Handing over this book to a man

It is a common observation that men are not always receptive when health advice is being dispensed. The information may be coming from a public health campaign (no smoking, don’t text and drive) or from his doctor (lose weight, reduce alcohol consumption) but this makes little difference.

Be careful how you hand it over

If you have purchased The Prostate Playbook for a man in your life (spouse, partner, brother, son, father, postman) it is really important how you present the book to him if you want him to actually read it then take some of the actions to reduce his prostate cancer risk.

Before the recommended method, let me review what not to do –
– Never give him this book in front of his mates (unless you have a copy for each of them).
– Never gushingly gift him any book exclaiming this will solve his problem (he has no problem and, if he did, solving problems is his job).
– Never infer that the book will restore his manliness. It never left.
– Never suggest that he doesn’t already know everything that is in the book.
– Try very hard not to keep asking him if he has read it yet, or if there is anything he didn’t understand.

Now for the Professor Allingham system of getting a man to read The Prostate Playbook you have purchased for him –

  • Leave it lying somewhere in the house where he will find it on his own (self-discovery).
  • When he finds it, wait for him to mention the book in conversation. Don’t press him.
  • If the book never seems to move, don’t panic. This doesn’t mean he isn’t reading it. He won’t reveal his interest until he is well into it. And it may be the only item he ever put back where he found it in his effort to mask his pursuit of information that he didn’t realise he needed.
  • Be patient. This will be your challenge as he won’t acknowledge the book until he has found value with it.
  • If he believes the book was his idea and he just found it, don’t argue. You have won.

These guidelines are most applicable for cross-gender referral where a female is presenting the book to a man. A man will just tell his mate to read the book and better still, buy the book. This is because he has the advantage of extra-knowledge and men just love to share that.