A Better Man: True American Heroes Speak to Young Men on Love, Power, Pride and What It Really Means to Be a Man - Hardcover

Kelly H. Johnson is an attorney, writer, and the mother/stepmother of five sons and one daughter. She holds a BBA from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from the College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law. She has written for both local and national parenting magazines, and her work appears in the compilations, The Imperfect Mom Candid Confessions of Mothers Living in the Real World (Doubleday); It's a Girl Women Writers on Raising Daughters (Seal Press); and Love Wins (SmileyBooks). Kelly lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, Fred, and their children, who outnumber them three to one.

It's one thing to tell a child how to act and another thing entirely to show him. A Better Man does the latter through poignant stories about real people, told by the very people who lived them. This book provides lessons that pave the way to a newer, brighter future for men who will not only achieve great things in their lives, but also in the lives of the better men they will raise and mentor. Thank you, Kelly Johnson, for giving parents, educators, and young people a book that will positively influence the lives of our nation's men for generations to come. --Michael Gurian, author of The Wonder of Boys and The Purpose of Boys

There is no question that young men are negatively affected by the fractured, incoherent images of manhood so prevalent in the media today. Computer downloads, streaming videos, incessant cell phones, and iPods all contribute to a relentless onslaught from which our boys can find little relief. Until now. In her new book, A Better Man, Kelly Johnson has brought together twenty-six true American heroes and asked them to share some of their thoughts and insights on a host of topics. The result is a book of timeless wisdom that offers young men the unique opportunity to hear from great men their stories, the lessons they've learned, and the truth about being a man. It is a book whose time has come. --Captain Robert C. Hurd, USN (Ret.), Congressional Liaison, U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps

There is a disquieting trend in our society towards accepting less than our best and it's bled over into the outlook we have for the boys we are raising into men. A Better Man reminds us not to settle but to encourage our sons, our nephews, our brothers, and our neighbors to cultivate within themselves those qualities that make them better men: men of drive, honor, compassion, and integrity. Every young man would greatly benefit from the lessons learned in this book. Its positive impact will be felt for generations to come. --Ambassador Andrew J. Young, Jr.