Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of The Dangerous Book for Boys

The Dangerous Book for Boys
The Dangerous Book for Boys
Author: Conn Iggulden, Hal Iggulden
ISBN-13: 9780061243585
ISBN-10: 0061243582
Publication Date: 5/1/2007
Pages: 288
Rating:
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 72

4.2 stars, based on 72 ratings
Publisher: Collins
Book Type: Hardcover
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

8 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

jeffp avatar reviewed The Dangerous Book for Boys on + 201 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 22
Despite all the high praise from various places, I didn't like this book. I found it lacking in all kinds of ways - far too many to list them all here. If you want to read my full review - which discusses the issues in more depth than this space allows - you can find it here:

http://www.bangtherockstogether.com/books/dboys.html

I wanted to like The Dangerous Book For Boys - really - and at first glance I thought it had potential. But in the end it simply wasn't well written, well researched, or well presented.

Update on 11/19/07: Back when you could tell, people were marking this review as "not helpful". OK. Here are some examples of why I dislike the contents of this book.

There is a section on first aid, and it covers CPR. The description includes the initial pound on the chest, but that has been out of every CPR protocol for years and years. I know, I'm a volunteer fire fighter and I have to re-cert on it regularly. I wouldn't want to be the victim if this is someone's first aid guide.

The section on pirates has no interesting information at all. Zero.

The rules for various games (like soccer) are unintelligible at best.

I could go on, but there really isn't enough space here. Suffice it to say the book is both badly researched and poorly presented. It could have been so much better.
Domestikate avatar reviewed The Dangerous Book for Boys on
Helpful Score: 14
This is a great book! I bought it for my boys (ages 8 & 11) for their tree fort, and I could barely pry it out of my husband's hands! It encourages boys to be boys and to live a life of adventure through imagination, books and general boyhood know-how. A refreshing change from our fast paced society!
4amigos avatar reviewed The Dangerous Book for Boys on + 45 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
My sons and husband, have so much fun with this book. They are constantly looking or reading and trying something new. Currently, they are in the beginning stages of building the go-cart described in the book. This book is amazing, and is so much fun. What a great way to encourage boys to get out and play. We will not be parting with this book. We have years more of fun left in this book.
Craftykimmy avatar reviewed The Dangerous Book for Boys on + 76 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is a wonderful book, full of "boyish" things such as how to make the perfect paper airplane, how to find true north at, what happened at the battle of Gettysburg, how to skip stones, who Napoleon was and what his mistakes were, the list is endless. Even includes how to talk to girls (they recommend not passing gas in front of us girls, lol) and how to play chess and poker.

I bought this book, and when my husband looked through, he was so excited he took it to work with him to read during the day. He very much is looking forward to having this knowledge to pass on to our son, who is currently only 2 and could care less right now about anything besides cars and trains. Wait, those are in there too! lol I HIGHLY recommend this book for dads and sons alike, and I believe all men would love to know everything in this book, whether they are parents or not; it's just chock full of cool stuff!

I think this would be especially good for dads and sons who may be having a hard time "connecting," such as in step-parent or adoptive parent situations. It would give them something to talk about, and that could start a whole new relationship for them.

This is staying on my keeper shelf, so you'll either have to wait for a copy or buy your own (about $18 at Amazon, and worth way more, imo.)
reviewed The Dangerous Book for Boys on + 27 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is an awesome book.
My boys loved it and are busy discovering new things.
Its got an old look but its a new book.
reviewed The Dangerous Book for Boys on + 51 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A fabulous book full of stories of daring, how-to's, and even poetry that my boys actually liked. I highly recommend this book especially for boys who do not think they like books.
fancier avatar reviewed The Dangerous Book for Boys on + 17 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Make a bow, build a tree house, learn to skip rocks, read about other boys... just a few of the numerous adventures for boys of all ages contained within the pages of The Dangerous Book for Boys! There is so much information that I'm surprised they were able to fit it into just one book.
It's a trip back in time, to the days where video games, and electronics weren't so vast in existence. "Recapture Sunday afternoons and long summer days". But don't let yourself believe that this book will only bore your children to death, they will have so many things to do to keep them active they'll forget about their video games and get lost in the outdoors.
buzzby avatar reviewed The Dangerous Book for Boys on + 6062 more book reviews
I gave this as a spelling bee prize in my 4th grade class (yes, my boys tend to be better spellers than the girls). It was certainly a hit - I may even get them to read the Shakespeare part.