I usually do not like the "manhood" books that are best sellers in Christian circles. They seem like they are written for men in mid-life crisis who long to go back to the days when they were on a football team. However, I chose this book in spite of the title because I have enjoyed Arterburn's previous writings.
I was not disappointed. Stephen Arterburn teamed with his friend David Stoop, a counselor, to write about the issues that confront all people, but men in particular. Stoop, who is now deceased, had great insight through his counseling career into the problems facing men including The Dad Factor. So many men are still trying to please a father who often had psychological issues that prevented him from accepting and bonding with his son.
Although the books has a little bit of chest bumping, it is practical and well written. I especially liked the chapter entitled "Mastering Your Mind." The writers give a practical 4 step approach to dealing with fears or other issues that dominate our minds and keep us from living in freedom.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A lot of this material has already been covered in various other mens' books (most notably, Wild At Heart by John Eldredge), but the writers resist a lot of stereotypes that usually appear in this sort of book. They also do a better job than many writers at emphasizing how women balance men in healthy marriages, which is a subject many mens' books don't explore very well.
Not groundbreaking, but better than most.

In The Soul of a Hero (Tyndale, 2021), Stephen Arterburn & David Stoop attempt to explain how men are called to be everyday heroes and then explain how to live a hero's life personally, as a husband, father and citizen. Referring to Scripture passages and concepts regularly, the authors call men to understand their calling and tackles the challenges of 21st century living directly and honestly.
Among the many interesting chapters in the book, #6 about treating all women as equally valuable individuals who are deeply accepted, loved, and respected by the Heavenly Father. Without backing away from the first book Steve co-authored with Fred Stoeker, Every Man's Battle (2000), they deal clearly with the sad mistakes evangelical Christians have made in regards to sexual abuse, misconduct, and treatment of females based on poor biblical teaching about the value and worth of women.
Although not the best book one could read on defining and explaining biblical manhood, the authors present some helpful perspectives. Its not a difficult read and each chapter is broken into manageable chunks.