In the Days of Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man

Tom Junod's memoir explores his life story and the lessons he received about what it means to be a man, weaving personal history with cultural observation.

Drawing on decades of experience as a magazine writer, Junod presents intimate scenes from his upbringing, family relationships, and career.

The book meditates on masculinity, memory, and the ways personal narratives shape identity.

Written in Junod's observant, literary style, the memoir balances humor, regret, and tenderness.

It offers readers a candid, reflective account of a life spent both reporting on others and interrogating his own past.