a hero's journey looks like in stories from myths to movies and what it looks like in real life We'll talk about what makes a hero the steps the people the goals and the powers And we'll talk about how you can be the hero of your own story It shouldn't need to be said but in case it does we're not going to talk about any differences between hero or heroine —because there aren't any A hero can be anyone and it's silly to act like there are two different things because of sex or gender Throughout the book you'll find some Check out the science boxes by psychologist Brian Riches who will explain the science behind some of the concepts I'm talking about in case you don't want to just take my word for it Believe it or not there are psychological studies to back up what I'm telling you about heroes Each chapter ends with a quick sum up of the key points but if you want to write down some of your own ideas reactions and plans as you go along go ahead I won't tell you to take notes that sounds too much like schoolwork but you might want to jot down your thoughts Or you might not You do you There are also several activities and prompts to get you started on your own journey and I do think you should do those that's kind of the point Plus they should be fun Warning Heroes take risks The best risks are those you've thought about You'll read about people who jumped onto train tracks stood up to bullies and changed the world It might make sense for you to take a particular risk but it might not Each person's riskiness is unique Trying to save a drowning kid in the ocean might be low risk for a lifeguard but for me it's very high risk This book is going to challenge you to take risks but before every one I want you to evaluate the risk to you first VIII THE HERO HANDBOOK
And before we start since I'm about to give you a bunch of life advice I guess it's only fair that I tell you who I am What makes me qualified to tell you about heroes I'm Matt I started the Hero Construction Company an organization that helps come up with plans to teach people to act heroically I'm also a member of groups like the Hero Round Table and the Heroic Imagination Project My job literally consists of speaking all over the world telling people how to be heroes How's that for qualifications Ready Let's go PREFACE IX
CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS THE HERO'S JOURNEY Who is your hero I wonder who just popped into your head Who's sitting there grinning back at you Is it a famous person like Martin Luther King Jr. or Ruth Bader Ginsburg Is it a superhero from a comic or movie Is it an athlete artist or accountant inspiring you to great things If you're like most people your age it's a family member a parent sibling or other relative who is always there for you It's a strange question because I didn't give you a definition I didn't lead you in a particular direction by adding more information I didn't ask who the greatest hero in history was I didn't ask for the name of a family hero I left it broad It's a powerful question When someone provides an answer to this question you can tell a lot about them You get an idea of what motivates them what their values are what they value in others and even what their interests are What could you gather about someone who said Spiderman was their hero You could assume they're a superhero fan 1
