Manhood : The facts of life presented to men by Clement Wood
Manhood by Clement Wood is an educational guide for men written in the early 20th century. This concise nonfiction book blends sex education, social commentary, and practical advice, outlining male adolescence and sexual development, the forms of love and marriage, and ethical conduct in intimate life. The book begins with adolescence, urging clear sex education at home and school, physical and mental fitness, and calm guidance about bodily changes and nocturnal emissions.
It traces “natural,” romantic, and conjugal love; reviews Freud’s stages from self-love to heterosexuality; and argues for growing equality between men and women, mutual mate choice, and sustained courtship within marriage. It discusses children and the double standard, promotes informed family planning and responsible birth control, and weighs eugenics and its potential abuses and futures. Wood criticizes the taboo on teaching human reproduction, proposing stepwise learning through botany, zoology, and human physiology, and calls love an art requiring patience, sensitivity, and mutual satisfaction. He warns against early and excessive indulgence, explains the risks and myths of venereal diseases, and urges prompt, reputable medical care. Closing with a redefinition of chastity as intelligent selection and consent, he envisions a freer, fairer sexual morality, supports humane divorce, anticipates new childrearing efficiencies, and counsels men to pursue bodily vigor, clear knowledge, and a generous, forward-looking ideal of purity. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Wood, Clement, 1888-1950 |
|---|---|
| Editor | Haldeman-Julius, E. (Emanuel), 1888-1951 |
| Title | Manhood : The facts of life presented to men |
| Original Publication | Girard: Haldeman-Julius Company, 1924. |
| Series Title | Little blue book ; no. 91 |
| Credits | Tim Miller, chenzw, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | HQ: Social sciences: The family, Marriage, Sex and Gender |
| Subject | Sex instruction for men |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 77903 |
| Release Date | Feb 10, 2026 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 252 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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