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  <title><![CDATA[Iron John]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p> Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered. Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]></description>
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  <original_title>Iron John: A Book About Men</original_title>
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    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
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  <read_at>Thu Jun 12 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Thu Jun 12 02:10:53 -0700 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Having just pushed through the deep lakes of thought Bly makes us dwell in, and having exhausted a lot of energy traveling miles and miles of metaphor I feel short of power to describe this book. <br/><br/>I can say that I am, and few would disagree, the least among you to be found in a drum circl...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24168446">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
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  <read_at>Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1991</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Feb 06 12:41:18 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Feb 06 12:41:18 -0800 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Of all the books I've read I think this one generates the most controversy among amateur reviewers like me. I take that as evidence of the book's relevance and power. Cutting to the chase, I love this book.<br/><br/>Mr. Bly is writing about the strange and puzzling fact that the village elders do ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14746779">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Carrie]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
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  <average_rating>3.56</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[n &quot;a fascinating examination of myth, literature, psychology, and anthropology&quot; (Newsday), National Book Award-winning poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man. &quot;Important and timely.&quot;--New York Times Book Review.]]>
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    <rating>1</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Oct 07 22:15:31 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Sep 19 21:14:53 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 07 22:15:31 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Oh, man.  We all know how it's said that we can't judge books by their covers, or at least that we shouldn't...but this book can be judged easily with a quick glance at the <em>back</em> cover.  Here is the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.johnprin.com/images/RobertBly-sml.jpg">author</a>. <br/><br/>Note the &quot;ethnic&quot; vest over the button-up shirt and velvet ascot.  This ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33322551">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33322551]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33322551]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>22521944</id>
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    <id>419463</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Donn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
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  <average_rating>3.63</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
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  <date_added>Sun May 18 20:24:32 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun May 18 20:31:51 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book is why I love Robert Bly. The modern man is lost, disheveled, and more broken everyday because there is no guidance to lead him into maturity, and through self-discovery. Utilizing the myth of Iron John, Robert Bly offers some answer to the wounds we receive in life, and how those too are ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22521944">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22521944]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22521944]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>78830090</id>
    <user>
    <id>156872</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jasonlylescampbell]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
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  <average_rating>3.56</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[n &quot;a fascinating examination of myth, literature, psychology, and anthropology&quot; (Newsday), National Book Award-winning poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man. &quot;Important and timely.&quot;--New York Times Book Review.]]>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Wed Dec 16 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Nov 24 04:06:08 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 07:55:07 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A wild and all over the place look at the soul of man in America. Iron John is a powerful myth/legend/story about the journey of male birth ... women give birth to boys, but men must give birth to men. Our society is so messed up in this regard ... just when we need grandfathers, they are shipped of...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78830090">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78830090]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78830090]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>79891558</id>
    <user>
    <id>2765545</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Laura]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2765545-laura]]></link>
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    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
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  <average_rating>3.63</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
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  <date_added>Fri Dec 04 12:25:13 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Dec 04 12:36:38 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I read this book in attempt to understand the opposite sex.  This is a book about how boys become men, and the stages a man moves through as life unfolds.  There is a story within the story too.  It is a fairytale about a boy and the Wild Man.  I like the Wild Man story very much, and the author's i...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79891558">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79891558]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79891558]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>76802920</id>
    <user>
    <id>44348</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Robyn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Gainesville, FL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/44348-robyn-taylor]]></link>
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    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
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  <average_rating>3.63</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>51</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p> Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered. Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Nov 05 07:46:01 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Nov 05 07:59:35 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Interesting analogies by this fine poet. He finds parallels between different societies' myths of how boys become men. I loved some of the deep history -- &quot;Iron John&quot; from the Brothers Grimm is based on a story 20,000 years old. Gorgeous stuff that rings true.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76802920]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76802920]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
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    <id>2333669</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Steven]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2333669-steven-salaita]]></link>
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    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
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  <date_added>Tue Jul 28 09:33:46 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 28 09:33:46 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The bible for men interested in going into the backwoods (but never five miles from a 7-Eleven), playing Indian, beating on drums, and sitting around in a circle fondling their penises in a communal display of primal manhood.  ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65269016]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65269016]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>25899496</id>
    <user>
    <id>248627</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sam]]></name>
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  <isbn>0306813769</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780306813764</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">39</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171841664m/122600.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122600.Iron_John_A_Book_About_Men</link>
  <average_rating>3.63</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
  </description>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Fri Aug 22 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jun 30 06:55:14 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Aug 22 13:21:29 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[this seems like an important book to me.  Bly speaks in poetry, symbols and myths, which is a strong point, but a common critique of him is that he tends to &quot;over-interpret.&quot;  Again, that's also part of the book's strength -- it's meant to inspire and engender creativity in others, so if i...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25899496">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25899496]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25899496]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>73254367</id>
    <user>
    <id>1501704</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Ian]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <isbn>0306813769</isbn>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">39</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171841664m/122600.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122600.Iron_John_A_Book_About_Men</link>
  <average_rating>3.63</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <date_added>Fri Oct 02 18:22:42 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Oct 02 18:25:26 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Honestly, the book drug on a little. However, the ideas it presented were ideas that explained a lot about the current dilemma in the world of men not knowing what being a man means. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73254367]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73254367]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>40377101</id>
