First responses to the book: Finding Our Fire - Enhancing Men's Connection to Heart, Passion and Strength
(available at: http://www.findingourfire.com/ ): 
First responses to the book: Finding Our Fire - Enhancing Men's Connection to Heart, Passion and Strength (available at: http://www.themensinquiry.com/ ):
>“In Finding Our Fire, Martin Brossman gives from the very depth of his soul, from his fire. Turn the page and your fire will be sparked. Turn the next page and your heart will be opened. Turn the next page and you will find strength. Turn and turn, and you will be awakened to what is alive in you! For both men and women, Finding Our Fire will stimulate the best in you and open your world to a deeper connection with the energy needed to create a more harmonious future!”
-Carolyn R. Craft, Host “Waking Up with Carolyn Craft” on Sirius Satellite Radio 114
>This is a remarkable book. It provides deep insight into man's inner thoughts, passions, and attempts to understand himself and the world around him. It provides a mirror for a man to perhaps see what he never saw clearly before and share that insight with his fellow man. It is also a celebration of life--by opening up and expressing concerns, issues and experiences enriching each others lives. It surely expresses the brotherhood of man and provides a new and invaluable insight for women to better comprehend and better share relations with each other and the men in their lives.
Tom Wagner
>“I have barely finished the book and find myself using quotes and stories from the book with my clients to help the deal with issues.”
Vickie Penninger
> “I wept when I read the section on Fathers.”
Barton Cutter
> What I liked most about your book is the “real” quality of it. It was not top-heavy with a bunch of psychology stuff which is only important to psychologists and medical people and means nothing to the guy who has the problem. Your case studies were written by real identifiable people. They were uncensored and not “selected” to prove a point or some new theory that an author could conceive. The best part was reading the stories and being able to identify the voices. These are real people and their problems carried over from story to story in very believable ways. The other thing I like is that without saying so, you have provided a very objective and understandable source of cases that can be read and studied by others. Your cases are still breathing with me and I often catch myself wanting to ask questions directly to the people in these case stories. I don’t know why our education system hasn’t picked up on the value of your work. It is obvious to me that we are missing a whole major culture activity with our sons and fathers and husbands and single men. What an oversight! We have become so centered around our work that we have lost one of the most valuable teaching activities that we can learn from life.
Alan Schlukbier
> "Martin has strong insight as to what's been missing in this society from a male perspective and is communicated in his book 'Finding Our Fire'."
Jean Wright from Raleigh, NC
> "Hooray - a self-help book that doesn't make men out to be all wrong."
Mike Vaio
>“A gift from a dedicated leader in personal growth, particularly the development of the healthy male ego, “Finding Our Fire” is a must read for psychotherapists, life coaches and anyone interested in the wounding and healing of the male psyche.”
Barry K. Selman, LCSW
> “Finding Our Fire provides insights about the male psyche that go well beyond today’s trendy, politically correct media version.”
Dana Gower
> "Martin's insight into men and women is astounding. I have watched him facilitate groups and seen what happens when he works his 'magic' --- letting people be who they are, and, at the same time, drawing out their innermost feelings and thoughts. His new book is a true gift for men, and for women too, bringing all of us closer together by recognizing that deep down, we are the same. "
Janet Bauer - International Trainer and Speaker
> "Men from various parts of the USA and other parts of the world, with different backgrounds and life experiences, use this opportunity to find their voice, and reflect on their own lives, exploring issues that concern them."
Barry Brown, M.A., Counsellor
> "From the cover to the content, Finding Our Fire is a superb example of one man's passion for excellence and his desire to impact others in a positive way. The author, Martin Brossman, has devoted over a decade of his life to the burgeoning men's movement in America. Brossman spent years conceiving and creating this book that is as much for women as it is for men. For unique insights provided by men from around the world on issues that touch their lives, Finding Our Fire is a book you just have to read."
Michael Saleeby - Community College English Teacher / Poet
> "ALMOST EVERY GUY I KNOW SHOULD READ THIS BOOK! But I know also that not every guy is remotely ready to face the truths that you have written about! In my experience with men, most of them would probably think they DON'T NEED to CHANGE THEMSELVES, and therefore would not get very far in the book. OF COURSE, those may be the ones that WOULD get the most out of taking THE time TO READ it. But the important thing is that when your book gets into the hands of the men that are indeed ready for it....it will launch them into an emotionally healthy life! Let me tell you! I have been looking for that kind of man all of my life!"
