We have curated a collection of recommended reads on men’s health for Movember. This book list contains non-fiction aimed at adults and older young adults.
Movember is the month-long campaign every November to raise awareness of men’s mental and physical health.
Prostate Cancer by Graham Sharpe
Faced with a sudden and unexpected diagnosis of prostate cancer, Graham Sharpe set about trying to catalogue what he went through en route to acquiring the condition and how he dealt with the grinding process of his treatment, despite having no idea of the ultimate outcome.
Along the way he met and befriended many others undergoing the physical and mental stresses of treatment, emotional turmoil comparable with watching their favourite football team lose every game they play.
In this intimate memoir charting his own personal experience of coming to terms with prostate cancer, Graham brings humour and a light touch to a serious subject.
The Life Changing Magic of Sheds by Henry Cole
Your shed is your refuge. It’s the place where you go when I need a break from this mad, crazy world. But a shed can only help you if it’s not attached to the house.
The minute you attach the shed to the gaff, or confuse the concept of a shed with the concept of a conservatory, or a home office or a Shepherd’s Hut, you’re doing yourself over. You’re never, ever going to get spiritual enlightenment in a lean-to. That’s like going to find yourself in Thailand, and staying in the airport. You need to make that pilgrimage to the bottom of the garden.
Whether you’re walking down a muddy track or crunching along a perfect gravel path, you have to get out of the house. Breathe in the fresh air. Then pull open the door, grapple for the light switch, fire up the heaters and turn on the kettle. Once you’re inside the four walls of your shed, you can do whatever you like. You’re the king in there.
Sort Your Head Out by Sam Delaney
Sam Delaney was Jack the Lad. He was confident, loud and funny; an absolute legend, to be honest. Or at least that was what he pretended to be.
But when he reached his thirties, work, relationships and fatherhood started to take their toll. Like so many blokes who seemed to be totally fine, he often felt like a complete failure whose life was out of control; anxiety and depression had secretly plagued him for years.
Turning to drink and drugs only made things worse. Then he began to open up and share his story with others. Soon his life started to get better and better. Now, he’s written this book to help you do the same.
Raising Boys Who Do Better by Uju Asika
This is an invitation for parents of boys, as well as anyone who cares about the young males in their lives. Parents of daughters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, community leaders; this is a discussion that we all need to participate in.
Whether we are expecting a baby boy, parenting young men, or are simply interested in effecting positive change, many of us are asking how we can raise boys who challenge the status quo and are empowered to stand up for what is right.
Confronting toxic masculinity and delving into the hot-button issues affecting boys today, from education to sexism, power to consent, and mental health, this book looks at bringing up boys in the era of #MeToo and Black Lives Matter.
Man Food by Ian Marber
‘Man Food’ is the definitive guide, tailored for men, on how to enhance their health easily and practically through their nutritional choices. If there was a way to eat that meant you could slow aging, lose weight and prevent illness, wouldn’t you do it?
Genetics and family history combine with our lifestyles and contribute to overall health, and the results show that men have significantly increased chances of experiencing various diseases. There are of course multiple factors that contribute to the development of disease, but we do know that nutrition is a powerful ally in reducing the risk.
Now is your chance to make simple changes to your diet to ensure a longer, healthier, happier life. Drawing on the latest clinical research, award-winning nutritionist Ian Marber provides simple food swaps, myth-busting facts, and scientific evidence on how consuming certain foods can reduce your risk of prostate cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and more.
Man Down by Matt Rudd
From the outside, the men of today should be happy. They have it comparatively easy. They still get paid more for doing the same jobs. They are still 40% more likely than women to be promoted to management roles. At home, men do washing-up and petrol, wine and bins. Women still do everything else. But below the surface, there’s a different story unfolding.
Men in the UK are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Men aged 45-49 have the highest rate of suicide, nearly four times that of women the same age. Their reported levels of stress are higher and their levels of happiness are lower. The evidence is clear and ironic: the system set up by men, which doesn’t work for women, isn’t working for men either. It’s making none of us happy.
Matt Rudd delves into the reasons behind this unhappiness, and what we might be able to do about it.
No Time Like The Future by Michael J Fox
he entire world knows Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, the teenage sidekick of Doc Brown in ‘Back to the Future’; as Alex P. Keaton in ‘Family Ties’; and through numerous other movie roles and guest appearances on shows such as ‘The Good Wife’.
Diagnosed at age 29, Michael is equally engaged in Parkinson’s advocacy work, raising global awareness of the disease and helping find a cure through The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the world’s leading non-profit funder of PD science.
His two previous memoirs, ‘Lucky Man’ and ‘Always Looking Up’, dealt with how he came to terms with the illness, all the while exhibiting his iconic optimism. In ‘No Time Like the Future’, Michael shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, ageing, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality.
How to Listen So Men Will Talk by Tom Chapman
The shocking statistic that suicide is the biggest killer of men aged 29-40 in the UK has made us all wake up to the fact we need to encourage men to talk about their feelings.
For some, the stigma and taboo around mental health make it a difficult subject to speak about or ‘admit’ to due to shame of being seen to be weak, especially in men. What can you do about it? What steps can you take, that could make a real difference to the men around you – and point them toward the right help?
Tom Chapman is the founder of mental health charity the Lions Barber Collective, set up to raise awareness for the prevention of suicide. This book uses the LBC’s established training approach, to gives you the tools you need to play a supportive role and listen effectively.