    <user>
    <id>1811723</id>
    <name><![CDATA[M S]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Dayton, OH]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171841664m/122600.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122600.Iron_John_A_Book_About_Men</link>
  <average_rating>3.63</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1994</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Dec 18 08:11:13 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 18 08:30:39 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book is one of the books i read that helped me to figure out what was the purpose of my self destruction in my early/mid twenties.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40377101]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40377101]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>77729255</id>
    <user>
    <id>2942049</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Eric]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[dumaguete city, negros oriental, Philippines]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2942049-eric-orillana]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <id type="integer">122600</id>
  <isbn>0306813769</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780306813764</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">39</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171841664m/122600.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122600.Iron_John_A_Book_About_Men</link>
  <average_rating>3.63</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
  </description>
</book>

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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Nov 13 23:56:56 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Nov 13 23:58:55 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[i love this book about men. It is a psychological,sociological understanding of a man from childhood to adulthood.<br/>i really love this. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77729255]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77729255]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>73655361</id>
    <user>
    <id>909480</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Eric]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/909480-eric-duncan]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1256598159p3/909480.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <id type="integer">122600</id>
  <isbn>0306813769</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780306813764</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">39</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171841664m/122600.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122600.Iron_John_A_Book_About_Men</link>
  <average_rating>3.63</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
  </description>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Jun 28 00:00:00 -0700 2003</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Oct 06 13:29:02 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 06 13:31:35 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[wow, this is a great book about men an making and understanding of the choices of how you want to live in your life, women included! smile]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73655361]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73655361]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>75836387</id>
    <user>
    <id>2867890</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Leslee]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2867890-leslee]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1256527514p3/2867890.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">122600</id>
  <isbn>0306813769</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780306813764</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">39</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171841664m/122600.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122600.Iron_John_A_Book_About_Men</link>
  <average_rating>3.63</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1991</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Oct 26 18:13:46 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Oct 26 18:15:37 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Enjoyable, but honestly taught me nothing about men.  Don't think that info. comes from book learnin'.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75836387]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75836387]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>7556308</id>
    <user>
    <id>322476</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Chris]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/322476-chris-bass]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1203388574p3/322476.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <id type="integer">618155</id>
  <isbn>0201517205</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780201517200</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">8</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176386051m/618155.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/618155.Iron_John_A_Book_About_Men</link>
  <average_rating>3.61</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>433</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p> Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered. Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
  </description>
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  <date_added>Wed Oct 10 17:51:34 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Nov 01 16:24:41 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I'd recommend this book to any guy recently graduated from college and all the sudden is thrown into living life.  This &quot;phase&quot; in our lives is called the &quot;Katabasis.  A period of life in which, &quot;a man no longer feels like a special person.  He is not.  One day he is in college, ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7556308">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7556308]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7556308]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>39529017</id>
    <user>
    <id>886201</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Scott]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, OR]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/886201-scott-yelton]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1203101786p3/886201.jpg]]></image_url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">122600</id>
  <isbn>0306813769</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780306813764</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">39</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171841664m/122600.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122600.Iron_John_A_Book_About_Men</link>
  <average_rating>3.63</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[men]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[men]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Dec 05 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Dec 07 13:15:19 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 07 13:16:30 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Dudes (especially dudes)... read this book. Empower men everywhere!]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39529017]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39529017]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>71427142</id>
    <user>
    <id>2744985</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Hannes]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2744985-hannes]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">122600</id>
  <isbn>0306813769</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780306813764</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">39</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171841664m/122600.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122600.Iron_John_A_Book_About_Men</link>
  <average_rating>3.63</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1998</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Sep 16 10:08:11 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Sep 16 10:09:26 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[more about the experience of being a man]]></body>
    
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
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  <date_added>Sun Feb 22 11:30:25 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Feb 22 11:30:25 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Life Changing book for men.]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Newtie Jeff]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
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  <read_at>Fri Mar 06 03:55:57 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jan 28 11:51:28 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Mar 06 03:55:57 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Not quite finished with this yet.  A really unusual book.  I kept up with the controversy it sparked when it was first released, but didn't read it then.  Wish I had. <br/><br/>Essentially a meditative essay.  Not really psychology, not really history, not really anthropology, but somehow more thoug...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44658727">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44658727]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44658727]]></link>
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    <![CDATA[Iron John: A Book About Men]]>
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    <![CDATA[In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.<p>  Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale &quot;Iron John,&quot; in which the narrator, or &quot;Wild Man,&quot; guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.  Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.</p>]]>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Those seeking meaning to Life]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Apr 14 05:30:35 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 17:57:49 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[This was a strange book. It came highly recommended to me, and I liked that it was a serious book, very blunt and honest.  However, the style was difficult to read through, and there's a lot of stuff, as a Muslim, I question and have to re-interpret. But despite all of that, it has helped me get ser...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/716867">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/716867]]></url>
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