- Catherine
> Well worth the investment!
"Having read Martin's book, then listening to the audio, I have three simple steps. Get the book, get this audio - start moving forward!
You can hear the passion in Martin's voice as he speaks not only from his experiences, but from his heart as well. Whether men feel comfortable with his observations (derived from many years of work) or not, they resound with truth-truth's not often discussed in today's world.
It's for men. It's for women. It's for humans. Inquiry is the appropriate term for this work.
Great job Martin!"
Kelly Castor - "The Blue Jean CEO"
> The North American Men's Movement has several effective spokesmen and I count Martin Brossman as one of them. The information in both his book Finding Our Fire and in this recorded lecture is solid and up-to-date, and the passion and authenticity in his presentation are unmistakable. For anyone seeking material and impetus on how to improve men's lives,
Mr Brossman's works are an excellent resource. I give them my highest recommendation.
-- Richard Grassi,
Humanities and Language Dept,
Kanazawa University, Japan
Experiences Men had by Contributing to the Book
Kyle
As I have been answering the questions posed for this book, many things are happening. I am thinking about what I have written, sometimes way after I've written it. I am seeing myself and listening to my own answers as though I am someone else. The way that this seems to be helping is that looking like this is clearer and without my judgments. It's helping me see what is true rather than what I have distorted. For example, I found myself writing about my experiences with my father. He may not have been as cruel or violent as I wrote. Maybe I portrayed him unfairly. He didn't know how to express love, and yet I know he loved. His intentions were good. His work ethic was strong. He came from a life of hardship and cruelty in the old country and here in the US also in the early 1900s. Several of his brothers died in prison. And his family was broken, with young children put out on their own or in his reckless care.
He had bursts of meanness and violence. But, at the tenacious and caring hands of my mother I saw him reform and soften as he aged, with his desire to be responsible to his own family of six. My mother got the $96 weekly paycheck and she gave him $10 for all his expenses. He often worked dangerous jobs for extra money. He always came to watch me in sports. He was not educated. I was ashamed of him. He wasn't afraid of anyone. He seemed stingy but was generous to his family.
I am hurt that I only got brief dialogues with him, and none when I was older. I feel he had a lot to tell me about and I want to know now... but can't. Yes, as a boy he hurt me physically and it was a struggle psychologically too. But, I see now I was strong enough that it didn't harm me in any meaningful way. Perhaps it even inspired me to be not like him... and it is taking me a long time to be Not like him. He was unpredictable, often hypocritical in raising me, and he was prejudiced against ‘Negros’ being in the neighborhood. This bothered me a great deal, even as a small boy and it has turned into my being my own lifelong watchdog for my prejudices. And prejudices creep into everything, interfering with my seeing the 'real' thing. And this has turned into my greatest aspiration-- to listen fully.
So, when I first wrote about all this in answering the questions for the book, my memories were vague. But, as I wrote they became vivid. And my story was created.
Rob
I found out that many things I thought were ‘just my problem’ I share with many men. This is a lot, I mean a lot!
Chas
I would not have kept going without your encouragement through contributing to this book, dedication and support. You are a very good man! We men do well when we see the beauty in ourselves and walk beside each other in our separate journeys.
Joel
My insight is that there is more to me than surfaces regularly in the day-to-day world; a bit of mystery, a bit of myth, a bit of me that is hidden and needs to be released. My commitment is to continue with men's work to uncover myself for a fuller richer life. This process and joining the Inquiry group has been a way of identifying the gold in my life. Thank you so much for reminding me that I am capable of being who I am and being proud of it. Where do men get this today?
Clark
The questions alone were worth the price of admission! Seriously, I got as much out of reading the questions as I did out of replying to them. What have I committed to do different? I could answer something for almost every chapter of questions. One of the main items is realizing that my parents did the best they could in the situation they were in. They almost changed before my eyes as I asked the questions over and over. I can not imagine a man’s life would not change by reading these questions, in fact I can imagine a woman’s would not as well.
Audio Presentation about writing the book from the book signing:
http://www.themensinquiry.com/findingourfire-1stbooksigning.htm
Go here to read what others have said about The Men's Inquiry:
http://www.toinquire.com/valuetheygained.htm
From the Men's Inquiry Blog: http://toinquire.blogspot.com/
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