If you have ever sat at the knees of a family member or neighbor who regaled you with their wild stories and hard-earned lessons, you have probably learned a thing or two about how others’ stories can help prepare you for life. Through Boy to Successful Man, you will gain invaluable information from two authors who have seen it all.
For anyone who feels misunderstood, for anyone who feels angry, for anyone who feels lost-this book is for you. There is no shame in feeling trapped or confused by the expectations for you to grow from a boy into a man. This book is a tool to give young men great lives, no matter their circumstances.
In Boy to Successful Man, Rico Austin PhD and Dr. Suave Powers have collaborated to create a literal “pocket” book of advice for young men. Specifically, it caters to young men who may not have had the guidance of a father figure. Each chapter teaches basic lessons, often through short, anecdotal stories of Rico’s life. Many of the lessons are simplistic, but that is exactly the point. This is a book of the basics for anyone whose education is lacking. In today’s fast paced world, there are not many people who will go out of their way to ensure that the gaps in others’ educations have been filled. Rico Austin and Dr. Suave Powers do exactly that within the pages of Boy to Successful Man.
In addition, Rico Austin shares information about his upbringing, which many would call challenging. However, he does not write solely for individuals who have been raised in similar situations. His advice is ambiguous and versatile enough to apply to people from all different backgrounds. Whether one has grown up in a family with an absent father or with well-meaning parents who were simply too busy to instill life lessons into their children, Uncle Rico’s advice holds true.
The authors of this book boast a great deal of credibility. Both are highly educated with multiple degrees, and they often reference quotes by experts. These experts range from Ernest Hemingway, to Lil’ Wayne, to Eleanor Roosevelt, to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to Mahatma Gandhi. (The level of exposure that readers gain from the quotes themselves is noteworthy!) In the chapter about education, Rico Austin states that, “education, in its general sense, is a form of learning in which skills, knowledge, and habits of a group of people are handed down from one generation to the next.” That is precisely what the quotes shared in this book are intended to do-pass on a great deal of wisdom from previous generations. Overall, Rico Austin and Dr. Powers’ advice reads as a family member providing guidance to a beloved child. It is clear that each chapter in this book has been written from that same place of concern and care for our future generations.