Your Anger and Fear of Women.
- Rule #6: Learn the Secrets of Real, Lasting, Love.
- Rule #7: Undergo Meaningful Rites of Passage.
- Rule #8: Celebrate Your True Warrior Spirit and Learn Why Male Duel and Females Duet.
- Rule #9: Understand and Heal Your Adverse Childhood Experiences.
- Rule #10: Heal Your Father Wound and Become the Father You Were Meant to Be.
- Rule #11: Treat the Irritable Male Syndrome and Male-Type Depression.
- Rule #12: Find Your Mission in Life and Do Your Part to Save Humanity.
Colleagues who have read the book have had variety of reactions:
- “12 Rules for Good Men are the result of Jed’s lifetime of leadership in men’s work and represents the power and wisdom of an elder of the men’s movement. In a world of dramatic change, where men are seeking more compassionate meaning and purpose in our lives, Diamond provides a roadmap for healing and connection. 12 Rules for Good Men is a powerful invitation for men to end our isolation and heal our deep wounds, and in doing so, help heal the wounds of the world.” – Mark Greene, Executive editor, the Good Men Project, and author, The Little #MeToo Book for Men.
- “I’ve known and appreciated Jed’s work for more than 40 years. 12 Rules for Good Men is a wonderfully helpful guide for both men and women.” John Gray, best-selling author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.
- “This is an essential guide for both men and women. It offers real support for men and helps women understand what good men really need.” Iyanla Vanzant, Host of Iyanla Fix My Life on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
I wrote 12 Rules for Good Men to help with some of the most important issues facing men today including:
- Why loneliness is the greatest killer of men and why all men need to be in a men’s group.
- How the Man Box restricts who we can become and how we can break free.
- The secret history of maleness and why men are good and can become great.
- Why men frighten women, how women shame men, and what both can do to heal.
- How the 5 stages of love can guide and enlighten your relationships.
- What is at the root of male anger and how to treat the Irritable Male Syndrome.
12 Rules for Good Men is available now. You can order the book directly from me here. For those who order from me right away, I’m also offering my new program “Everything You Wanted to Know About Men: The Good Men Revolution” for free. It details 21 truths that will help you understand why men are the way they are, feel the things they feel, and do the things they do.
As an added “thank you,” the first 200 people who order will receive a personally signed and numbered copy of the book. Since there are 15,000 people on my mailing list, I expect these special-edition copies will go fast.
If you’re a man or care about men, please check out 12 Rules for Good Men. If you have questions or comments, feel free to visit me at my blog.
This article first appeared on Jed’s blog.
