The Dangerous Book For Boys

I was lucky enough to review The Dangerous Book For Boys by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden. When I first heard about it, I was intrigued, and wasn't sure exactly who this book should be for. After I read the book, the answer is clear that the book is for everyone! Anyone with kids should own this book, and people without kids would love it too. It seems like a wonderful book to have just in case you are wondering about any of the topics.

Reading the book brought back a lot of memories for me. My dad used to try to teach me things when I was little. Obviously, the actual knowledge he tried to teach me was lost sometimes, but reading the book recaptured the feelings of spending time with my dad trying to make a pinhole projector, a battery, and all kinds of other things that fascinated me when I was little. My dad was a physicist and it always amazed me that he knew so much about things I didn't understand. The book contains a lot of information I would love to teach to my kids (or even re-learn myself).

Each night, I read separately to each of my four children. They go to bed at different times so that I can spend half an hour of reading/talking time with each of them at the end of the day individually. People think I am crazy for spending so much time individually when I could just combine the reading time together, but I feel it is important in order to get to know what each child is interested in. At 8:00, my 6 year old son's reading time, we decided to flip through The Dangerous Book For Boys one night. He was particularly interested in the section on chess (which I just recently taught him how to play) and the pirate section. He has plans to make crystals using the directions in the book, and has consulted with the book on several other occasions. I have heard him talking about "this cool book my mom got" with his friends, and have seen them looking through it for instructions on how to build a tree house and lots of other things.

I tried it with my daughters, and they loved it too. Spy codes and making things fire proof were two of the main interests the girls had. I am happy they are having fun with the book, but wanting to make things fire proof worries me a bit. Why do they need to make something fire proof, and will they let me help them test it out, or will I suddenly find something on fire (or I suppose not on fire if they did well at making it fire proof)? They have left me little notes written in secret codes, and I have used the book to figure them out. It has been so much fun, and we don't even need a TV or computer to do all of this.

My husband has consulted the book a few times as well. I would have to say that every single member of my family has been interested in this book. I am tempted to buy this book for my dad for Father's Day and write little notes next to the projects I remember doing with him about what I remember, and what it meant to me that he shared the things he knew. I am sure he would love that even though he probably already knows a lot of what is in this book because my dad knows everything!

This book is an excellent reference type book that is fun to read at least once and then keep around to consult with. I will definitely be buying this book for any friend that has a baby, regardless of whether they have a boy or a girl. The Dangerous Book For Boys is a great book for both boys and girls.


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