*The Double Dangerous Book for Boys

The Double Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn, Arthur, and Cameron Iggulden is a clean, engaging, fascinating, and robust book for boys, just like the original.

The Double Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn, Arthur, and Cameron Iggulden. William Morrow, 2019, 320 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 12-15

Recommended For: Middle Grades, ages 12-15

If you already have the classic Dangerous Book for Boys on your shelf, add this one. If you don’t already have the original, buy both. Buy them for your son, your husband, or your friend (even yourself…even if you’re a middle-aged mom like me who has the gift of curiosity).

This book is a compendium. It has things you ought to wonder about, things you will find fascinating, things that are practical and useful, and it makes you want to try them. It’s clean. It’s robust. It’s also a little bit scary.

Now are you curious?

The best thing about these books is how they’re organized: they aren’t. The content is intentionally randomly arranged so you can open it anywhere and find something interesting: history, life skills, games, math, physical skills, cooking, etiquette (made appealing to young men who are starting to care), nature, small projects, good books, things worth memorizing, and yes, how to make a stink bomb or hold fire in your hand. (They don’t recommend trying this and are honest about what happens if you do. I trust that some of my boys will heed the warning, and hope the others have the sense to!)

Narratives about ancient history, legends, geography, heroes and rulers are introduced with summaries such as the following:

Some empires lasted for just a single lifetime, others for centuries. If each one was given a different color and speeded up, they would look like flowers opening and closing over millennia. They are interesting for the glorious tendency of human beings to reach beyond their grasp, over and over. Empires and landing men on the moon can be mentioned in the same breath because they spring from the same engine, an engine that will eventually take us to Mars and beyond.

The pattern is often the same: a young and aggressive culture conquers the tries around it. They expand for a time, using the resources from each victory to go further and faster. Together, they become rich and powerful–a plateau period, during which great art is often produced. Over time, they grow complacent and less willing to defend all they have won–until one day the meet another group of young soldiers…

Double Dangerous Book for Boys, “Empires of Gold,” p. 150.

Aren’t those thoughtful observations? Conn Iggulden and his sons write engagingly, often with a touch of humor. You can google the information online, but nowhere else will you find it so well presented.

I hope they’re working on another addition to the series.

Overall Rating: 4.75 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 5 out of 5

Read more about our ratings here.

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• A Review: Champ Thornton wrote a book in a similar style for families who want to share fascinating stories and history from the Bible and church history. No dangerous experiments, but really nicely done.
• A Resource: This is a GREAT collection of fiction and nonfiction that will appeal to the same audience as Double Dangerous Book for Boys.
• A Reflection: Why do boys prefer nonfiction? Janie offers thoughts and recommends more books (of course).

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