What Aging Men Want: The Odyssey as a Parable of Male Aging

In the mid 90’s, I read Robert Bly’s Iron John. I remember one of Bly’s proposals is that young males need guidance into manhood by their societal elders. This made sense to me. I had the gift of guidance from elder men who encouraged me to become the man I am today – warts and all. I am fortunate to have had these sages in my life. Now that I am considered “an elder”, I am finding that I continue to have the need for growth. This is no great discovery. I think I knew it all along. I am a retired warrior. The question, “What now?” sparked a mystical and exciting journey toward intimacy and peace.John Robinson’s book, What Aging Men Want, is an excellent guide for this passage. He uses the mythical story of “The Odyssey” as a way to understand how we boomers have arrived here and what we want now that we are here. Dr. Robinson’s use of a provocative, mythical story as a metaphor for the journey of aging is worthy of serious consideration and thought. His list of seventeen things we seek as elders is amazingly accurate. I found I could identify with them all. If you are over fifty, get and read this book. I’m sure you will discover nuggets of stimulating “aha’s”. For me, it was as if Dr. Robinson and the journey of Odysseus spoke to my soul. Aside from all the wisdom and inspiration, What Aging Men Want is a good read – a damn good one.

Robinson uses The Odyssey as a parable for explaining the transition for men moving from being active in the workplace to retirement. It is a clever idea that works pretty well, though he does have to rearrange events in The Odyssey to fit the model.Robinson often has meaningful things to say about the stages of the journey. Unfortunately his Growth Questions in each chapter and suggestions for organizing men's groups and rituals are not very compelling.There is no doubt that this is an important and, for many men, difficult transition and Robinson's insights into the process are helpful. For readers interested in a slightly different approach that I think makes more sense, please see  Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life  by Daniel Klein.

John's book makes the journey men in the winter of their life comparable to the Odyssey which I hadn't revisited since college. The comparison highlights the struggle of epic proportions that men have as they shed their identity as warriors at work and have to navigate the uncharted waters of redefining themselves. It can be a fearful journey but John's book provides a path to follow each step of the way. It is very well done with "the story" and then questions for the travelers to use to find the new destination in life where work is no longer the defining thing and opportunity abounds to discover what the possibilities are as men move into midlife or the winter of their life.This is a guidebook for the journey for those who set sail on their odyssey. Set sail and take this book with you!

If you are a man who has reached 50 years or more, this is an excellent, insightful, and challenging book for you. Dr. Robinson, a Jungian psychologist and spiritually engaged author uses the classic myth of Odysseus as the mirror for understanding the needs of men moving from their active "warrior" years toward a conscious eldering time of life. This book complements all of his work on the archetypal needs of males as they as including Death of the Hero/Birth of the Soul and Three Secrets of Aging.

This book using the Odyssey as a metaphor for how males progress through their warrior years into returning to their desireto have more intimacy is later years is exciting. The author provides provocative question to help readers stretch into knowingthemselves. The books ends by listing the experiences we really want and suggestions as to how a man might start talking withother men to create a connective community.

Robinson does a great job of presenting the challenges that aging men (like myself) face. I loved his use of the Odyssey as a way to highlight the 18 challenges he sees aging men have to face. His list of 17 things that aging men "really" want was spot on. I could identify with all of them. As a matter of fact, most men, regardless of how far they are in the aging process, would probably identify with most of these things.I highly recommend this book to any man who is being the aging process.Barry K. Weinhold, Ph. D.

blah blah blah .... no new ground covered here.

Really appreciate the comprehensive and insightful interpretation of a classic that I'd always contained wisdom, but couldn't decipher. I've already given it to 2 of my buddies, and about to order another!

Chapter 10 and 11 brings it all together, understanding myths, legends and dream time for the moral morale. The mind is an amazing.....