21st-century man

Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity

Joel Stein writes Time Magazine’s The Awesome Column, and although it’s tucked into the back of the publication, I always turn there first, because Stein’s loping, irreverent, madly analytical, self-deprecating and sometimes softly perceptive prose about life in the 21st century makes me laugh out loud. Now, Stein’s new book, Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity (Grand Central Publishing, $26.99), lays bare the further tales of a person who just happens to have a penis in such deceptively mundane-sounding chapters such as “Using Machines” and “Providing Food.” Even the book’s acknowledgments section is full of refreshing insight, huge grins and hearty chuckles.