ABOUT THE BOOK

From the Preface of Every Man Jack.

I was the only boy in my family and grew up with four sisters. I loved my sisters, but they were all very girlie. As a young boy, and especially as a teenager, I felt like I was drowning in a sea of estrogen. But I survived. I can honestly say I enjoyed being raised with my four feminine siblings. That was due in part to the fact that, as the second child of five, I had significant childhood leverage. To add to my filial advantage, I was very close to my mom. She got me. She intuitively understood me. The fact that my mom had entered her marriage hoping for five boys helped too. I plead guilty to my sisters’ accusation of being Mom’s favorite. But despite my favorite son status, I was wonderfully blessed with the ability to relate well to the women in my young world.

Connecting with my father was a very different story. Our relationship was, at best, a strained one. It was socially awkward. My dad reveled in his relationship with his daughters, but he had a very tough time relating to me. Our father-son connections were hard fought.

Born into a family with nine siblings, my father’s birth order placed him between his six sisters—three older and three younger. Two of his three brothers were a dozen or more years older than him, out of the house, and on their own just a few years after he was born. Knowing this, I have always suspected that my dad’s placement in his family’s birth order contributed to his female relational bias in family matters. And he wasn’t alone. My Uncle William (my dad’s youngest brother, affectionately known as Billy Clubb) once told me when I turned thirteen that he was amazed I hadn’t grown up to be a sissy. I had to come to terms early on with the fact that my dad’s side of the family was not going to be forthcoming with words of affirmation toward the men in our clan.

So, as you might suspect, my road to manhood was not filled with many attaboy moments from my dad. My path to manhood was a bumpy one. There were some painful life lessons to learn (all by myself) along the way.

I chose to write Every Man Jack because I wanted to remind myself of what I’ve learned about becoming a man over the past six decades. As I said, it has not been an easy road for me. But I did become a man. And I got help from some authentic, God-fearing men along the way. Writing this book is my way of returning the favor.

What Other Authors Are Saying About Every Man Jack

“In an age where men are more confused than ever about what it means to be a man––Daniel reveals God’s intentions for men beautifully and biblically. Here’s deep wisdom about growing your career, friendships, marriage, purpose, spiritual maturity, and more…Get this!”
– RENÉ SCHLAEPFER, Senior Pastor, Twin Lakes Church
Author of Richer Life and Jesus Journey

“Every Man Jack, is not just a book that encourages growth and a deeper walk with God. It’s an extremely practical guide to help men accomplish what God’s Word motivates us to do. It’s an open invitation to grow spiritually, and a challenge to do it with grace and truth as our guide.”
– DAN KIMBALL, Teaching Pastor, Vintage Faith Church
author of Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“This book will be a valuable resource in my discipleship tool belt. I plan to recommend it to each young man I mentor. There are many books available that propose to counsel men, but this ranks with the best I have read. You will profit greatly from these pages.”
– JIM STUMP, Founder, Sports Challenge
author of The Power of One-on-One, Discovering the Joy and Satisfaction of Mentoring Others